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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1909)
rr—- ... -. • TAKING HIS TIME I-- ... . ..J Bobby knew he would marry Beth eventually. He had known it for a year—ever since that night Beth un expectedly passed through tilt' door way where he was lazily leaning, wait ing for something interesting to hap pen Who is she?" asked Bobby, sml dfnly alert. My cousin Beth.” said tlie* hostess. introduce me at once." said Bobby. ‘‘1 want to ask tier to marry me.” The hostess laughed. She was used tr Bobby’s extravagances. Bobby met Beth later in the even ing Her eyes shone on him mis chievously and her mouth curved as if ifce expected to laugh at any moment. Are you going to ask me to marry ypv. at once?” she inquired of him sweetly, Bobby smiled. “I am glad you over heard what 1 said to your cousin,” he replied. “Now you are prepared for the inevitable.” ’"hat was a year ago and the in evitable, in the shape of a proposal of marriage from Bobby, had not come. He knew he would become engaged to her eventually, but for the time being things were very comfortable just as they were. Bp monopolized Beth’s evenings when she stayed at home. He was her constant escort when she was out. He felt all the satisfaction of proprietorship. Still he was not bound. He could come and go as he pleased. He took time for his club. He could pass an occasional leisurely evening ar home with his pipe. One night, however, he met with re verses. Beth wore a cream lace gown that night and—was ravishing. They had been invited to meet an eastern man who was being Introduced to a good many persons. That is to say, he was introduced until he met the cream lace gown containing Beth. Then he courteously declined to be in troduced any further. He remained beside the cream lace gown for the rest of the evening. Aon had every appearance of liking It.” said Bobby in a rage as he was taking Beth home. "I did like it very much. I have asked him to come to see me.” For some time after that Bobby's club knew him not. Until the eastern man departed he passed no leisurely evenings at home with his pipe. In fact, the eastern man gave Bobby wbat is sometimes called a run for his money. "I am glad he’s gone,” acknowledged Bohbv, one evening about a week after the eastern man had departed. "Are you?” said Beth softly. “Then I am glad too.” Put Bobby did not take warning from the eastern man. When Beth said that soft little “Then 1 am glad, too." he did not ask her to marry him and save him further alarms. He only reiaxed, w’ith great tranquility of soul and continued to monopolize her even ings wiiert she stayed at home, to be her constant escort when she went out, to give the world to understand that she was his property—to be very comfortable, in a word, with the idea of eventually asking her to marry him. Bobby took a fishing trip. For six weeks he fished. He did not write to Beth very often: it was too hard to write when one was roughing it. “I should have to write her every day if we were engaged,” thought Bobby. He sent her his biggest catch, how ever. and felt considerable surprise and some resentment when she did not write enthusiastically to thank him. At eight o’clock the first night after Bobby's return he rushed up Beth's front steps. He wanted to see her very badly. He had been gone six weeks. Beth's mother was sitting alone on the porch. • "How is Beth?” eagerly asked Bob by. “And where is she?” “She was married last night,” said Beth’s mother, quietly. “They left on a late train. They are going abroad for their honeymoon.’' "Married! exclaimed Bobby dully'. "Married;" "it was all very sudden. Beth met him the week you left. He was ex ceedingly eager. Think of it! Mar ried six weeks after they first saw each other" Tears stood in Beth's mother’s eyes. She was not thinking of Bobby. She was wishing that daughters did not have to grow up and get married. » Alone in his room that night Bobby smoked long and hard. He thought of many things. When he finally shook the last ashes out of his pipe he said one word to himself. “Fool!" said Bobby. He was feeling very wretched.—Chi cago Daily News. Not Qualified. The two men were getting warm over a simple difference of opinion. They turned to the third man. “Isn’t a home-made strawberry shortcake better than a cherry pie?” demanded one of them. “Isn't a home-made cherry pie bet ter than any shortcake?" inquired the other. The third man shook his head. "In don’t know," he said. “I board.” Shaky. “I have been the architect of my nna fortune, sir." ■ ' ti ir. l-e! ■ the build .■ • ' - ’ Be you PERCIVAL WAS CLEVER Penelope's eyes were big with the horror of t^e thought and her little hand tightened within Percival’s clasp. “Suppose we had never met!” she said in a half whisper. Percival is sometimes a little slow about rising to an occasion. All he said in response was “Um-m-m-m-m!” It was meant to be the equivalent of “What indeed!” but it was not satis factory to Penelope. "Just suppose!” she repeated. “Ah!” rejoined Percival in the same tone as before. "Wouldn't it have been awful, dar ling?" said Penelope. “It certainly would have, sweet heart.” said Percival. Penelope thought that over a little and then: “What would you have done?” she asked. “Search—" began Percival. and then, becoming suddenly conscious of the seriousness of the question, checked himself. “Searched through the world for you until I had found you,” he said happily. “How sweet of you!” said Penel ope. “But reali.v, this