Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-31

| most always nave II TOmduCe, L"O WV
men and one man are apt TO produce
a riot, but take two women and two
, men, all in love, and every one Of 'em
bein' misfit, as you might say, and
it's like a two ring circus-you can't
possibly take in all the details.
When. this here Miss Daphne Don
aldson first throws in with the west
it's with no notion except to forgif
past unpleasantnesses which, I learn
afterward, was caused by her havin'
I Pullman tastes and her husband hav-
In a day coach pocketbook.
Course, in order to win her he puts
up a bigger front than his bank ac-
count calls for, and when he can't live
| up to the premises she pleads nonsup-
| port and requests her maiden name.
| So when we first see her she's got
! both the divorce and said maiden
name and has few west to escape the
| gossip and scandal ensuin' from the
same.
/ 1t took a special trip to freight her
! trunks out to the ranch, and she had
! clothes that made the men set up and
/ take notice and the women's eyes turn
/ green with envy.
| She shore has the heart broke look,
| and she amt been here a week before
1 see plain that Johnny Duval is goin'
/ to be first aid to the injured.
You see, the biggest part Of this
ranch IS owned by a man back east
named Stoner, who was her confden-
tial adviser, and he tells her Just to
come and make herself at home here
till such time as she feels like facin'
the world again.
Now, Mary Talbert, whose folks have
charge of this outfit, is one of them
quiet. practical girls who only know
one way to love-that's with secret,
consumin' passion
Secret, that is only to the object of It,
and consumin' all her time in thinkin'
about 1t. The object of Mary's devo-
ton was Johnny Duval.
That such is bad enough.
But about three weeks after Miss
Daphne arrives Mr.. Talbert gifts let
ter from this Stoner sayin' he can't
come out to look after some matters
as he does once each year, but is send
in a substitute who win make a new
contract with Talbert and attend to all
business for him.
I drive in to meet this duck, whose
name is Smithson, and I find a tall.
slim fellow dressed like them pictures
in the back of the magazine where 1t
says:
IF you want to feel at ease in any
society, wear'-etc., and who can ask
more questions than tackleg lawyer?
When we reach the house Daphne
and Mary are on the east gallery. I
make 'em acquainted with Mr.. Smith
son.
Daphne IS standin' foolin' with a
chain she always wears around her
neck with some kind of little hoodus
on the end Of it.
How do you dog" she says. noddin'
her head, Indifferent. Then she turns
with a rattle of silk and walks in the
house.
"Glad to meet you" says Mary. hold
in out her hand. Have you all had
your dinner?'
When we say we haven't she gifts up,
smoothin' out her fresh Bingham dress,
and goes in to set dinner out.
That was the difference between 'em. |
In a weeks time Mr.. Smithson looks !
like he's forgot he was sent here for |
any purpose but to make love to Mary, |
who is real nice to him to keep from |
shown now she hates to see Johnny |
and Daphne together so much.
But. listen, that's not the worst.
What does the grass widow do but |
begin to build a stack at this here
Smithson, who don't seem to notice it.
he's that took up with Mary Talbert.
1t was like singin' 'Three Blind
Mice" They all fell in with the same
words to the same tune, but only pro-
duced a tumble in the end.
1 watch 'em pretty close and observe
more or less human nacher in all of
'em.
From the very first I know why
Mary is treatin' Smithson so nice, but
it takes a long time for me to CLEAN
that Johnny is playin' the same game
with Daphne because he don't think
Mary cares for him.
1 figgered that this Daphne didn't
take to western ways and folks, and it
wasn't so much Smithson as them back
east garments of hiS'n that was hold
n her spellbound.
And it took this here Smithson Just
4 month to do what Stoner usually
attends to, gittin' back by return mail.
Before he leaves we begin to work
the cattle. The first day we rounded
Up the north Cross S, and course the
wanted to go on the drive.
Johnny Duval was on his fanciest
'uttin' horse. Don, and he was shown
off the least mite, as cowboys will do
With back east folks lookin' on.
Smithson was swell in his ridin' toys.
With little race spurs, and his mount
vas a big, handsome bay, but he was
powerful in the way.
About the middle of the mornin
Johnny works hard for FIVE minutes
rytn' TO cut big jar headed yearlin'
nut of the herd, and when at last the
teer takes to the bushes Smithson
spurs up and turns him right back in
he herd, not KNOWN enough to see :
Ia. ~ y -.