Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-29

I'm engaged to jim"
And l almost cried for joy when l was
quite sure it was true.
We both wrote letters to my mother
and so did Sally. / didn't see theirs,
but l could guess what they said, and
could trust Sally to praise Jim. Still,
all the praises in the world wouldn't
reconcile mother TO what l was going
to do.
to pronounce judgment on horse
which he thought of buying, and the
man who wanted to sell the creature
brought it to the farm about IL o'clock.
Sally had come to tell about the letter
she had just posted TO mother, and
Jim was in the sitting room writing
his. l think he had forgotten about
the horse until Mr. Trowbridge APP
peared, looking rather excited.
"Say, Jim,'' he exclaimed, Jake
Jacobsen's here with the horse. He's
round by the barn NOW, and you
might as well have q look at it; but
it's an awful brute, and / amt going
| to take it at any price,"
whats the matter with the horse?"
asked Jim, scaling up his letter and
looking interested.
Its mad crazy, that's all, but it's
enough for me. / thought there must
be something wrong for Jake to be
| offering it at the price he did"
I'll come" said Jim, getting up.
| jumped up too.
| "Oh. please don't have anything tC
do with such a vicious creature"
begged. You might be killed.
Jim laughed. 1.-THE horse isn't sired
that could kill me. reckon. l know
them too well. Why. little girl, was
brought up among horses. You car
trust me not to run too big risks nov
I've got something to make life wortl
living"
Stan has often told me that mel
hate girls to fuss over them, so / hi
my lip and didn't tease any more, blu
was far from happy. 1 didn't like
the look IN his eyes.
MAY Sally and I go and see tn,
horse with your" 1 meekly asked.
"Pll ride him up to the house IL
find he's worth your seeing" Jim said
But you mustn't worry If we don
come this way for awhile. 1 may hav,
to work with him a bit before he
ready to show himself off to ladies'"
| With that he got his hat and Wen
out with Mr.. Trowbridge, who wa
waiting with q twinkle in his eyes.
Already Jim and Mr. Trowbridg
had disappeared. but as we were choos
ing the coolest place for our chairs w
saw dusty, nondescript old vehicl
rafting up the maple avenue and jus
about to turn into the narrow roa,
which leads round the side of tn
house.
Visitors" said I. 81 didn't know
Mrs. Trowbridge was expecting
Then l broke of, with a little gasp.
"Oh. Sally. it's
1.-THE duke and Katherinew she gur
gled.
All my blood raced up to my hea
: as if Were going to have a sunstrokt
: Mrs. Trowbridge and the girls wer
, busy in the kitchen making peach jan
!. so when the wretched old chaise drey
!, up close to the veranda Sally and
were alone to receive it.
II IL my sense of humor hadn't bee
trafnpled upon by various emotion
! which were all jumping about at lib
: same time. 1 should have had har
) work not to laugh when Stan and Mr.
: Ess Kay scrambled out from undo
the numbering old hood, which was liz
:. a great coal scuttle turned over the
: heads. Their hair was gray with dus
: their faces purple with heat, and ev
IDENTITY they were both in towering ten
pers.
= Stan looked at me the way he dl
! once when was small and spoiled b
favorite cricket bat by digging U
worms with it-as II he could hay
: shaken ME well and boxed my eal
= and would IL weren't girl. As (,
Mrs. Ess Kay, she smiled. but b,
q smile meant worse things than Stan
froYn