isn’t an answer to my question,” she continued. “If you had never met me. you wouldn’t have known that there was any me to look for and consequently you wouldn't have looked for me and you wouldn’t have found me, don't you see?” “And yet they say that women aren't logical!” exclaimed Percival. "But we did meet, didn't we, dear heart?” "Yes, we did,” said Penelope. “But what if we never had? What would you have done, dearest?" “I don’t know,” said Percival, pinned down to it. 11 don't suppose I’d have done anything. What would you have done, honey bird?” “I wish you would keep still and let me say what 1 want to say,” said Penelope. “I want you to tell me what you would have done if you hadn’t met me. You would have fall en in love with some other girl, wouldn't you?" “Well,” Percival admitted, “I sup pose 1 might have. And you would probably have become engaged to some other fellow.” “1 would not.” “What are you taking your hand away for?” “I’m tired of keeping it in that po sition. Whom would you have cho sen?” “I don't know,” answered Percival. "Whom do you think you’d have picked?” Penelope's eyes (lashed. “I wouldnt have picked anybody,” she asserted with indignation. “I told you I wouldn’t. I suppose you would have fallen in love with Charlotte Smet ter.” “Not in a thousand years,” said Percival, emphatically. “I don't see why not. You were ailing there right along.” “Not right along. 1 used to go over once in a while when I didn’t have anything else in particular to do. T told you all about that, you know.” "Rut you liked her.” “Oh, yes, 1 liked her well enough. She’s all right in her wray. fiood hearted girl, too.” Percival spoke with a fine assumption of indiffer ence. "You liked her very much—you know’ you did.” "Now, what's the use of going into all that again?" remonstrated Perci val. “You know’ there wasn’t any thing to it. I've told you so over and over.” “Please don’t,” said Penelope, for biddingly. “I wisli you wouldn't do that. Charlotte Sinetter may like that sort of thing, but I don’t.” “Penelope!” exclaimed Percival. “It's a pity that you didn’t get en gaged to her,” said Penelope. “I think that you would have suited each other very nicely. Perhaps it isn't too late now.” “Why Penelope'” said Percival. “I.isten—” "I think you ve made yourself per fectly clear,” said Penelope, coldly. “I am a sort of an accident. If I hadn't happened to strike your fancy somebody else would have and you'd have been just as well satisfied. If you hadn’t known me, you’d have probably married Charlotte Smetter and been perfectly happy. You say yourself that you might have. You may, if you like. I’ll release you gladly.” ‘Now, you just listen to me,” said Percival. “When 1 said I might have fallen in love with some other girl, I whs speaking hypothetically for the sake of argument, not according to my convictions. “If you want to know what I would have done, I can tell you. I’d have gone about all my life with an unsat isfied yearning for the ideal woman \ that I had failed to find. To the out side world I might have shown a smiling face, but there would always have been that canker within, that aching void, the want of Penelope. “I would never have married. I would have remained solitary to the end if I had never met you. How do I Vnow? Because I never loved be fore, but the moment I saw you I knew that I had met the one and only girl for me. And you reproach me; you repel me and say cruel, wounding things to me!” “Well, why didn’t you say all that when I first asked you?” said Penel ope. “Are you quite sure, though, that you didn't like Charlotte Smetter very very much?’’—Pittsburg Leader r 1 — . .. The Highwayman Unmasked Stuart B. Stonr I I The man with the black mask made the nickel-plated revolver fairly gleam as he flourished it in Marshall's face. Marshall shivered, though the very fine eyes and the very pleasing tones of the highwayman hardly went with things such as killing. "1 have my hands up," Marshall finally expostuated. The masker chuckled, but continued to move the revolver about in a grad ually narrowing circle. "You can trust me if you play no tricks," lie purred." Somehow the highwayman's soft ac cents soothed the man with elevated hands. He felt no imminent danger— yet the revolver was a very grim thing. The masker dived into Marshall's vest pocket and appropriated his watch. The light front a little lantern was sufficient to show a massive gold time-piece, bearing a picture of a deer, and attached to a chain that weighed half a pound. The highwayman re turned the thing, while n derisive light shone in the very blue eyes. "You have no taste in watches,” he said. "Why don’t you carry an eight day clock?” And Marshall took comfort in bis own inelegance. Next the highwayman levied on a pin front Marshall’s scarf—a perfect gem in a setting of exquisite gold carving. The blue eyes were pleasure lit now. "I taka it this is a gift," tie com mented. "Tile bail '.i.ui who bought the watch would n< v r see the opal." And this time Marshall, with the lit tle steel circle hove:‘n't evilly in his face, bemoaned the fad that called for costly opal pins in wonderful settings of gold. Then the highwayman scoffed at a signet ling and jeered at a massive button in the blue, green and red of the Ardent Sons of St. Timothy. But a sparkling diamond of price and a ring of finest emeralds appealed to the fantastic robber, and also tlie wallet of his victim was very fat—and you know fat wallets are negotiable from Bering sea to the Friendly