Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 168, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1913 — HER SACRED DUTY [ARTICLE]

HER SACRED DUTY

It Was to Teach a Pompous Young Man a Merited ‘ Lesson. By GRACE KERRIGAN. __ They said of Bruce Charlton, son of •the banker at Maysville, that he was a pompous cold-blooded young man. IHe had finished at college and been •given a place in the bank. It was said of him that when a •ewer blew up as he was walking •along the street one day,~and he was lifted thirty feet high, that he descended with proper dignity, and did not even lose his grip on his cane. “What a tyrant of a husband he’d •be!’’ said one young lady. “No wife would dare call him by his •first name!” said another. “He’d demand that she address him «s Mr. Bruce Charlton, Esq!” was the criticism of the third. They said of Miss Inez Barton, the daughter of a broker in the city, that she was too flighty ; that she was too impetuous; that her quick temper would drive away all her lovers, and that she. would in time find herself old maid. None of the critics hit the nail on the head in either case. Mr. Charlton had passed a final examination, fallen into an extra fine position, and had been complimented on being a smart young man in several directions. It was therefore natural that his bead was swelled a bit, and that his good opinion of himself should be shown in his attitude towards others. In only one thing was he weak. » After a month’s stay in London he came home to say “cawn’t,” and “doncher knaw,” and “Jolly well” and other things affected by the Johnnies across the big water. He imagined it smacked of “foreign culchure,” and to clinch his case he brought back with him an English bulldog so homely that he scared a mule into fits the first day he landed. That was all-—Just one weak spot, and no one called him a cad on account of it. “Foreign culchure” is like whitewash on a fence —it begins to peel and flake after a few days. Every morning from eight until nine young Mr. Charlton mounted his steed and had a gallop. It was not an English steed, but the rider affected the English pose in the saddle, and his bulldog followed at his heels and maintained the proper expression of countenance. When Miss Inez Barton came down to "Meadow Green” to pass a month with a married Bister she brought nothing English. She had her American pony and her American saddle and coach dog sent down to her. Every morning from eight until nine she went for a gallop. Mr. Charlton rode towards “Green Meadows” in his gallops. Miss Inez rode towards Maysville in her gallops. It was inevitable as taxes that they must meet They did meet, and on the very first morning that she rode out. She caught sight of the young man and mused to herself: “Why, I didn’t know that bean-poles rode horses out in the country!” As Mr. Charlton always looked straight* ahead when he rode, he, of course, caught sight of the girl at an early moment. He also mused: “B’gawgae, but I can’t make it out, ye knaw!” If he had stopped and raised his cap and asked Miss Inez if phe could tell him where the widow Jdnes lived it is probable that she would have smiled one of her winsome smiles and flirted a bit, but he passed her like a wooden man. Her dog wanted to say something to his canine, but the bull growled and never broke his pace. As both were returning homewards they passed again.’ “He’s a fool!” said the girl ta herself. “I pawn’t—l really cawn’t!” said the young man to himßelf. “Say,” said the girl to her sister, after the latter had posted her as to who “bean-pole” was and his social standing,- “I feel that I’ve a sacred duty to perform out here.” “Yes?” “It’s to take young Mr. Charlton down about 14 pegs.” “But how can you?” “I don’t know yet, but I’ll find a way.” She didn’t have to plan ’til her head ached. Her coach dog did the planning. The English bulldog had noticed him by a growl. He felt the humiliation. He didn’t want to be snubbed, either. He gave the matter due consideration that evening, and when he started out next morning he had something in view. “Bean-pole” appeared. There was a poker down his back, and his eyes looked at the landscape a mile ahead. His bulldog appeared, and he was plastered all over with dignity, but her dog did. He waited ’til the other had passed by and then folloVed up and nipped him on the hind leg. You can’t nip a bulldog and get away with It. This one turned and seized the coach dog and shook him as .|f he had been a rat, and then tossed him high in the air. Miss Inez uttered one scream and was off her pony and lash lng the bull with her whip. “Aw! Aw! B’Jove!” It was Mr. Charlton. He had heard the rpw and retained. “Aw! Aw!” mimicked the girl at she looked up at him, s's take it that there was a conflict, doncher knaw?” . “There was. doncher see!” “TUpvr me!” •B>ve!” Mr. Charlton had forgotten to lift

his cap. He now lifted it. He had forgotten to remove the monacle from his eye. He now removed it. He had forgotten to dismount. He now dismounted.., “I beg your pardon, I am suah,” he said after a moment of embarrassing silence. “It’s grawnted, sir!” She led her horse into the roadside flitch and mounted from the bank. He wanted to offer his assistance, but did not dare. He was a picture of confusion and foolishness as she tossed her head and rode away. He started to “B’jove!” but changed it to: “Well, what do you think of that?” He was English no longer. He had become a full-blooded American in about ten minutes. If there was any doubt about it his talk with his dog after the girl's departure would have settled the matter. “You fool of a dog, but you see what you have done!” he shouted at the canine who came fawning around to get a word of praise. “There was a mighty good-looking girl, and you had to go and bite her dog and give her a chance to make a fool of me! You ought to have your head knocked off!” “Well, did you take anybody down a peg o? two this morning?” asked the sister as Miss Inez reached her home after her ride. “A dozen pegs, sister. You just ought to have been there! Monacle — saddle —eyes front —bulldog—b’jove— doncher knaw —beg pawdon—aw—aw! Oh, it was great! ” “And what did you do?” “I out-Englished him. His dog licked Jack, but he can’t do it again.” “I hope you didn’t give him the idea that yon were bold.” “I gave him the idea that he was in America, I guess!" That afternoon the brother-in-law went to town and bought a dog collar full of sharp spikes, and next morning before the ride the canine’s hair was rubbed full of ckyenne papper. When ready to ride away the girl said to him: f , “You are going to meet that bulldog again this morning, and if you don’t lick him I’ll sell you for a cent!” Young Mr. Charlton had been humiliated and felt it keenly, but down in heart he admitted to himself that he had not only what he deserved. When a man will look at things in this light there is hope for him. It was at first decided not to go that road again until the girl had gone home. Then it was decided that if he did ride that way he would make an apology for his dog. Then the decision was to leave the “b’jove business behind him. As a matter of fact, when Mr. Charlton did ride out he was entirely undecided. As for Miss Inez, she left it all to the dog. There was a meeting again. The coach dog was ready for it. Without “begging pawdon” of any one he went for that bull. He downed him. He bit him. He mopped the earth with him. He made it a rough house over ten rods of highway. “I will call off my dog,” said the young man as the riders came up and halted. * “I’m afraid you can’t!” laughed the owner of Jack. “I guess I’ll have to call mine off!” “I —I wish to apologize for yesterday.” “Not at all, doncher knaw!” I have arrived in the United States since yesterday!” “Going to take out your naturalization papers and become fine nf us?” “I surely am. I’ll sell that bulldog this very day!” “Yes?” , ' “And as for doncher knaw—” ‘’Then you may introduce yourself.” “Well, how did things come out tn'r. time?” asked the sister as Miss Inez entered the house with a laugh. “Why, I think the patient is on the way to a perfect cure, and if he doesn’t have a relapse there may be a wedding in due time.” And there was! (Copyright, 1913. bv the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.!