Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 304, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1912 — dunderhead s luck [ARTICLE]

dunderhead s luck

-After Numerous Mistakes and Accidents He Gets the Girl He Was After. By CLARA INEZ DEACON."’"" Ex-Judge Rosser of Marion was a ■widower and lived on the interest of the money he had been wise enough to lay by in his younger days. Colonel Grafton was the owner of the Grafton Woolen Mills, and making money out of the capital invested. Fate was going to bring these two men together, but she was in no hurry about it. They had lived in the same town for five years and had never met ■either in a business or a social way. They simply knew each other by eight. The judge had a daughter named Bessie. At the time the happenings that follow took place to stir up the •country and almost precipitate another panic Miss Bessie was twenty years old. Her aunt was her chaperon and her father’s housekeeper, and a. large and fresh assortment of young men were seekers after her hand and her father’s Cash. . •

The colonel had a son Burt who ■who was making his way through college. Making his way does not signify that he was sawing wood, hoeing corn or cutting ice to make good lor his board and tuition. It simply means that he was somewhat slow and absent-minded, and did not get a grip on the higher studies as the majority of students did. He was a good boy but a little slow! Young Mr. Grafton had come home ■on his .summer vacation. He was going to learn the office work at the ,Mllls, fish, sail' and take trips here and there in an auto. Miss Bessie Rosser was also home on her vacation. She also had plSns, but every girl is liable to change her plans at a moment’s notice. She did not know of the existence of such a young man as Burt Grafton. On the morning after his arrival borne young Grafton started for the Mills to devote half an hour to learning the business and then go a»flshing. There was one busy street corner In the town and he struck It. He also struck a tall, Blim man with bowed shoulders and a chip conveniently ready to be knocked off. It was Judge Rosser. His walk abroad was always aggressive and his look defiant He had somehow imbibed the idea that he personally owned most of the sidewalks in the busy burg. Of course young Grafton did not know this. He was ÜBed to walking where he pleased at college, even If one of the professors stood in the way, and as a consequence there was a collision between him and the judge, and.the judge arose to shout at him: “What do you mean, you dunderhead, by bulling your way through a crowd like this!”

"I didn’t see you," was the apologetic answer. “Then you’re blind!” “I hope—hope.” “Hope nothing! You shouldered STgainst me and ought to be led around like a dancing bear!" “I apologize, sir.” “But I don’t accept it! You are a dunderhead, sir—a dunderhead! You ought to be obliged to give public notice when you are going to charge through the streets!” The Judge was sized up for what he was—an irascible old man who loved a row —and the younger man passed on with a bow. On the next block he turned into a store to shake hands with a merchant and laughingly said: “Just met a raging lion and had a narrow escape from death.” “What do you mean?” “Happened to bump into an old chap who was on the wrong side of the street and he gave me down the hanks in great shape. Called me a dancing bear and a dunderhead. Thought he was going to haul off and paste me one." “Huh! Wonder who'it could be?” “Some old crank living here in town, I suppose.” A young lady who had been at one of the nearby counters and heard every word arose and left the store, and as she passed the young man she bestowed upon him a look so full of contempt and scorn that he whispered to the merchant. “If I’ve stolen her purse or gobbled up her dog I ask her forgiveness.” “You’ve done worse than that, young man!” was the reply. “How? Which?” ■ “I guess it was her daddy you fell foul of. -Sounds very much like him. That’s Miss Rosser, the belle of the town.” “Just my luck! Well, I hope she forgets my face, for that girl looks good to me. So long.” Having learned all about the woolen mill business during the remainder of the day, young Grafton hied him to a fishing-tackle store next morning to procure an outfit. He had Jointed a rod and was flourishing it about when a man entered the store just in time to have his plug hat knocked off and sent rolling. ~ “So it’B you again!” he shouted as he faced the man who had done the £unsge. “A thousand pardons—let me pickit up,” replied the assaulter, “No, sir—no, sir. I want no such—” And they both stooped for, the hat, and there was a collision that bumped them to the floor. When they regained their feet Mr. Rosser, for of course It was he, held out the 111-used tile and wrath fully exclaimed: “You meant to do it. air—you meant tor

“I beg your pardon.** “You are a bull to a China shop—a China shop air.” “1 plead guilty to carelessnes, hat-—*' "I won’t accept of .an apology! You are a - blunderer ej|d a dunderhead. You are a bear and a beast! You ought to be locked up sir!” “I have said that I was sorry,” am swered young Grafton with dignity. “Get a ■guardian, sir—get a guardian and a rope!” With that the judge jammed the battered tile down on his head and stalked out, and the young man gave up his Idea of purchase and walked after him. Three days later, having nothing else to do, he brought out his auto for a ride, driving it himself. Miss Bessie Rosser had an electric runabout, hut had not yet acquired the confidence to run. it herself. The judge had to act as instructor, and this was one of the mornings he took the daughter and the vehicle out There was only one good road in and out of the town, and he naturally took that So young Mr. Grafton —but he was miles ahead. He had a long spin and ran over a hog or two before turning about to retrace his way. Halfway home he met the judge and .his daughter and recognized them. Perhaps the judge was a bit off that day. Perhaps the daughter reached out to take the steering lever from him. It was something of the sort that brought the two machines together with a crash and dumped their occupants out upon the dusty road. A few bruises and no great damage. Young Grafton was up first, but the hand he extended to the girl was ignored, and the judge had only got the dust out of his mouth when he sat up to sEout: “Same man! Same dunderhead!” “If it was my fault sir—,” began the young man as he lifted his cap to the girl. “It was —It was! You did it on pose! You wanted to kill us!” “Father! Father!” “But he did. He’s the dunderhead. I spoke of." “But I think It was your fault as much as mine, though I am willing to pay all damages. Hope you are not hurt, sir, and that your daughter has escaped with the scare alone.” “I don't care a dum what you hope!” exclaimed the Judge. "You are the biggest dunderhead In seven states, and If I ever get back to town I’ll have you Indicted ‘as a nuisance. Yes, I will’” At the spot where the vehicles had come together the highway narrowed and there were high banks on either'* side. A hundred feet below was a turn in the road and bußhes to hide what might he coming. Of a sudden, cap In hand, young Grafton Sprang ever the vehicles and raced for thfi turn. “Didn’t I say he was a dunderhead!” said the father as he pointed after the flying figure. “Why, Bessie, he’s gone clean crazy!” But the next Instant brought a pair of runaway horses into view. They were running as If mad with fear, dragging the wreck of a carriage behind them. At the turn waited ybung Grafton to spring and seize a flapping rein and to be carried into the roadside ."bushes and flung down and have a leg broken. But he had stopped the runaways and saved the two peev pie up the road from being tramplOT to pulp. They knew it as they walked down to him —as they knelt beside him —as the girl wept and the victim gasped. And the father carefully helped the sufferer to a better position and muttered to himself: “Dam romance! It’s going to take Bessie away from me, but I shan’t get such a dunderhead for a son-in-law after all!” And he won’t. He’s already taken a strong liking to the to-be and as for Miss Bessie, Bhe isn’t a girl to oppose romance. (Copyright, 1912, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)