Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-17

of art in his house. He concluded to
replace it and thought that while be
was ON the job he might better buy
something of real merit. So he con-
suited connoisseur, who selected
painting that cost hundred dollars.
When the picture was hung the others
looked so cheap that he spent a thou
sand dollars more in replacing them
with others up to the standard of the
first Soon after that he went abroad,
where he saw great many beautiful
works of art, and brought two or
three that he especially faneied home
with him. When he got. them hung
the others looked so poor that, de-
spairing of keying up the standard to
his foreign specimens, he made bon
fire of the whole lot.
| This story is the keynote to another
which l am about to tell. When i
went out to Colorado a good many
years ago 1 found in the mining dis
tricts on Clear creek, up in the noun
tains west of Denver, few women in
comparison with the number of men. 1
had not been there long before 1 no
| ticed that when l met a woman she
looked refined and some Of the women
comely.
One day approached man wash
/ ing" for gold on the margin of the
creek and fell into conversation with
him. While doing so couple Of young
women came and looked at him rock
ing his pan and taking out the little
particles of gold left in the sediment.
Pretty girls, those" l remarked as
the women went away.
Purity enough outside"
what do you mean by thatF
/ Stranger" he said, pausing in his
work, don't you never trust your
Judgment on women folks except when
there is a lot O. them together-any-
way, as many as there are men. It's
like what you buy in store, If it's
only brass candlestick. 1t isn't much
to look at among the other candle
sticks even if it's one O. the purtest,
but jist you get it home by itself and
it'll shine for all it's worth"
"Are you a married MANI" asked.
Married! Not on your life. 1 had
an awful narrow escape onct, though"
Tell me about it."
MY experience cost me some dust,
can tell you, but it was wo'th it, and
I've never regretted buyin' it. When
first come out here there wasn't wo-
man nearer than Denver. We miners
didn't have nobody to look at except
each other, and we was the most
freckled faced, slab sided, dod rotted
set you ever see. We didn't none OF
us wash oftener than onct a week, and
some of US didn't wash at all. Them
as didn't wear boards was the wo'st
lookin' of all. Their faces was al
ways covered with stubble."
DO you know" interrupted, "why
you became so slovenly?"
why, Stranger"
Because you were not subject to
the refining influence of women"
''The refinin' influence o. women!
That's what I'm goin' to tell you
about. We got refined all Of q sud
den. There was a gal come up here
from ers-Kansas City or st. Joe
or Omaha, l reckon-with her father
who was a minister or an evangelist
or somepin o. that kind, and said he'd
come to lock after our souls. Before
he come we was lookin' for gold, and
after he come we was lookin' for his
daughter. Her hair was like the sur
shinin' on red sandstone. She said II
was auburn. Her complexion was
what she called olive, and her eyes
was-well, don't remember the color
of her eyes. but they was beautiful.
'The Woodbridge was his
name; his daughters name was LilliaI
he went into a cabin where the two
lived together, the father distributin
! tracts, the daughter doin' his cookin
for him. When night come on the cab
in was crowded with us men calm OF
Lillian. jist like musketers in a room
with a light in it. So her father
said we'd better come one at time
, and Lillian laughed and give us al
an eveain'. There bein' six o. us, We
: list took up the week. all except Sun
4 day, when her father wouldn't allow
no visitors. On that evenin' from
. to he used to give us Bible lesson.
] "Ny evenin' was Tuesday. The frs
. Tuesday / went to see Lillian ! go
8 spoony and was goin' TO put my arm
q around her when she stopped me.
{ you'll tell she said.
al swear by all that's holy I won't
There's FIVE other men comm
here she said. and like you best O
all, but if | grant you favors it'll max
'em all mad
"'Jist you trust me to keep num-
81 succeeded in convincin' her tina
was reliable, and she soon 60
enough confidence in me to let me kis
her once every Tuesday evenin' whe
I was goin to my cabin. kept nun
and in few weeks got ahead Of th
whole lot OF fellers. and lillian admi
ted that she loved me. But when
asked her to marry p:e she told me he
i, father wanted her to marry some or
4 Ar