Life — March 7, 1907 — page 37: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= well, Padre, if those are your terms. I must have Juanita. But I see my finish if I play freeze-out with you.” Indian That summer that the widow Perkins came among us had never been hotter. The tarantulas were constantly getting in my hair at night and causing no end of trouble. Besides, things at the bank were in a bad way, ‘That’s how I came to send for Donald King. ‘The widow Perkins set up her place next to the club house. She may have been forty, but hardly looked it. She brought on a pony, made the best gin rickey in the station and was popular with every one, from the captain down to the youngest subaltern, King took to her at once. There was trouble getting the balance at the bank—I having overdrawn my account somewhat because of an unex- pected flirtation—and Donald worked hard. But almost every tiffing he found time to drop in on the widow, Gawd knows he was warned enough. I warned him, The captain warned him, Everybody wamed him. The widow herself warned him, But King was lonesome for home. He wanted to have his heart broken. Then the widow had a motherly instinct which led her to pet him. One day there was a great commotion. Three government inspectors were on their way. ‘The dispatch was handed to me while I was sipping one of the widow’s rickeys, with Donald lying at her feet just outside the bungalow. “No time to lose, Donald, my boy,” I exclaimed; “we must evacuate. ‘The bank is short nearly 10,000 rupees. We're both in the game.” Donald calmly lighted another cheroot. “That's all right, old man,” he said. ‘Geraldine and I will stay.” T looked at the Widow Perkins, She nodded at me. Then I drew her aside in the jungle. Aren’t you going to jilt him?” I inquired. “He hasn’t had a fever or anything since he came. Something must happen before the inspectors get here.” “Not this time,” whispered the Widow Perkins, blithely. She handed me a message. “T got that to-day,” she said. “You sce, your young friend Donald is not what you think. His father has just died and left him £10,000 a year. Hal! ha! I marry him in the morning.” I might add that Donald did the square thing by me, and I faced the inspectors calmly. Southern American “Yank!” “Rebel!” The war was at its height. General Lee had crossed the Potomac. The home of Virginia von Blooming-Carter had been stripped by the Army of the Center under Grant, and only Virginia herself, her aunt and Mozambique, their body-servant, were left. Virginia was standing idly by the rose bushes, in her excitement tear- ing out roses by the handful, as Lieutenant Pratt came up. He was wounded in fourteen places, but he never faltered or let on. Raising his hand politely, he inquired the way to the barn, It was then that the opening words were used. “I suppose,” continued Virginia, “you wish to take our last cow— our only means of subsistence.” At this Mozambique, the slave, tottered from the bushes. His hair had turned three shades paler during the night. “Miss Virginia! doan’ go say that,” he explained. ‘Ain’t I got two han’s to work wid?” He bowed to the lieutenant. “If yo’ gwine ter take dat cow,” he exclaimed, “‘yo’ let me milk her fust, sah.” Lieutenant Pratt wavered in his seat. “I merely wished,” he said, “a sip of milk, Alas! I have not tasted food since I left Higganum, Con- necticut.” Continued on page 338 Yellowstone Puget Sound, the Columbia River Region, or Alaska on your Summer tri Bracing atmosphere; delightful Summer climate; splendid mountain scenery; marvelous natural wonders; fine hotels; Wild animal life. SEASON, JUNE 10th to SEPT. 15th, 1907 Inquire about low Summer Rates esis and Alaska ward Through The Storied Northwest’ GO VIA GARDINER GATEWAY TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK Northern Pacific Railway '* ccs?! Si, For Booklets and Fall Information Write A. M. CLELAND, G. P. A.—ST. PAUL, MINN. Park EN ROUTE TO 1906” and “East- each Six Cents. comicbooks.com