Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1912-01-05
the MIRAGE DUEL
BY ARTHUR L. SMITH.

no whether the elyments has changed
or my eyesight is breakin' down, but
don't see no more land liftin' with ev-
erything drawed as If it war paintin'
under your nose such rs | seen often
when fust come to the country"
What kind of mirages do you have
down here" asked the gentleman from
Massachusetts, chose that elevate OBJ
jects or those that show objects having
no existspce:'
"Waal, 1 reckon you'd call 'em ele-
vators.'
"Pve seen mirages on Lake Michi-
gam" said the Chicago man, but
never knew whether they were the
shore reflected"
"There amt no reflection down
here" remarked the rancher. what
you see you see. l saw somepin oncet
that changed the hull course Of my life.
1t want no reflection, you bet yer life"
How was that? asked the Massa-
chusetts man.
"Twas this Away: When l war a
young man 1 worked at COW punchin'
for man as lived ON ridge that look
ed over like ridge fifteen mile away.
The river run between each ridge mid
way, and the ground on each side the
river war as like as two peas. Tanner
lived on the east ridge-he war the
man l worked for-and fifteen miles
away on the other ridge his brother-in-
law, Brant, had built house after the
same plans. The same architect had
planned 'em both, and lumber had been
sawed for the two Of 'em at oncet.
Each stood in the center of big ranch.
Tanner had daughter, Eunice, that
TUX shine to me. l war an innocent
young feller in them days and hadn't
no notion O. hookin' up with any one
and tried to keep her off my scent, butt
she follered me like bloodhound, and
somehow, though l could git rid OF
most things, couldn't get rid o. her.
Whenever I'd try it she'd set down be-
side me kind O. lovin'-like, and that'd
be the end O. my tryin' to shake her.
"Waal, at last she hived me, and the
fuSt thing / knowed l had gone to the
ole man and axed for his gal. He was
willin, and SO we was engaged, as they
say in the towns. Eunice .oncet havin'
lassoed me gimme good deal O. rope
jist as though we was married and Z
couldn't git away nohow.
what made it hard on me was that
l wanted another gal. That gal war
Sally Brant, Eunice's cousin. Sally
was quiet little thing and didn't run
after nobody. I couldn't see very much
Of her cause Eunice regarded me as
her property and wouldn't let me of
evenin's to ride over to the Brant
ranch, and daytimes l war looktn' aft
er the cattle.
"One mornin' found myself lost
There had been heavy fog all night,
and instead Of takin' my bearin's be-
fore 1t settled and goin' to sleep whar
l war l tried to pull through it. But
suddent, about 10 o'clock in the morn
in, the fog lifted and l found myself a
mile from the Brant ranch house.
Thinkin' it would be good chance to
go and tell Sally Brant that l war 60
in to be married, l rode over. Sally
was on the front veranda knfttin'
socks. l j'ined her and as soon as
could git up spunk told her that war
settled to be broke by Eunice Tanner.
She didn't say word. She jist bent
down, and l could see that she war
cryin.
"Of course thar war jist one thing to
do. l set down on the bench beside
her. put my arms around her, and
Kissed herr" asked the Chicago
man.
Kissed her? No; war hon'abls-
l war engaged"
"Well, go on"
I'VE war settin facin' the valley, and
suddent l lifted my eyes, and thar be-
fore me and lookin' hardly a stones
throw away war the Tanner ranch
house And thar on the veranda sat
a feller and gal in each others arms.
OF course l don't mean to say that I
could recognize people fifteen miles
away, but | knowed the couple must
"a been Eunice and some feller AL
though / would like to git rid Of Eu
nice, 1t made me mad to see her in
another feller'S arms. l jumps up and,
drawin' my shootin' iron, plugs away
at the man. What did he do but the
same to Inc.
II felt kind O. foolish as soon as it
war over, thinkin' my weepon would
carry so far, and l set down ag'in. The
feller must "a felt as l did, cause he
set down ag'in, too, by his gal, just as
did by mine. We turned our backs to
'em, but we didn't like their lookin'
even at our backs. so we went into the
house.
II tole Sally that I loved her and
wanted her to marry me. She remind
ed me that l was pledged to Eunice, and
l reminded her that. thanks to the
mirage. | had found Eunice out. Sally