Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-03-16
A Skating
"Accident''
BY OSCAR cox

what do you suppose has happened
to Alec Winston?"
"What?"
Fell on the back of his head on the
Ice and has been unconscious for two
hours"
That's strange. Alec is a splendid
skater
1T wasn't his fault"
"Whose fault was itT'
"Billie's."
you mean Wilhelmina Ripleys."
Eyes; she's the liveliest girl in town.
She's an imp OF mischief Her princi
pal object in life seems to be to make
trouble"
you mean among the fellows Why,
they stick to her like flies to mo-
| lasses."
1.-THE more fools they"
IF report says correctly you are one
of the biggest fools of the lot. But
how did Miss Ripley injure Alec Win
ston?"
You see, they were skating together,
Alec skating backward, Billie forward.
For some time she had been trying to
stir up bad blood between Alec and
Horace Farrar by exercising that dia-
bolical smile Of hers
You mean that seductive smile"
whatever you like to call it. Any
way, she first encouraged one. then
the other. She was skating with Alec.
He, having his eyes in the front in
nf hn oI1 % 1T -
see Farrar skating behind him with
Josie Emerson. Both men being back
to back, Billie thought 1t would be a
fine thing to steer Alec against Horace.
When they struck Alec's feet went up
In the air, and he went down on the
back Of his head"
That's too bad. 1 hope he didn't
crack his skull"
"The doctor says not He says there's
conclusion of the BRAIN"
"Was Billie hurt?"
Hurt! Ne. Such persons never get
hurt. They are protected by Satan,
whom they serve. Billie went down,
but forward, not backward, and fell
partly on Alec"
There was pause in the dialogue, at
the end Of which James Barnet said to
Charlie Bates:
Charlie, this Is a serious matter for
all you fellows who have gone daft on
Miss Ripley"
What do you meanT' asked Bates,
looking at his friend anxIously.
"Why, she'll be badly broken up at
the serious result of her innocent play
fulness."
Call it devillshness."
She'll inquire a dozen times a day
after Alec, sending him spoon fodder
and flowers. AS soon as he gets we'll
enough 30 see her she'll. go to him, cry
little, wonder If hell ever forgive
her, and the result viii be that he'll
take her in with no more resistance on
her part than jellyfish."
Hell be feol If he does!'' cried
Bates excitedly, and, examining his
hands down into the bottom of his
trousers pockets, he strobe up and
down the floor.
You seem averse to Alec's being
roped into the meshes of this imp of a
girl" remarked his friend.
Naturally. I've been there myself"
replied Bates.
"Where?
I'm Billie's good graces."
"Oh! You have, eh? How long did
you stay?"
IAN evening"
"And the next day"
Il was reduced to the ranks and
Alec was promoted"
Il should think that you'd covet re-
venge on Alec"
"Oh, Alec is an inoffensive sort of a
fellow. He was quite a smart boy be-
lore he had that fever. l don't blame
him. My wrath is all for the girl"
You'd better keep it hot"
what hot?"
your wrath. Suppose it should cool
and Billie should take hold of you
again. Where would you beP
DO you take me for an idiotT'
Il take you for what we men all are
in the matter of women. So long. |
must be moving on"
A week later the two friends met
again. v
Il say, JIM" said Charlie, you were
all wrong about how that matter be-
tween Billie and Alec would turn out"
How is that?"
"Alec was only stunned. He was
up and about the next day."
How about Miss Ripley?"
"The thing sobered her."
"How do you know"
How do I known Why she told
me So"
"When?"
last night"
"At what hourT
your"
'"Tell me the time you left her last
night and I'll explain"
Il didn't exactly leave her last nighr.
It was this morning. l think it was
about half past l."
mo explanation GA my part is neces-
sary. knew very well when you
were telling me about the accident
that you were fired by Jealousy. You
liant care what happened to Alec, IN
less perhaps you hoped death would |
lake him out of your way. When you
told me you had left your 6ancee"-
"MV fiapcoaI HOW d1a -. - |