islands. So that altogether Marshall would have done better to have avoided this lonely open road. I ue masker reached the bulging side pockets now, and ‘he examined certificates of copper stock and a budget of Wheeling 4's with equal dis gust. "Very pretty engraving,” he de clared, "and vastly desirable for Mr. Man-With-His-Hands-Up maybe, but an honest gentleman of the road makes a poor coupon clipper. I’ll leave these.” After the stocks and bonds came a gaudy periodical of bulk, with a wom an in flaming red taking the whole of the cover. The highwayman glanced idly at the thing and would have re turned it, but he caught the words, "The Adorner,” on the flaming cover, and he hesitated. "Let's see what the women are wearing,” he suggested. "Hold steady now,” and the highwayman turned the pages as best lie could with one hand. The light from the lantern, placed on the fence, revealed skirtish things and waistisli things and gay,' nodding hats and other dress-treasure of quality, cut bias, cut V-shuped, cut zig-zag. “Well, I declare,” remarked the masked man, “the polonaise is com ing back. I always detested the things.” The glittering pistol dropped just the least bit. “Now these picture hats are just dear," went on the highwayman, and the line of fire from the deadly circle would have missed Marshall probably half a foot. It was the moment of moments and Marshall had the nickeled weapon in his own hand and the highwayman flung two delicate palms heavenward in about the space of three ticks of the big barbaric watch. "Dress—dress—dross—" hummed Marshall, as he tore the black mask from a pretty pink face and stripped the rough derby from coils of glorious yellow hair. "It is the frills and fur belows tiiat ever catch you women. The lady of the highway sobbed as! Marshall took back the jewels of price. "Oh, do take care,” she wailed, “you are mussing my hair up dread fully!” Useless Waste of Energy. A small Wichita boy’s father is a Democrat. But at the grandfather’s house all are Republicans and whenl he visited at the latter place he heard a good many jolts flung at Democracy and its friends. He tried to stay loyal, however. One day his aunt was helping him through with his lessons, when he suddenly flung his book into a corner of the room and said: “Auntie, it’s no use. I’m not going to learn to read. It’s no use, I tell you. Why, I’ve got to be a Demo crat, anyway.” Kansas Appetites. Here are some tilings discussed on a North Atchison porch the other night: One woman said she had a hired girl who ate lard by the spoon ful; the girl said she “adored” lard. Another woman said she had a friend who ate toilet soap. That reminded some one on the porch that her brother-in-law ate peaches with sugar, cream and salad dressing. A sweet little girl on the porch said: “Well, when we have hash I always eat it with sugar."—Atchison (Kan.) Globe. Ehe North Pole Could Be Made a Cozy Little Corner by the judicious use of GOOD COAL, and plenty of it. We have the GOOD COAL, but the North Pole is in the other fellow’s territory. It is the Falls City consumer that we are after-WE HANDLE THE COAL THAT STANDS ANY TEST -WE HANDLE GOOD COAL, and nothing but good coal, and an order placed with us for the winter’s supply brings happy results—good fires and general satisfaction to all concerned. Order Now—Don't Procrastinate Lay in your winter’s supply NOW, or at least a part of it. Come and see us or phone to us and let us “ talk coal ” to you. WE CAN SAVE YOU MONEY AND SAVE YOU MUCH VEXATION, MAUST BROS. Phone 38 Prompt Delivery. ^ »;• »T* »;* *t* »I* **- *1- -I* *T* *I*-T**I- *1 • •!* *!• ! Wanted!! X t f t j- Horse and Cow Hides, X j; Wool and Pelts * •|* highest Market Price § V I Porter Randolph | | Falls City, Phone 422 j \ .•*•'•*•••*« v • J* •> *!' *$**5**!* *1* *i* *!••!* *5* •$* CLEAVER & SEBOLD INSURANCE REAL ESTATE AND LOANS NOTARY IN OFFICE Japanese China A package just in. It should have been here in mid-summer. We have marked it low for a quick sale. You can see it in the south window at Chas. W. Wilson's I BFew Snaps in Land Richardson County 80 acres, 4 1-2 miles from Falls City, nicely improved. $115 per acre. 80 acres, mile from Falls City, nicely improved. $150 per acre. 240 acres, 3 miles from good town, nicely improved. $80 per acre. 80 acres, 7 miles from good town, nicely improved. $90 per acre. 94 acres, 1-2 mile from good to wn, some improvements, $6,500. 160 acres, 6 rn. from good town, fine farm, fine improvements. $20,000. 120 acres 9 miles from good town, fair improvements. $7,ooo. Boone County 480 acres fine land, good improvements. $40 per acre. Thayer County 240 acres of fine land, fine improvements. $80 per acre. 5. & F.=-Jefferson County 280 acres good land, good improvements. Easy terms. Pawnee County 54 acres close to town, good improvements. $80 per acre. 80 acres ,six miles to Pawnee City, good improvements. $9o per acre. 120 acres, 1 1-2 half miles to Pawnee City, good imp. $9o per acre. 80 acres, 6 miles to good railroad town; good improvements. $5,200. 120 acres, 6 miles from good railroad town; imp. $65 per acre. 9o acres, 1 mile from Pawnee City; good improvements. $100 per acre. 121 acres two miles from Pawnee City; good imp. $80 per acre. 97 acres 1-2 mile from town; good improvements. $7o per acre. The above are worth the change, and if you want a good home for yourself or your children, it will pay you to investigate. SEE ME SOON, AS THEY WILL NOT LAST LONG G. H. FALLSTEM) FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA