Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-23
The Argus Daily Short Story
She Laughed-By Mary v. Blackiston.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Press

While Elsie says that her part in life is
to bring out Ben's jokes, declaring that
If it wasn't for her they would be lost
upon an unappreciative world
Later l met both Of these young peo-
rlc, and they seemed to me to be pro-
creators of optimism. They We're evil
IDENTIFY made for each other, Il Paul and
Virginia. so wrapped in each other as
to be unint crested in others. And yet
l doubt If either realized how abso-
lutely they were united. l never heard
that there was any engagement be-
TWEEN them, and sometimes l wondered
If this love had ever been spoken, even
realized, for I can understand how
love may he so pure as to be, ike gen.
ius, unconscious.
What would become o. this town."
asked a crusty old fellow. eff them
two should be eliminated?'
I lived in the place couple Of years,
during which it had a hard struggle
for existence Every one was tempted
10 give up trying to make town of 1t,
but whenever n person siCnified an in
tention TO move on Ben HarbeSon
would crack a Joke and Elsie jerks
would burst into laugh. and the dis
Outraged one would brace up and con-
clude to persevere awhile longer In
deed, it was said that Ben and Elsie
were literally the life of the town. But
for them the town would die.
Arizona at that time was suffering
from roughs. Billy the Kid flourished,
and there We're more. If not equal to
him in hardihood. at least of his kind
Some one suggested that If Ben Har-
beson were made sheriff he would find
q way of getting on the soft side of
the villains nd stopping the nuisance.
When the matter was proposed to Ben
he SAID ne could do nothing w1tnQuV
Elsie. He might say a lot OF things
calculated to placate the rascals, but II
Elsie were not present to help with
her laugh they would all fall fat
However, he was persuaded to accept
the position, since Elsie thought there
might be cases wherein they could
work together.
The first person Ben brought in was
Jack Hennessy, desperate whom the
sheriff caught so stupetied with liquor
that he was incapable of making any
resistance. Ben put him IN jail to
sleep Off his drunk. and when he got
sober Ben and Elsie went TO see him.
II Hennessy had not been behind bars
he would have torn them to pieces.
Jack made fun of him, and Elsie
laughed. 1t was not long before the
prisoner caught the infection and
laughed, too, and within half an hour
was holding his sides with merriment.
whats thaty' asked one passing
the Jail
"Oh, that's Ben Harbeson and Elsie
jerks. They've got that bloodthirsty
Hennessy to laughing, and he can't
stop"
Having thus opened the better side
of the villains nature with the wedge
of laughter, Ben and Elsie were kind
to him, with the result that on their
securing q release and their fellow
townsmen's promise that Hennessy
should not be prosecuted for his
crimes he left the Jail and became an
estimable citizen. There were many
other conversions by the lovers, and
every man converted stuck to an hon
est life Since Ben and Elsie in this
way captured the principal devils in
that region the citizens OF the town,
being free from having their places
of business raided, found themselves
IN a position to make a living and be-
gan to prosper.
From that time this nirthful pair
were worshiped by those they had
served. did not hear anything about
preparations for their union during
their work on criminals but after they