2
THE TAMING
OF OLD TOBASCO
His name, as shown by the bap
tismal records, is Rufus Perton.
but within the big circle of his ac
quaintance and those who know
of him only by reputation, he is
most frequently spoken of as "Old
_Tobasco.” The title has the merit
of being self explanatory. Mr.
Perton is decidedly peppery, and
red-peppery at that. Heinga stout
personage with an amount of
blood that would have called for
the periodical use of the lancet in
the earlier days, it is tin* wonder
of many 1hat he has escaped apo
plexy as the result of his fits of
anger.
Our story starts with one of his
violent explosions, llis only child,
Margaret Perton. and she moth
erless, had just come back from a
long stay on the ranch of a west
ern uncle. Not only had her
health been restored to perfec
tion, but sin- had breathed the
hardy independence of tin* plains
and gained a clear idea of how she
would 1«‘ pleased to shape her fu
ture. One evening after Rufus
had enjoyed a good dinner,
lounged in his easiest chair, had
his slippered feet on a soft rest,
smoked a big cigar and grunted oc
casionally just from sheer satis
faction, she thought it the best
possible time to confide in him one
of woman's greatest secrets.
“Pops,” and she had snuggled to
him on t he arm of t h<* elmir, "I am
engaged to be married.”
He answered with a non-com
mittal growl and si perceptible
stiffening, which she met with a
closer hug.
“Yes, he’s a great big western
er, handsome, brave and chival
rous.”
Old Tobasco was struggling to
get to his feet and she was re
straining him with much the skill
of a eollar-nnd-elbow wrestler.
"Wait, pops,” she kept on, in her
cool, even tones, “lie's a son to
make any father proud and the
woman who becomes his wife will
be blessed to the end of her days.”
By this time the scarlet-fared
pater had broken her clinging
grip and was dancing about her,
voice, eyes, features and motions
expressing his anger.
“What!” he shouted, “you dare
to tell me that you have arranged
to marry a cattle puncher and a
broncho buster? Do you suppose
I will entertain an evening caller
with a sombrero, spurs and all the
rest of a woolly western outfit,
swallowing a knife blade when lie
eats, telling our guests how to
brand mavericks and bragging
about how many he has killed in
the fight for free grass? Yoke up
with that sort of a savage and
you'll never get a cent of my
money.”
“Please control yourself, pops;
his name—”
.Naim* no names to mo. 1 on vo
told me too much now. .Inst sot
right down and write him that the
deal's closed with him out of it.
Heeanget some one to road the let
ter for him. I know his sort. You
couldn't capitalize him for any
thin); better than a side show.”
“1 don’t want your money. I’m
of age. My happiness is not for
sale. 1 want to be a wife and have
a home that 1 help make. You can
make—” There she broke off and
her smile was oil on the waters.
*‘I am afraid that 1 was losing my
inherited patience. You can make
it a point to look about. Possibly
you can discover the man who
will suit us both.”
“Now you’re coming to your
senses, Margie. Trust to me. I'll
place you all right enough.”
For a week the conversation of
the father and daughter was
about such things as had engaged
their attention since they became
companions. Then the former had
an experience, lie went to the
club, where he had been a member
for 30 years, and had been pointed
out to visiting members hundreds
of times as a very interesting
character. There he met a young
man who had secured the distin
guished honor of securing a pleas
ant greeting from “Old Tobasco,”
talking with him, having a rubber
of cribbage with him, and seem
ing the privilege of walking home
with the old gentleman. On the
way they eneountered two foot
pads, and the younger man dis
jK»sed of them in such quirk time
that Perton required another
block before lie was wrought to
the pitch of anger which he
thought the occasion demanded.
lie was enthusiastic in telling
his daugl er of the affair next
morning, and took offense that
she congratulated him without
bestowing any special praise on
his champion. He called atten
tion to the lapse, but she asked
him to remember that her ideal
was of the west, and that he must
not expect an immediate transfer
of her allegiance.
