Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1922-02-09
An lncorruptible
Thief
By MARTHA McWILLIAMS

i
love her" robust bass voice sang as
Jane came down the steps She made
a face at the singer. then gave him her
profile, creamy cameo against her
red sunshade, as she said: "Why
don't you tell her yourself? Remem-
Der, prOcrastinatlon is thief of time
and no time like the present"
Please I'm Singin' to my dog
Rough-Neck, trying To train him You
interrupted the singer returned sadly,
which is very bad for both of us.
'Tention, Roughy-you 70 tell, but
don't say il with flowers-and you
haven't words enough, That's lucky
she looks at you sompn awful when
you venture on candied speech"
Don't you mean candidp' Jane
broke in. The dog trainer frowned
and shook his head. ~ know what
mean-ROughy's the one that has TO
find out" he said. Nov, old top,
listen hard -say-it--with
flowers. She has all the fiowers-and
then some. But she has also fine,
almost athletic appetlte-so recall the
time when you fetched home to me
three-pound porterhouse steak--and
repeat the performance for her bene-
IT."
$50 that's how you do IT No won
der you're such pals with Roughly"
Jane cried joyously. but aren't you
sllly-to share such provider with
anybody"
Dear girl. there is method In my
madness" Roughy's master explained
airily. n has suddenly dawned OH
me that your oilishursS. your positive
Indifference 70 me is based on a craven
fear Of scaut ratinnS. Cupid soluS
is VIGOROUSLY an indifferent copmi
sary-but Cupid plus Roughly once YOU
know what he can do"
81 see" from Jane. II also see that
prosperous future viii depend very
much on a happy choice of neighbors.
Suppose Fate ordained us 70 live where
such designations as porterhouse steaks
were religiously frowned ou?'
"Why! We might make out on legs
of lamb--in n plnch-or even a fine
fat fowl real chicken I fear
Roughly would keep for himself" Elk
Captain Bledsoe explained Eat least
he did one time | suppose his con
science excused him-real chickens
being such rare birds"
"How did you find out?" Jane asked,
pretending anxiety
Bledsoe sighed "FIe was tracked
home.' "That seemed to me feloni-
| ous--c0nsldering we were service MN.
But the lady. party of the other nrt,
said we owed her five dollars--two
for the bird ana the balance for the
wear and tear on her feelings at doing
without It,"
Jane swept him curtsy It's glad
I AN YOU two got your comc-uppance
one time" She said in the best man
ner OF Nora the cook And hope also
It teuched We "a lc,Son--thrce dollars
of chicken neither Of We ate is sinful
extravaganza
ut is, You ought % save us from
such things IN future, Bledsoe acqul-
cSced,
over her shoulder Jane Lander,
spoiled beauty and heiresS, flung back
at him: "Tn think about it-proyldcd
you don't put it on the ground of
patriotic philanthropy"
mo danger Of that just pure plain
philanthropy which means, YOU know,
love of your fellow man. Bledsoe
called after her whistling Roughly to
heel and march away In the other
direction. He was riotous-drunken
with happiness Free from gives that
had threatened 70 hold him for life
He had laughed in the face OF them
even ms he had laughed In the face Of
hideaus death, always leading though
he might crawl through hail Of bul-
let's. Sparlng his men where and how
he might, but never Spnring himself
There seemed magic i'm such hardi.
hood he had come back without
Scratch-without also the precious
trinketS orders, crosses what not
which he called hardware dr luxe
that rewarded other men of no greater
courage nor daring There was mo- iu-
Justice Ia n hc had re>omtcly re-
fused tu tclI 81 his own eNpluit,
More had begged silence of Ntr other-
who might have spoken They hal
nbylp1 uur tnu ehccrulN msii me-
said 90 tlrw u want tu ~ hac,
m, sell, uud JH uG you who lived
Through with mn knowing and rerliug
IIaT .lr.FI|l.. .,..f. .t#-fIul#H.-l u1 ulnvlt