Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-18
The Daily
Short Story
DADS ADMONITION.
BY Richard Markley.

y.
Ito me. Il have only one thing to saw
to you. 1t is comprised in four lei
/ tiers, NJ. Y. O. B. / asked him wha,
| the letters stood for. and he said
| that when | had done something that
| had brought trouble on my head
likely / would find out.
/ was 80 years old before / learned
what those four letters did stand for
reckon l had done things to teach
me their meaning before that, but 7
didn't get punished enoagh to fix nv
| attention on the matter How
found out Dads instructions was this
| way.
| Jim Hawkins owned the next farm
Ito me. We were both bachelors.
didn't care to brinS woman into NV
house to boss me; and was satisfied to
live alone but Jim was different.
he was continually pining for some
Ione TO love.
Jim" said I one day. why don't
You get married"
Il don't know any girl that would
have me-
What's the matter with Susie Bick-
ford?"
she wouldn't look at me-"
oh yes she would"
/ How do you know
| 81 don't know, but / think can
| find out for YOU
/ I'D be much obliged to you if you
| would,
| One evening / went to see Susie and
told her / knew a man who was dead
in love with her. she was mighty anx-
ious to know who the fellow was. but
wouldn't tell her. / wanted her to
keep thinking about her unknown
worshiper Then / went TO Jim and
told him that l had sounded Susie and
she had confded to me that she had
loved him ever since she was a baby-
Jim wanted to go right off and pro
pose to her, but told him he had bet
ter wait till I prepared the way for
him
| They say women can make matches.
but men are no account at such bus
mess. | have always believed that a
man can do anything better than a
woman. I certainly managed Jim and
Susie mighty well, for fixed every
: thing up for Jim to make his PROPOSE
ton: he made 1t: and the two were
, married On the day of the wedding
, Jim said to me, "Joe, l owe you lot
for what you've done for me in getting
me an angel for wife," Sue didn't
! say anything like that, but she was
. mighty friendly The way she looked
, at it was that Jim had loved her ever
= since she was baby. AS for me had
! simply brought hanger-back up to
7 The scratch 10 propose marriage.
. Jim and Susie were married at the
. end of the harvest season and / went
a home to see Dad and Mummy Dad
!. asked ME if Id found out what NJ Y.
q o. B. meant and had to acknowledge
:, that hadn't Well" he said, Il
reckon you'll learn 1t some day"
After / got back to the farm | was
basy about one thing and another and
u didn't see Jim and Sue for sometime.
: One morning I met Sue driving the
= cows along the road. expected she'd
i be mighty smilin' to me, but she
: wasn't. She just said, How de" and
> went on.
g | was the most astonished Teller you
ever see. II I'd seen Satan riding Oh
! one OF the cows | wouldn't have been
II more surprised.
= The next day Jim passed my house
:, and he TOO was as short as pie crust
See here Jim" | called to him,
- what's the matter?'
Matter enough" he said, u
thought YOU was doin' me favor
when You put me up to marryen II
3 you'd let me alone Id a been better
: off.
d Why, what's the matter with Sue?a
e, We'll, she't got her idea about what
q husband ought to be and she in
/. sists on maxim me that kind of a fell
lef Ter"
r / tried to get something more def
"a mite out Of him but he wouldn't talk
> any more and went on his way.
4 ] made up my mind that something
X had gone wrong between them and Id
IL better go over there and find out what
/ it was. At any rate / didn't propose
n that they should throw all the blame
III on me. I found EN- both at home
s Jim was smoking his pipe. readin' The
10 Farmers Weekly Advocate while Sue
I. was cleanin' OFF the supper table,
u I want to say something to you
Is two, | said. Il did you a favor and
ID the reward l get for it is your i'll
III will II YOU are dissatisfied witt
+ each other l don't see what have
q 10 do with it. You, Jim. wanted
IN something to love. and / put you OF
the track to get wife. You, Sue
were mighty well pleased to get jim
ia and now you've found that he doesn't
Il seuit vnu--''
er who says he doesn't suit ms2'
g said Sue with a flash in her eye.
d Why Jim says you're trying Il
ne make him over"
This fired Jim. New see here" hi
s. says mighty sharp. 1T seems to MI
4 n that you had better stop interferin
.. between me and my wife"
u And / want you to understand
3 says Sue, that am perfectly salts
le fed with my husband, and I'll be bet
q ter satisfied with you if you'll mint
q your own business sand let us alone.
ne got out. Sues words mind YOU
ae own business" ringing in my ears
IT, And all Of a sudden the meaning 0
u Dads NJ. Y, O. B. was mighty plain
fe Since then I've minded my own bns
mess
id