The young man's name was ('lay
Wesson, a well set-up, athletic
chap, with a clear blue eye, strong
jaw and that diplomatic sort of
independence that does not of
fend. In one way and another the
club men expressed tin* opinion
that he would be a hard one to
beat, and that it was better to
have him for a friend than an en
emy. Hut the puzzle to them all
was that he gave so much atten
tion to the fiery and untamed Per
ton. It was not uncommon for
them to get into a heated discus
sion, tin* older gentleman supply
ing t he heat, and what t lie amused
observers enjoyed most was to
see. him so effectually taken in
hand and cooled off by the visitor
who had come with such excellent
letters of introduction.
1 ins was an up-to-dateoiud, ana
among its pastimes was a steeple
chase, scheduled as an annual af
fair. ' This event accounted for the
extra horses kept by “Old Tabas
co.” and it was laughed at as a co
incidence that most of his runners
had his temper. It was gentlemen
riders up in these affairs, and l’er
ton made his nearest approach to
a “stroke" when he learned that
the young man who was to act for
him in the saddle had decided that
it was more important to go
abroad, where “pressing business
matters" called him.
'‘What’s the cub mean?” raved
Perton. “Bobby knows that
Flashlight is the best horse I ever
owned; that lie can win the race
if he wants to behave himself, and
1 hat no one else available can ride
the brute."
“I’ve done some riding,” inter
rupted Wesson, in that cool way
that always created an impres
sion. “and if you allow me to get
acquainted with this equine devil
of yours I might be able to see you
through.”
'•I 11 lay twenty to one against
Flashlight,” laughed a younger
member, who had no special ob
ject except to get Pert on excited.
“You infernal—” but the irasci
ble old gentleman got no farther,
as Wesson cut in with: “Takeyou
in tens as far as you care to go.
Are you alone in your confidence?”
Several of the members thought
that the guest was rather forward
for a comparative stranger and
sent in solid wagers at a rattling
pace for a few minutes. The only
visible result *upon Wesson ap
peared in a face a bit tinner set
and the ring of steel in his voice
when he requested the gentlemen
not to be backward.
“Stop it!" whooped “Old Tabas
co,” whose face looked like a red
sunset. “He's my friend. Are you
a lot of bloodsuckers? You know
that my horse has no show with
Hobby gone. I call all these bets
off.” ’
There was a laugh that was
more of a jeer. We .-on stilled it
by quietly stating that his book
was still open and that ton to one
would be more acceptable than
nothing. He got more calls and
jotted them down with a compla
cency that won respect in which
there was a strong element of
fear.
“Heavens, boy! are you crazy?
Flashlight won’t even start now
and they'll think you’re just mak
ing a cheap bluff. Tell them it’s a
joke.”
“Hut it's not. You must start
your horse; never fear but what I
can ride him. If the stuff is in him,
and I'm convinced from what 1
hear that it is. I'm to be the pilot
of the winner.”
“I won’t have it. What do I
know about your riding? Cancel
it all, I say.”
“It’s my money that is ventured.
I have no intention of throwing
it away. At the risk of appearing
to boast I assure you that I can
got out of the horse all that is in
him. More 1 han that, these young
gentlemen about the club seem to
think me a tenderfoot and would
have a whole lot of sport at my ex
pense if I did not do my part after
all that litis been said.”
“I'll tell Marge about it,”
chuckled “Old Tohnsro,” “and if
I can get her interested it will help
a plan I have in mind.”
But Marge refused to be inter
ested. Bhe liked horses and she
liked men, but she was not a turf
gambler. Of course she would
meet this gentlemanly jockey, and
hoped that he would finish i.ist.
but made it plainer than ever t hat
her heart was with the young
ranchman whom her father would
not permit her to mention by
name.
Meantime Perton had a trying
experience as the head of the bank
which represented tlie bulk of his
fortune. There was a shrewdly
organized run upon it that would
have had a bad termination but
that young Wesson poured money
into the institution until the de
positors grew weary of drawing
out and the plotters knew that
they had hit a stone wall.
