Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-25


voices outside the high stone wall of
the pigpen.
One voice was the shrill utterance of
Ann Dangler; the other voice belonged
TO the girl but for whom he would
never have become a farmer. He had
once been engaged to Violet Sloan. but
Niolets lovely auburn head had been
turned by the worship of dozen other
admirers. and they had quarreled, and
Frank had closed up his real estate Of
fee and taken to scientific farming.
Getting next to nature" was one way
of describing the case.
He's in the pigpen most likely"
Ann DANGER was saying in a hostile
voice
"Pigpen" shrieked Violet Sloan's &C
cents. What on earth is he doing in
such filthy placer"
"Filthyw returned Ann DANGER. 81
guess you never see a pigpen that
wasn't filthy except this one. 'Tain't
natural for pig to live so clean, T
say. Why, Mr. Bristol even turns the
hose on him once a week, and that's
what's the matter now. The pig has
caught cold from being too clean"
Nonsense" returned Violet. "who
ever heard Of any one thriving in dirt?
If Frank must raise pigs I'm glad they
are nice clean pigs In a cement pig
PEN"
"Humph!" was AIMS reply as she
followed the daintily dressed girl to
the cement wall.
"Ah, here is gate! Shall we 60 and
look tnside?" asked Violet, and with
out waiting for Anus reply she moved
toward the patent gate, Ann trotting
close behind. The sight that met their
eyes glued them to the patent gate.
Around and around the circular pen
raced the weary form Of the model
farmer. Behind him trotted with dog
ged persistency the dyspepttc pig.
Whenever Bristol showed a tendency
to slacken his gait the pig grunted and
cantered faster.
Once the pig darted into the covered
sleeping pen, and Bristol shot to the
door and endeavored to roll the sliding
portal to its place, but in vain It
stuck, and ere Bristol could move it
the pig dashed out again, shooting the
model farmer to an ignominious posi-
ton on the straw OF the pen.
Thoroughly angry, Bristol swung the
boat hook at the beast only to have the
slippery handle slide through his hands
to the far side Of the pen.
Now he was without q weapon Then
the pig charged him again, grunting
angriiy.
He did not dare look at the gate.
though he was conscious Of feminine
forms standing there. He was too ex-
cited to wonder what Violet Sloan was
doing there. He was mentally COM
posing a letter to be written to the au-
thor Of the article In the farm manual
on Dyspepsia In Pigs" In this i'm
aginary letter there were many under
scored words and countless sxclama-
ton points and innumerable interroga-
ton points.
He was still doing this humiliating
marathon around the scientifically
built pigpen when he heard an in
dignant cry from Ann Dangler. From
the corner Of his eye, as he ran ahead
of the pig, he saw Violet Sloan snatch
Ann DANGERS pink sunbonnet from
her tow colored head, saw Yiolets
1.-the form slip inside the patent gate,
saw her intercept the pig with one
fash of the pink bonnet and witness
ed an instant later that animal rush.
ing to the far side Of the Enclosure
with frightened squeals, while the
pink sunbonnet was tied over his snout
and eyes.
Hurry through-dearv' cried Violet
Sloan, holding the gate open for her
one time lover to escape.
AS the gate slammed behind them
Ann DANGER f1ounced toward the
house, her sunbonnetless head held
high in the ARA very model Of scan
dalized virtue.
"Dearr she shifted CONTEMPORARY
as she rocked to and fro in the calico
covered kitchen rocker. Call him
'dear'-a man 1 wouldn't look at twice!
/ wonder who she isl"
At that instant MI Bristol appeared
at the door, leading Violent Sloan by
the hand. They both looked very
happy. II suppose you wonder who
this lady is, Ann Dangler." remarked
Bristol pleasantly. ''This is now Miss
Sloan. Later on she will be Mrs. Bris-
tol and the boss of the model farm"
But no more dyspeptic pigs" said
| Violet decisively. Poor Frank has
run off all the flesh he gained by be-
ing in the country here. and the pig is
dead-dead as a doornaiIr'
And the local veterinarian declared
that the pig died of acute dyspepsia.
induced by too violent exercise after
eating.
Ann DANGER insisted that it was be-
cause the pig was too scientifically
| clean.
Ben Daley said it must have beaa
the way the wind was.
Violet Sloan and Frank Bristol-and
they were the only two whose opinion
on the subject mattered. as the pig
was dead-did not say word. They
had not heard anything except their
own voices discussing the wedding de-
sIils.