Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-13
The Argus Daily Short Story
Social Climberss-By Willard Maltby
Copyrighted 1910, by Associated Literary Press

A stagecoach numbered up a zigzae
road in the Rocky mountains. On the
outside seat behind the driver sat u
gentleman whose eminently respectable
travelling suit and his clean cut fea-
lures indicated that he was to the
manner born. Beside him sat a young
man in the costume of the country
His skirt was flannel; his hat was a
Sombrero.
On the next seat back sat a lady,
the aristocratic gentleman's wife, and
beside her a girl of nineteen, their
daughter. The man in the sombrero
was telling them about the mountains
and its people and pointing out the
more prominent peaks, TO which the
travellers listened with great interest.
The sun was hot, the pace was slow.
and the two combined tended to make
the driver drowsy. When the coach
reached an eminence and started down
an incline, instead of being wide
awake to- the dangers Of mountain
travel, he was nodding. He not only
failed to put on the brake, but drop
ped the reins. He was awakened by
the shouts of the passengers behind
him, who saw a terrible death staring
them in the face The horses, I'M
checked, started down the slope and
were soon going at a breakneck pace.
The driver baSely abandoned his
post and, putting his foot on the iron
step beside him, swung himself to the
ground The young man who had been
vnniv - IL
himself down over the footboard on to
the tongue, gathered up the reins.
quickly remounted to the box, put on
the brake and managed to reduce the
pace sufficiently to enable the coach
TO turn curve without going over
prectpice.. Then after a further short
descent he brought the horses to
standstill. The first sensation that
came to him after ii was all over was
feeling the arms of the aristocratic
gentleman about his neck.
One day a couple of years after this
episode Mrs. Murphy and her daugh-
ter, while bowling along Ocean avenue
at Newport, received a terrible shock
"Oh, heavens. mother. there's Bar
ton Keith! Look the other way.
quick"
Miss Murphy. pretending to see some
thing to which she desired to call her
mothers attention, pointed in the OPP
posite direction from the young man.
the carriage rolled by. and the women
began to discuss the situation.
What in the world could have
brought him here?' exclaimed the
mother.
Il would as soon have expected to
see Mississippi pilot"
Bart has been stage driver"
Hell tell everybody here all about
our antecedents."
He won't know any one to tell"
ut seems hard to cut him after that
affair you had with him"
There have been changes since then.
At that time father was building his
little branch railroad; he hadn't got on
TO the main line"
well, 1 don't think there's much
danger. considering that he can't have
any entree here. Heaven knows what
time we've had to even get in on
the outer circle. How can Bart Keith
with no money get in at ALP
He may be prosperous; he's well
enough dressed"
That night there was grand func-
ton at one of the Cottages" and the
next morning Mary Murphy ran to her
mother with a newspaper in her hand
and her eyes wide open.
For lands sake. mother. listen to
this: Among those present at Mrs.
AthertoA's last night was Mr. Barton
Keith"