The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-07-05
0UT-O'-LUCK
BY DOROTHY PIPER
% by Mcclure Newspaper syndIcats.)

SssSssSSSSSSSSSSSSsSs$s>$asSS3
/ % by Mcclure Newspaper syndicats)
Jimmie Dutton was one Of those fel
lows who run out OF luck on the yer!
:. caught and chastised for going In
swimming in April 1t was Jimmie.
Jimmie was crazy about Nellie Read
and when he was twenty-three he asked
her to marry him. Jimmie's, humble
salary would not permit him to sup
port two homes, and when he told his
bride-to-be that she would have to
share his mothers abode that little
lady created such a scene that Jimmie
was forced to postpone their marriage
indefinitely, or, at least. until he could
establish himself In a more profitable
business.
Nellie refused to wait, and when she
returned Jimmie's unpretentious little
diamond-the diamond that was not
yet paid fort was the last straw
After that Jimmie did his work In list
less silence, and every evening after
he had made his mother comfortable
for the night he would whistle to Pal,
| his dog, and the two would go down
to the sea beyond his home. There
they would rOmp and swim In peace
/ full solitude
! The boy suffered ac utely when Nellie
broke their engagement, but his suf-
fering then was nothing compared to
! the sorrow caused by his mothers
death shortly after. He missed lifting
her In and out Of bed, he missed comb
ing her hair with his clumsy, willing
fingers, and how he yearned for the
soft, THAT you, Jimmie?' when he
opened the doori
Jimmie resigned his position at the
! drug store because there was always
a trace Of tear In his eye and
conspicuous sob in his throat that
made him ashamed to meet his pa
irons. He still sought the sea at the
end Of the day, but. instead of lulling
his troubled spirit, 1t seemed to be
mocking him in his misery and to be
beckoning him on to eternal solace In
it's cold, Shiny depths.
"Why notY' thought Jimmie. Fate
had been exceedingly cruel to him,
had offered him happiness only to
snatch it away. Why pretend to get
any joy out Of living, why continue
this loathsome farce called life? There
was no one left to care, so Jimmie
planned
He arose early next morning and
was pleased to find that he had not
weakened in his purpose. He bathed
and dressed Immediately, then went
to his mothers well-stocked medicine
closet and pocketed bottle marked
poison" Pal followed him about,
seeming to wonder, and Jimmie kissed
him between the eyes as he tied a note
to his collar. The note read: won't
what loneliness is. and wouldn't wish
1t for a dog
Jimmie was all unmindful of the
beauties surrounding him. He went
swiftly and directly to the cliff, and
without hesitation uncorked the bottle
He was about to place 1t to his lips
when a girl in a dilapidated motor
boat arrested his attention. She had
evidently lost control Of it, and the
heavy surf was driving her toward the
rocks. Her faint cries for help were
barely audible. Forgetting his own
trouble, Jimmie cleft the water with a
perfect dive and went to the girl with |
powerful, overarm strokes.
The girl had swooned when Jimmie !
reached her, but with considerable diff
ficulty he managed to drag her from
the boat and to tow her to the shore,
where he was confronted by strange
ly CARRIED group of people. One man.
wearing puttees waved a megaphone
with one hand and tore his hair with
the other. "Great guns !" he beloved
at Jimmie, you've gummed up the
whole scene"
"Gummed up nothing" interrupted
another man, this gentleman has
saved your stars life! Why, look at
herl She's out-head split open. Tell
one of the boys to call doctor. Some
craft that captain let us take-busted
rudderW
The man held out a friendly hand
and congratulated Jimmie. "Great
work, my boy" he exclaimed. "Pret-
test swimming I've seen for some
time. Say, what's your name and
what's your form Of employment? I
need q man like you for some South
Sea island stuff expect to shoot next
week. If you photograph as we'll as
you swim, I'd like to take you on"
Jimmie Dutton did photograph well,
and proved to be one of the celebri-
ties that grow" over night. The sal
ary he received astounded him, and
he first thing he did was to erect
magnificent mausoleum over his moth
sr's grave. Old Pal escaped adoption,
Ind rides on the front seat Of an ex-
)ensive car with his master-that is,
he rides on the front seat when Polly
Graham, whose life Jimmie saved, s
loes not; then Pal is relegated to the
Opneau.