Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-04-12

Back in the Gibbs house Luke Prem
tice and Miss Gertie opened the boxes
OF candy and enjoyed the contents
hugely, and when Luke departed Miss
Gertie tied handful of chocolates into
a corner Of his cleanest pocket hand
kerchief
Seven Wednesday evenings Luxe
Prentice called upon Miss Gibbs. and
then the following seven Wednesdays
he rode down the Chincapin trail. but
in every instance, strange to relate. he
did not find Miss Estelle at home
The Swedish housekeeper eyed him
blanlly the seventh time.
at woden't t'ink Miss Blair be SEEM
youse. Her says her amt to home,
but her isr' she explained with a
world Of pity in her light blue eyes.
Stebbins. muzzling the parched grass
in the dooryard. brought up his head
with a jerk as Prentice passed through
the gate. Suddenly he halted and look
ed back at the ranch house where he
had known many pleasant hours pick
eted under the trees where the herb
age was green and succulent and
where Jumps of sugar were rendered
him in Estelle's pink and white palm.
Luke dug his spurs in Stebbins'
tanks and tapped the reins about the
pony's ears. "Get along, you son of
Satanv' he muttered angrily. You
trying to make more kinds OF fool out
of me than 1 naturally am? Hump
yourselfv'
The pony started forward just as a
shutter opened cautiously In second
story window and a low whistle sound
ed softly across the yard. A soft, Sc
duct1ve whistle it was, and in the old
days it always served as an invitation
to partake of a lump of sugar from
Miss Blair's hand. Luke did not hear
the whistle, but Stebbins did and In
stantIy turned and shot through the
gate and galloped wildly toward the
house, while Luke sawed at the reins.
mad clean through at the mortifying
spectacle he was making of himself
before the round eyed Swedish wom-
an who gaped at him around a corner
of the house.
"She says she woden't be to home"
she mumbled excitedly as Stebbins cur
veted and pranced and baked and ut
terly refused to leave the >hospitable
Blair doorstep.
Then it was that Luke Prentice
brought forth a Mexican quirt from
beneath his saddle blanket and cut the
balky Stebbins once across the tanks.
As a result he found himself Citing on
the ground ten feet away with badly
wrenched arm, while Stebbins whin-
MED sharply near the front door.
Luke dragged himself painfully to-
ward a convenient chincapin and
leaned YEARLY against the trunk and
closed his eyes. Instantly he forgot all
his troubles. When hesopened his eyes
to consciousness again Estelle was
kneeling beside him binding his arm in
strong cool bandaGeS while the Swed-
ish woman held an ice cold cloth to
his aching head.
Il can get along all right now, Sci
ma" said Estelle briskIy, and when
the woman had departed her voice
dropped G0noSt to whisper. Pm so
sorry, Luke! 1t was all my fault, you
see. / Whistled to Stebbins. | could
see he didn't want to go. He knew
better than his master what his mas
ter ought to do. Why didn't you come
and make me give you an explanation,
Luke? / wanted you to just boss me
around. only you never, never would.
and 1 thought maybe If 1 made you
stay away from me we'd both find
out. There, I'm not going to say it
alp
Luke Prentice said his part with
such good effect that he rode away
from the Chincapin with a radiant
smile on his handsome face.
At the forks Prentice met two de-
1ected riders turning out of the Lone
Tree trail. One was Bert Fletcher, and
the other was Estelle's brother, Frank
Blair.
Evening" said Luke happily. SLOWS
Miss Gertfe Gibbs?"
The two stared unhappily at each
other, and finally Fletcher blurted out
angrily:
1.-THE little cat! She's gone and mar
ried the engineer down to the smelter
house. / gave her a ring last week,
he added viciously.
$50 did l." said Frank Blair bitter
ly. II suppose you did. too, Luke?"
Nary" protested Luke Prentice.
1--WE been ringing a belle up to the
Chincapin, Frank. That's an old joke.
but it's true, brother-in-lawr' He
reached down a brown paw, and the
two others sprang 10 meet it and
shake it heartily. forgetting their own
chagrin in the happiness of their com
rade.