The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-10-12
The Elusive Graft


followed her to her boarding house.
The next day | was ingratiated into
a front room and had rented the
landladys confidence so that she
plugged Tor mc-again. no go.
"On the third day | met her in
the hall and took a strangle-hold on
her arm.
LET me go! says she
Not in this world says !. For
why? Because I've got a hunch that
indicates we're a.going to be mar
ried. Let's settle the details
How dare YOU! says she, quite
pale and shaky Let me go What
do you mean by dogging me this
way?
That's ALL says !, Just matri.
mony. You might as well get it over
with.
She stood for a minute undecided
and then she smiled. That night we
argued it in the parlor ! presented
my pedigree, vaccination mark, and
the mint receipts for a couple OF
thousand ounces OF fresh Dawson
gold, which last would have cinched
the deal in our country, but she
couldn't see it my way.
However, after week getting ac.
Quaintcd, she came rOund-on condi-
tions.
" / won't marry without papa's con
sent. says she, blushing a kind OF
light blue or pink, | forget which,
being as they're about alike. If he'll
come to the wedding and give us his
blessing, III 90 It,
What's his number? Wen call
cab
NO. He's in Chicago. I'll give
you letter to him, and if you ap.
proach him as originally as you did
me, he can't refuse He keeps a res
taurant on the North Side
Don't worry, pet says !, there's
nothing stited or conventional about
me He'll come if | have to rope
him.
On the train east was a refined
looking chap, who learned was from
Alaska, my age, how much I'd made
and the number of teeth ! had had
filled, all during one cigar and with
out seeming inquisitive. either. At
lunch he introduced me to an awful
nice girl; one of these full-of-inno-
cence and -,maidenly curiosity kind,
with shiny finger nails and a baby
blue conversation.
During the meal, Lewis, that was
his name, casually laid his knife on
his plate and toyed with it, tapping
sort of inconsequent.
You knew / was an operator,
didn't you? Sure. Ran an instru-
ment at a water tank on the C. p.
II. before ] went North. Naturally
my ear caught on. He spelled out,
French from Klondyke. Big roll.
Amt it cinch-'
Ohio, thinks /, an undiscovered
species of the bunk" fauna. Let us
pursue it. If not Indigenous to Pull
mans maybe 1t can be acclimated to
Alaska with benefit
"To man that's dealt a brace
game, done the spectacle gag, han.
died walnut shells and a matrimonial
agency, anything new In the graft
line feels sweet and refreshing, so |
laid back and looked appetizing.
Lewis had copper mines in Cali
fornia, irrigations in Uruguay. a non
dropable collar button, and a rat
poison the baby could eat with i'm.
punity. Nothing doing; ! wouldn t
invest. We played Solo, and | won
twenty-threc dollars, with that pass
OF Dear Mikes. At night the girl
sat on the back platform and told
my fortune. She was all-sircSt aliuf.
ing, too, and under normal roadi.
tions. s'pose I'd slipped, but I
thought OF ollie. put my vaicb in
my sock, kept ny coat bsIs;oned, cad
stated was going East TO kidnap
. crusty fstherin-law. When ! turn
ed in slept with my vsluables
inside my pillow-case.
We'll, they tried many stunts, bun