Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-18

lined from floor to ceiling with thick
books bound In calfskin.
Mr.. Driscoll smiled and waved Mr.
Devfne toward a chair
do much of this night workP
asked the Cherub. Have to, sup
/ pose, to keep things running"
Again Mr.. DriseoIl smiled. He was
quite used to Mr.. Devine's breezy
manner. He asked of Mr.. DeVine
what was up.
''All kinds of things" responded the
Cherub, dropping into red leather
chair and extracting one of his black
| cigars from a waistcoat pocket.
Firstly" began the Cherub, you're
the chief attorney for that blasted
railroad I've just loaded up with,
aren't you"
Mr.. DriscoH nodded.
"Goodi Now, as my private counsel
| I'd like to have you tell me If ] can
safely get rid Of being president of it
within the next twenty-four hours"
| mot tired of it so soon, are your
''Tred! Why, say, Bob, there isn't
work enough about job of that kind
to keep a man awake put in all one
day trying to find things to do. By. 10
| o'clock I'd o. KID a basketfuI of gen.
eral orders that / didn't know any
thing about fired three fluffy haired
typewriter girls and issued a dozen
annual passes to my friends. Then
my private secretary and sat around
and looked at each other until lunch
con time, 1 didn't show up again. No,
no, Bob! 1t may be highly respectable
and all that, but I've got to be where
there's something doing. I want to
get back into the street"
"There's nothing to prevent you
from resigning."
Except putting in some one that'n
work things the way 1 want 'em
worked. What do you say to old Rim
mer?"
trimmer of ChicagoT
"Yep; the one we nipped on short
holdings. Now, be hates me as the
devil hates holy water, but he's a hus-
tier, and he knows the railroad game
like a book. He's down and out now,
but he won't stay down, and when he
gets up again I'd rather have him on
my side than against me. Guess he'd
rather be with me too. How about
Rimmer, ehY'
Mr.. Driscoll sent quick but appre-
ciative glance at the Cherub. He in
dorsed the Rimmer nomination.
"Then that's settled" observed the
Cherub. You send for him in the
morning and put it up to him. fig
ure that he'll be mighty glad to crawl
on the band wagon. Now for item
No. 2. Bet a million you couldn't
40,
Stake too high" laughed Mr.. Dris-
coll, "but I think could come near
guessing. You've been getting mar
ried.''
''Z-z-z-ing, but that was close-I don't
think!' replied the Cherub. you're
within gunshot. though. Bob. And /
expect / might as well own up that
I'd like to, but there's no hope.
found the right girl, all right, and I'd
Just told her about it, when who
should show up but hubby"
Not hers?"
Right! 1 thought all along she was
a widow. Every one thinks SO. He's
one of these cheap macaroni counts,
regular wife beaten, and their honey
moon didn't last more than few
hours. She leaves him in Italy and
comes hom4 Then it's reported that
he has died in a sanitarium-family
don't deny it, girl puts on black, and
all hands hope it will soon be so. But |
he refuses to die and comes over here |
to hold them up for cash. AS it hap |
pens. the first person he runs across
is me. Now, what do you suppose ! |
did to him?''
NJ n-ssoo1lt- o-a- on,.ao, 60
riously on the bland face of .Cherub' |
Devine.
81 hope he began.
"Oh. 1 didn't hurt himP' interrupted |
the Cherub, Pm no hothead-never |
struck a man in my hfe-wouldn't |
know how. But perhaps 1 did worse. |
1 decoyed him to an icehouse and
locked him in there"
: you whatr' Even the composure |
of Bob Driscoll was stirred by this
unique confession.
Something had TO be done right
away. So ! just jollied him along tc
the icehouse. tolled him inside and shut |
the door on him.
$50 you locked him up. did youf
Why didn't you let him make his de-
mand and then have him arreste9 on
q charge Of blackmailY'
'Couldn't. That would bring out the
whole story See? She's been posing
as widow Thats her fathers work
Think of what the papers would make
of that! No. no. We don't want, to go
into court, aud the count mustn't
Pm afraid. Cherub. that he's right
when he calls you a kidnaper That
would be the technical charge. It's
rather serious offense, too-feleHy.
you knox,"