Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-14


"Fiftyr beloved Jacob angrily,
| slipping over into his own yard. 81
guess you've got mixed in your mind
between horsehesh thirty years old
and cold storage beef" And he dis
| appeared in the darkeping twilight to
sputter his wrath to the patient ears
of Lizzie.
The next morning at 10 O'Clock he
faced a triumphant Lorenzo across
the barnyard fence well. you're too
late now. even if you've a mind to give
fifty" remarked Mr.. Nettle.
what do you mean? You amt new
er sold Daisy?" challenged Jacob.
That's it"
"who TOT" asked Jacob owlishly.
"The minister over to Elmville. He
saw her yesterday. and he sent word
| by Dan last night he'd take her. He's
giving fifty for her. Seems TO know
| what he's about too"
Seems to me If was going to sting
| a minister on a horse deal wouldn't
take so much from him." declared ia
| cob, crimson with anger and con-
tempt
Lorenzo flushed. You're mad be
cause you amt got the price to buy
! her yourself"
st am mad because you won't sell
1 for what she is worth. The least you
can do to make things right for that
minister, Lorenzo Nettle. is to fix that
horse up so she'll look respectable for
a minister to drive behind"
what would you do?" demanded
Lorenzo, opening the stable door and
l ha Of
Jacob surveyed his lost opportunity
with tender eyes. I'D begin by giving
her a good scrubbing with warm wa
ter and yaller soap and rinse her good
till she was white as when Uncle
Willie used to drive her. Then I'd
soak her name in warm water and
comb out all the burs and tangles TIL
it was white and fluffy. and I'd braid
a blue ribbon in her forelock. I'd rub
her down till she shined like satin.
| and ia cut her fetlocks and trim her
hoofs and oil 'em, and I'd have her
new shod, and then I'd rub her down
| good with liniment to take some or
the kink outer her muscles. With her
tail waving like a white plume she'd
look like one of them old battle
chargers. ehT'
"By all your talk reckon she would.
| s'pose I might as well do It, though"
agreed Lorenzo as a sop to his rather
burdened conscience.
Late that afternoon a rejuvenated
Daisy, as white as the simple flower
for which she was named, was turned
| into the daisy grown meadow to caper
awkwardly about on her singularly
| ri dQnOla6
above her astonished good eye and
gave her a decidedly rakish appear
ance, but with her knees hidden in the
clover and daisies she looked very
handsome as she moved slowly to and
fro. nipping daintily with her worn
teeth and soft white nose. Jacob
Keene stood afar and looked on her
snow white form with tears in his
eyes and was not ashamed. To him
she was the one horse he had always
desired, and now she would never be
his.
That night at IL o'clock he was called
forth by the excited hired man to Lo-
renzo Nettles barnyard. whats the
matter?" he demanded anxiously.
"She's dead" snapped Lorenzo.
"That horse is dead That comes of
washing her and
1--WE done that lots of times, Mr..
Nettle," protested his hired man, "only
I guess you let her outdoors too soon"
"And she hasn't been paid for" went
| on Lorenzo bitterly. 81 expect ! can
sell her to the soap factory for five
"I'll give you seventeen" said Jacob
| quickly.
| well. of all the-TIl take 1t, cash
now" said Lorenzo. and there fol-
| lowed a brief transaction that made
Jacob Keene the owner Of the long
coveted horse, only now she was white
and stiff. Jacob said he would bury
Daisy in corner of his meadow where
his favorite dog was inferred, and ii
was silent procession headed by the
brown mare which dragged the blan-
| ket on which reposed the stiff form
of Daisy.
The first thrust of a sharp spade in
| the moonlighted turf Of the meadow
happened to glance sharply across
Daisy's flank, and to the horror of the
onlooker she kicked mildly, relaxed her
| stiffened muscles, shivered and slowly
scra mbled to her feet
"'Not dead, but sleeping" quoted
Dan Harmon under his breath as the
disconnected Lorenzo turned sharply
about and went back to bed, while ia
cob Keene, With i'll concealed delight,
| carefully led his long waited for pet
into the comfortable stall