Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-12-08
Ten Dollars or a
Night in Jail
By R. RAY BAKER.

merry idusn peaIed from her throat.
Excuse me for laughing, Jerry, but
its really funny. Jerry Holmes max
ing a proposal of marriage! Can you
imagine it? But it's true. 1 heard it
with my W ears. Oh, dear!"
And again Betty laughed, while
Jerry looked glum and crestfallen.
whats so funny about itT' he
growled. Haven't / known you long
enough, Betty? Haven't we lived next
door to each other all our lives? Who's
got a better right to propose to you
than IT'
She became more solemn, although
traces OF a smile remained on her at
tractive, rather pert countenance.
"Why, it's so foolish, Jerry. Think
of you, Jerry, looking out for a wife;
you who did a days work in
your life, who have no responsible
ties. jerry, you're not the kind a
girl wants to marry-at least, not my
kind of girl. You're too easy, for one
thing. Most girls like to be bossed,
though they won't admit it. Can you
picture yourself making me do some
thing? No, of course you can't. At
least I can't, and if I could / might
picture myself marrying you. I'm fond
of you, l admit, but / can't take your
proposal seriously, because / can't
take you seriously. You don't your
self, so how a I? No, Jerry, forget
1t; it can never be-"
Jerry picked up his tennis racket
and walked slowly away, scowling
fercely at Betty's big roadster resting
near the porch of her home. He was
always beaten-at everything he I'M
dertook. When he tried to take Betty
to Mrs. Longworthy's ball he was
beaten by Henry Twite, who had a
more commanding way. This after
noon he was beaten by Betty herself
on the tennis court, and now he was
beaten for n in the game Of love.
He went to his room, banged his racket
into a closet and flung himself discon-
solately on the bed.
He was discouraged, and at the
same time he was desperate. He
thought of hiring a gang of thugs to
kidnap Betty, just SO he could rescue
her and be a hero. His brain framed
up other wild schemes, all of which
he abandoned. He terminated his fren-
lied conjecturing by arriving at the
determination to get a job and go to
work and prove himself worthy. He
had in mind no particular job; the
first n that happened along would
satisfy.
Down into the city went Jerry.
Leaving his car in a garage, he started
out job hunting, wandering rather
aimlessly. He happened by-a police
station at a time when a file of blue
coats was coming out, and 1t made him
stop and think.
THAT'S a good chance" he told him
self. why not be a policeman? Per-
haps 1t would make me more COM
handing. It's worth a trial, anyway"
Into the police station he went,
found the captain in charge and asked
for a job. /
The captain smiled rather perplex-
eddy at the ~good-looking, well-dressed,
rather large youth. z
"A job, Ell? Well, we need men. Can
you manage a motorcycle?"
Jerry nodded vigorously. A motor
cycle was one of the few things he
ever had been able to manage. (.
well, Wen give you a trial"
Jerry went through the formalities
necessary to become a guardian Of the
law, was equipped with a four-cylin-
der racing motorcycle, and In due
course of time was sent out to Gran
dali park to patrol the ~boulevards in
quest OF speeders. He felt misgivings
aplenty, but his nice blue suit i'm
parted a certain degree of confidence.
He stood for some time in the shade
of a big tree and meditated. While
he stood there at least three big ma
chimes whizzed by, going at least forty
miles an hour. And he was supposed
to catch these demons. Well, he
couldn't perform his duty by standing.
there, so he started the engine of his
motorcycle, mounted, let in the clutch
and started down the boulevard.
The job was not exactly to his lik-
ing. In order to make arrests he
would have to appear stern, even pug
nacious. And that went against Jer-
RVS grain.
AS he neared a curve in the drive he
heard a a coming, with the cut-out
open. He knew it was a speeder by
the sound. He supposed he would
have to make an arrest, and yet he
dreaded 1t. 1
Around the corner came the auto
and plunged straight at him. He
swerved his cycle and the speeding
machine missed him by an inch. Then
Jerry became angry, probably for the
first time. in his life. If he hadn't
been quick he would have been a dead
policeman now.
He turned about and gave chase. The
motorcar was far along the boulevard
now, but Jerry opened the throttle ana
began to gain. Presently he could see
that he was holding his own, and his
speedometer registered forty-fye miles
an hour. He increased the Speed to
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