Then came the eventful race.
To lovers of the sport it was well
worth describing from start to
finish, but the main interest is in
a sequence.? Wesson rode to per
feetion, and the terrible Flash
light never pitted his w ill against
that of his rider. The big black
took every jump like a bird, lead
ing the way, nearly the entire field
having come to grief in striving to
meet the terrific pace.
"Here’s the case, little one,'1
said Perton, later on. "He saved
me from those thugs. He rescued
me from financial ruin and lie
made me the envied man in the
club by winning that steeple
chase. We need that kind of a
man in our family, Marge.”
“Hut there’s my—”
"Quit it! Not a word! lie an
undutiful child and an ingrate to
ward one who has saved us from
pauperism, if you will, but nevei
mention that frontier coyote to
me.”
"Pops, I’ll stand by you. If it
prove a sacrifice don’t blame me.’’
That evening Wesson whis
pered to her: "Does he know any
thing?”
"Not a thing.”
“Not that we planned the hold
up and tin* run on the bank?”
“Nothing. Uncle writes that
he’ll swear at any time that he
never saw or heard of you.”
“Hut ‘old’—but our pops will
chaff you about saving you from
our wild cowboy.”
"And it will make him happy,
besides adding ten years to his
life.”
"What? r, I—good!”—De
troit Free Press.
ZE3RA TRADE OF UGANDA.
Cur'ous Export Trade Being Devel
oped with Germany by Enter
prising Scotchman.
The completion of the panda
railway from Mombasa to Port
Florence, on the Victoria Nyanza,
a distance of 58 miles, enables the
journey from the coast to the
heart of Africa to be accomplished
in a couple of days, sis against
three months of hard marching
formerly, with baggage carried on
the heads of native porters, says
Chamber's Journal.
Two steamers now ply on the \ ic
toria lake, while t he telegraph lino
is open beyond to the Albert \’y
anza. Tin* fares on the railway arc
six cents per mile for tirst-olass,
three cents for second and a cent
for thirdclass class passengers.
The high-lying belt where the
white man can live and thrive, 300
miles from Mombasa, is about 10(1
miles in breadth.
Meanwhile a rather curious ex
port is being developed with Ger
many. Dr. Stordy, a native ot
Edinburgh, the government vet
erinary surgeon, lias erected a
boma of 50 acres of open grass
land at Naivasha, where lie may
have a hundred zebras in captiv
ity at a time for training. A start
has been made in flu* handling and
breaking of the young animals.
He was visited here by Baron
Bronsort von Schellendorf, who
brought down 30 zebras quite safe
ly across a tsetse-fly infested l>elt to
Mombasa, for export to Germany.
At Dar-es-Sfllaam tin* German
government intends experiment
ing on the zebra asa transport ani
mal for light carts and to cross
breed with horses. Tests in Ger
many show that the cross, called
the zebrula, is superior to the
mule. The zebrula is less liable to
disease, is specially adapted to
transport work, and is liveliei
than the mule.
Proper Enough.
“FTello!” cried the policeman,
“reading a paper, eh? I thought
you were a blind man."
“So 1 am during business
hours." the blind beggar replied,
“but I'm off duty now.’’—Philadel
phia Press.
BODY A POISON FACTORY.
When the Stomach Is Crippled the
Whole System Becomes
Perverted.
The body is a factory of poisons.
If those poisons, which are con
stantly being produced in large
quantities in the body, are imper
fectly removed or are produced in
too great quantity as t he result of
overfeeding, the fluids which sur
round the brain cells and all the
living tissues are contaminated
with jM)isonous substances which
asphyxiate and paralyze t he cells,
and so interfere with their activ
ity. This fact explains, in part at
least, the stupidity which is a com
mon after dinner experience with
many persons, says London Family
Doctor.
