Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1917-04-08
The Rivals
b. RICHARD MARKLEY

now you're goln' to do somepln to
break It all up"
"what am goln' to do, Iimr
"you know well enough. You're
steppln' In between me aud Sairy
Grant"
"you mean you're steppin' In b.
tween me and Salry."
Jim pulled photograph Of the bono
Of contcntion--it might DO called the
bones Of contention OF his pocket
and held II up for Mart to see. Mart
pulled copy Of tho same out Of his
pocket and held Il up for Jim to see.
Each looked at the other surprised.
"Did she give you thatr'
Yes. Did she give YOU yourny'
yes"
Il tell you what we do. Mart Sup
posin' we put the picters away some,
where till she makes up her mlnd. and
then the feller she takes has EN- bothg"
That's good idee, wherc'll we put
emy"
There's holler tree over yonder.
Reckon We can find place there where
they won't get wet"
They went to the hollow tree and
found cavity where the photographs
would neither he seen nor damaged
Each man had jackknlfe In his pock.
ct. and. opening a blade, he pinned his
photograph TO the inside Of the cavity.
Then they departed.
Sarah Grant, the object Of this rival.
ry was no beauty, but she had talent
for that which will work wonders In
love. She understood the value Of RI
valry Neither Jim nor Mart had tho
slightest desire 10 make love 10 her
till she created It in them by drst
showing favor to one, then t0 the 9TH
er As soon as Jim appeared to DO
iesDous Of these favors Mart began
to put value on them. and vice versa.
II was then that the rivals began to
look upon her as u beauty. She was
skinny and sallow and freckled, but
she had good eye. which she knew
well how to use. aud these young men
built up ON this foundation an imag.
mary structure Of loveliness.
Soon after the deposit Of the pie
lures the harvest season came on, and
| the rivals found work where they
could. both at some distance from the
] abode OF Sarah Grant. Consequently
neither saw her again till autumn.
Meanwhile Sarah was pining for the
excitement Of keeping two men on the
anxious seat and waited impatiently
for their return. About the time the
harvest had been gathered she con.
cocted scheme for her further amuse-
ment She wrote each OF her lovers q
letter expressing pleasure that the har-
vest season was ended and hoping to
see him again. She invited each one
to come and see her on certain date.
which was the same for each lover.
her object being to continue the game
Of the previous spring Since they
were working In different sections OF
the country there was little or no
probability OF their comparing notes.
and Sarah was looking forward to
their meeting each other In her pres
ence. Furthermore. she indicated to
each that she had finally made up her
mind that lie was the man OF her
choice.
Mart and Jim returned on the same
day. Each believed that he was the
favored one In Sarah's affections and
that no was tho rirbtfu, owner OF both
rho nbotopropbs. such beine the case
he womb 90 10 the hollow tree and get
them. Mart intended 10 tell Sarah the
.,orv .hor, ,b.,r ho yin. hoen mt .wav
- sw.,, hsr aoc,s,on lin had NOT
Determined exactlv what no would do
in tho nremises except that he wouId
des,rov Tho likeness sarah had given
- ME r,va,
A. ,rcL wor,d bsvo I, Tho vounu
mon went N The hollow tree at the
sam. t,ms lin was about 10 put hIs
hama into rho cavity when he heard:
"HeIlo therer'
Iook,nu aroupd no saw Mart an.
proacbins.
"rva won. sa,d lin.
.No van baven,t. I,vs won. Mart
retorted snerilv.
Mart made a dash for Tim. and there