The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-08-23
DailYSborfS1orY
WHEN ALGY WAS A BRUTE
by Frank III. Williams

Algernon Smythe was athletic in
gentlemanly way. He liked to
feel the muscles bulge beneath his
immaculate linen; he delighted in
punching the bag-and he dearly
loved to play gentlemanly game
OF hockey or golf. But once. in his
gentlemanly career, Algernon was
a brute. And This WAS the way of
Il.
Quite in the aristoCratic style eff
fected by his set. Aigy. In the
course of time. became engaged to
a vesy estimable young lady,
Rosella Downing. In quiet, aris-
tocratic way Alsy was deeply in
love with Miss Rosetta, but be-
cause of his training he made no
great pretentions in this regard.
Miss Downing, on the other hand,
had notions that courtship and
marriage-despite he" upbringing
in the ultra exclusive circles of So
ciety-was something more than
mere alliance between two distin-
guished families. Consequently on
the day set for the wedding, Miss
ran away!
1t was then that Algernon felt
something stirring in the depths of
his heart when he had never
known before. He felt savage,
ugly and the rage which consumed
him was something he had never
before known in his whole gentle
manly career.
Clear out of here, he yelled at
his chauffeur, in tones which, or
dinarily. would have shocked him
by their vulgarity. as he sprang at
the steering wheel.
Algy had notion that Rosella
could probably he found the her
maiden aunt'S humble home. This
aunt had notions that, to say the
least, We're extremely plebian, and
1T was from this aunt that Rosetta
had acquired much of her ideas.
Toward this house, then, Algy
drove his huge car at Il really furi-
Gus gait. And, sure enough, as
he drew up in front of the house,
there was Rosetta sitting on the
vefanda with her aunt.
Il say, Rosetta" cried Algy. as
he hurried up the patch. Don't
you know you're late now for the
ceremony. Get into my car,
quick"
Rosetta looked at him with a
flicker of resentment in her eyes.
I'm not going to marry you!"
she announced. II won't marry any
man that's ashamed of loving me
or that doesn't love me-"
81 do love You, and I'm not
ashamed of it," urged Algy. "You
know it's not good form, though,
to make public demonstrations of
ones affections all the time"
I'm not going to marry you"
Rosetta repeated.
At this Algy became a brute.
There is no other word for it.
After it was all over there was no
one more ashamed-and still
sneakingly proud-of his conduct
than Algy.
"Oh, yes, you are!" Algy yelled.
He ran up the steps and grabbed
the girl by the wrist. Down the
walk he pulled her, out to his ma
chine, despite her kickipgs and her
yells. At the machine. by a clever
move, she threw the throttle omen
and the big car dashed off, leay-
ing them in the road. In a mo-
ment the auto dashed against a
stone wall with a great uproar,
and was smashed into a total
wreck. Then, not regarding the
machine, Algy dragged the hyster-
ical girl down the dusty road.
Presently they came to a stream.
and he picked her up in his strong
arms and carried her across. On
the other side their progress was
as before. Algy dragged her for
ward, and she pulled back. At
last, tired of this effort. Algy with
out more ado, took Kosella up in