Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-07-18
SPORTING BLOOD
BY JACK LAwTcu.

SSoPyEiBAls 1910 ny western newspaper Unlul.J
When the girl had climbed to the
nook in the cliff, she drew back at
the appearance of an old man en-
sconced on the rock which was her
favorite resting place.
II beg your pardon" she said; Il
thought no one was here"
The old man smilingly waved his
hand. "Well, I'm just no one at all"
he replied, 80 make yourself com
Portable, and don't mind me-"
Janey hesitated, but as he returned
to his absorbed contemplation of the
scenic panorama, she sank down upon
lower rock, and was evidently soon
lost in troubled thought. A deep sigh
at last escaped her.
"Only the aged should sigh" the
old man remarked pleasantly. Janey
turned to look into his shrewd eyes
beneath their grizzled white brows
and all at once she felt an impulsive
desire to confide in the possessor of
these same kindly sympathetic eyes.
AS though reading her scruples, the
old man bent down encouragingly.
| "Well?" he asked.
The girl laughed. "It's about Billy
she answered, the words seeming to
say themselves.
| when young woman signs" her
odd companion responded, sit usually
/ is about Billy, or Jack or Toni Has
he been called to WARP"
- r,A ~
she said. "Billy is just Il little above
| the age limit. That seems to be his
fault; he is always just a little out Of
everything"
Sand this particular thing in which
he fails?' the man persisted.
! 81 am strangely moved to tell You
all about it," Janey said slowly
! Though am sure l don't know Why"
"Most, people are moved to tell me
things" he assured her; sometimes
] am fortunate enough to help them;
sometimes not. In this instance"
] "Billy and I had decided to marry"
fancy said "Father places an obsta-
I Gle"
The old man nodded.
"My father would like me to marry
his own business partner" she said;
ga very promising young man"
"But you wouldn't like it," her COM
panion supplemented: $50 what is Ia
TIERS obstacle in Billy's case?'
! ooh! it's mean" the Girl cried out
Indignantly, "and it's unfair! Years
4 ago father sold cumbersome house
and barns on the hills to some strang-
err who agreed to carry the estate
| along and make payment when he
could. Father was glad, then, to have
the taxes taken off his hands. But the
man who bought the place went away
/ Che was some sort of a sporting many
: and he left the house with caretalS.
ers, the barns filled with his horses.
r, Then one day the estate came hack
into fathers hands. The sporting
man was bankrupt they said. He had
paid nothing on the property, and
4 house and barns We're all ont of re.
pair. They really had abused things
:hockingly, so father sued for dams
. ages, just enough to put the place ~
selling order again. But his lawyer
could get nothing. The sporting man
was clever enough always to arrange
his affairs that way, they said Aud
now" Janey threw out her hands
despairingly, "this O. fathers insur-
mountable obstacle: Billy must make
good by collecting those damages.
/. Father knows this is impossible And
Billy" A tender smile lowered about
the girls mouth ooh. Billy is 50
confident Of everything"
!, 81 like a man who is sure Of WIN
ming" the old man told her.
fancy laughed. "That is the way
Billy was sure about me" She con.
fided He really is poor. you tn0%,
and father is quite rich. Yet Billy
came boldly counting. and Won sec,"
her tone was wistflll. "Billy Won me-
The old man nodded. eyes" he an
swercd 81 see. And what was the
name of this INSCRIPTIONS man who
purchased your fathers house 60 de-
| stroy it?'
The girl arose. "It was an Irish
/ name" she replied "Jerry sullivan
And perhaps he did not know 10"
badly the place had been used, Ie
was away, you know But ut any
rate" she sighed, "no one can collect
from Jerry Sullivan; that's his repu-
tation." Her companion chncklea
then with old-time galantrv he turned
to assist her down the cliff,
"Now If they'd sent you to him" ht
| said. "they might have had. n different
story"
81 wonder" said Janey, with part.
ing handclasp,
From below she waved up to hiia
then turned to run into her LOVERS
arms. Gust hunted you up saia
Billy, ito tell you I'm on the way te
Srlllivan's Office; he's in town"
"Billy," cried the girl, will yoa SUE
him today?"
y r,bo ,,n,,prr MAN CHI bond