Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-11-10

main business is the culture Of idle
tongues. and from the very bottom OF
his soul-pardon the anachronisnl-he
loathes the deaf and dumb.
In a country village the first topic for
gossip is the behavior Of the rival par
sons wife, then, perhaps, the little mil
liner, the little dressmaker. and finally
anv new arrival who minds his or her
own business.
An uncommunicative person is al
ways an object of suspicion; they have
something TO conceal; or, if one talks
and talks and talks it's an effort TO
throw one off the track. No hope.
So these four had discussed and dis
sected the rival parsons wife. the go
ings on Of the milliner and the dress.
maker, and so On, down to the strange
aIoof young woman who was staying
out at the farm.
She's one o them actresses"
An the airs they put on 'mong de-
cent folks
why. Bill hash said anything about
her bein' an actress" mildly protested
Uncle Bniy's wife, mindful of the Sc
the day.
That's Ike a man. nllus blinds a
bat.
She seems nice spoken"
Its their business to be. Actresses
are tn ony womin who go gaddin'
about without their husbands, who're
allus gittin' divorced. You never see
a newspaper without readin' somethin'
about their COINS on. She's ben here
moren a week an hasn't ben to either
church. An she did not attend tn ice
cream sociable-th last O. tn season
too. Hasn't been In III village but
three times, an never speaks t no.
buddy"
Actress, no doubt Of It."
Who's an actress doomed a male
voice from the kitchen doorway, and
Uncle Billy marched in.
There was q dutter, nothing more.
The four women were rather spell
bound over the suddenness Of his ap.
/ pearance.
Are you talkin' bout Miss Wynne
who I'm fshin2 Wei, III have y
know, now n hereafter, she amt no
actress"
How'd you know she ain't?" asked
his wife.
How'd I know Amt I got eyes'n
ears? She amt no actress. She don t
, do no self advertiser, an self adver-
tisin' s meat n drink t all tn actors
ever see. Keep your meddln' tongues
onn Miss Wynne. That's all I've got
t say"
He flung his cap sa7aeely into a
! corner
! The three visitors rose. settled their
I bonnets dignifedly, smoothed their
/ gowns and stalked out. not. however,
missing the opportunity Of extending
A commissioning glance at Uncle BuIy's
/ better half.
Now look what you went an done.
on the verge Of tears.
"Whut I went an done, DodGast
/ it. Them busybodies
"Wilyum"
/ Il tell y won't have EN- in ny
kitchen"
Your kitchen.4-for the benefit OF
the three who were just passing the
window
! Ny house. then, f thatll suit y bet
ter. Buzzin' away decent folks's repi-
tations. Them three make more trou-
bic n a sturgeon in a nest o bass eggs,
! Tell everything they hear, n bali it all
up when they tell it. They drove tive
/ ministers out o tn village already with
their twistin tongues. An whut rifles
me is. you let EN- in here t. bulldoze
you int belieyin all they say"
/. He yanked his supper Off the back OF
the stove and ate it with a deal OF
banging and rafting and rumbling.
I'm sure / don't ask EN- [ come here
with their tales" sure that the trio
were now out of earshot.
Mebbe: but I notice Y don't stuff
your ears none" He got up from the
kitchen table T anybody wants me
I'm out t tn boathouse; got t. overhaul
tn dineed engine F I was rich Id
throw tn blame loony OF sputterer int
tn middle o. the lake.
He worked by lantern. He had tbs
, tops Of the cylinders off when Crawford
came in.
Billy, do you want to make S10T'
( Ten? Well, now"
Il want you to take me over to King
ston right away"
"Whut--t'night?"
Yes"
Cant be done, Mr.. Crawford Do i
fer nuthin' in . minute Z could. First
place. I'm takin' tn engine apart; sec
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