When food is retained in the
stomach beyond the normal time,
either because of its indigestibil
ity, the taking of too large a quan
tity of it. or a crippled state of the
stomach, these changes are certain
to take place. This fact explains a
very large share of the myriad
symptoms which afflict thechronic
dyspeptic. The giddiness, the
tingling sensations, the confusion
of thought, and even partial in
sensibility, which are not infre
uently observed a few hours after
meals in chronic dyspeptics, are
due to this cause. Here is the ex
planation of the irascibility, the
despondency, the pessimism, the
indecision, and various other
forms of mental perversity and
even moral depravity, which are
not infrequently associated with
certain forms of gastro intestinal
disturbances.
Child Marriages Increasing.
The custom of marrying girls
wlieu they arc* more children of
nine or ten years is increasing
rather than decreasing in Bengal
and other parts of India. Tin* re
sulting racial degeneration is be
coming so obvious that laws have
been passed in several regions for
bidding the marriage* of girls un
der 14.—X. V. Post.
Stimulating.
* barge, cried the Japanese
general.
The little* brown men hesitated.
“Imagine you are St. Louis ho
le*! keepers,” continued the* of
ficer.
Thus stimulated, they charged
wonderfully. — Chicago Heeord
Herald.
Telephone in Abyssinia.
Nearly sun rnile*s of telephone
wire have already been put up in
Abyssinia, and 1,000 miles more
are being strung.
What We May Choose.
H‘ (<'ml'0r of tbe mind in whioJi
w.* meet the* hundred and one* tiuv
cireumstances of every hour de
maims our happiness or unhap
►inoss far more than does the de.
tad of what those circumstance*
'' 0 °annot choose the circum*
static's, but we can choose the
temper. Lucy M. Soulsby.
■<-l-r>cO
Miss. Agnes Westley
816 Wells Street
Marinette.Wis
816 Wells Street,
Marinette, Wrs., Sept. 25, 1903.
I was all run down from nervous
ness and overwork and had to resign
my position and take a rest. 1
found that I was not gaining my
strength and health as fast as I
could wish, and as your Wine of
Cardui was recommended as such a
good medicine for the ills of our
sex, I bought a bottle and began
usine it. 1 was satisfied with the
results from the use of the first
bottle, and took three more and then
found I was restored to good health
and strength and able to take up
my work with renewed vigor. I
consider it a fine tonic and excellent
for worn-out, nervous condition,
and am pleased to endorse it.
AGNES WESTLEY,
Sec'y, North Wisconsin Holland Society.
Secure a £1.00 bottle of Wine of
Cardui and a 25c. package of
Thedford’a Black-Draught today.
WINE~OFCARDUI
uality guaranteed
nsurpassed fit
bsolute satisfaction
eading styles
nestimable worth
estifying values
ear after year bnngs C*'*CT
To millions of homes afar and near.
Big and little folks sing the praise
Of '^T Shoes so wonderfully made
ST. LOUIS.
We sell Sh°es.
Men and Women looking for their
Money’s worth, buy them.
Fred. D. Whiting.
GEORGE F. CROSSER,
Notary Public, and
Dealer In Real Estate.
All kinds of blank deeds, trust or
warranty, kept on hand, prepared and
acknowledgments attested. Deposi
tions taken. Pension work a specialty.
HftT Office in Prst Office Building.
J. C. LEWIS,
Contractor and Builder,
Plans, Specifications and Estimates
Cheerfully Furnished.
Job work of all kinds neatly and
promptly done. Satisfaction guaran
teed. Saw tiling a specialty.
Shop South of Journal Office.
j. w. HODOES,
Physician and Surgeon,
Office at Sturdivant’s Drug Store.
Residence Rhone No. *>4.
[JALLS ANSWERED PROMPTLY
V.L. Pascoe L. tl. P«*
Phone No. 10 Phone No. 24
PASCOE & POE
Physicians and Surgeons
Office in Raney Building, on South
Front Street. Phone No. 1*«
lllice hours8 to 12 a. m., and 1 to5 p. «**