The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-09
A LAKESIDE MUSING.
The Nineteenth Century Girl Who
Was Up to Snuff.
"With a WocSing Laugh He Turns
10 GO''-''Her Face Lights Up
with Weird. EsaleGul
SmiIc.*


Il forgive you, Hetty."
Thomas THrnstile turned away with a
heart whose load of sorrow was. almsst toe
great to he borne and walked slowly down
the shady lane which led to his mether's
humble cottage at the foot of Hucklelerry
hill Young, hopeful, ami with spirits as
buoyant d health and a clear conscience
could make Them he had fallen in one in
slant from the sun-kissed heights Of content
ment and happiness to the black depths of
desolation and despair. And why Be
cause girl naughty beauty whosa fathers
wealth had placed her far above Thomas
TurnStile in the social scala-had after lur
ing him on and on with all the arts which
Women know so well and PRACTICE SO skill
fully, haughtily refused the love that he
offered hcr-the love of true, honest heart
"a love Of which any woman no matter
how exalted her station, might we'll have
been proud.
And she had told him plainly that she had
been toying with his heart-told him this in
the same low, duicet tones that had so often
witched him in the days gone by when they
had wandered together through messy glade
and boslly dell, through the silent woods in
which the rustling OF the zephyr-kissed leaves
was the only sound that came to them.
She had said the cruel words that severed
their lives forever, softly enough, but on the
beautiful face that had for years haunted his
memory and been the beacon-star ofshis en-,
deavor, there was cold, naughty, rovgh-on.
rats expression that told him only too truly
that each syllable was uttered in earnest and
that to hope for revocation Of the sentepce
this girl had pronounced were indeed foolish.
And yet despite this fact, he loved her with
a mad, consuming, chloride-of lime on an
old-shirt passion that was scorching his very
soul, every beat of his great, manly heart
seeming only the knell OF a life that was soon
to be quenchei forever.
One year had passed On all sides one
hears talk Of the wonderful success that has
crowned the efforts of Thomas Turnstile as
| Spectator. His daring operation of buying
all the poker decks in Chicaro just previous
to the assembling of a national convention
had made him millionaire and to none was
| this news of more interest than Hetty Hal
| lowheart, the proud beauty of Horse Fly
Villa. Judge of her surprise when one day
| there came a note from Thomas Turnsfile
aiShiiis5 W Alti ~ was AT
once given and the evening of the following
| day appointed for the interview. At 5 O'Clock
a carriage rolled up to the door and Thomas
! Turnstile was ushered into the parlor, where
| Hetty waited to receive him. In the soft
mellow light OF the $3-per- thousand gas she
looked more radiantly beautiful than ever
and there was tremulous tinge of admira-
| ton in the young mans tones as he spoke to
| her
"A year ago." he said, 81 offered you my
hand in marriage and you refused it because
of my poverty. am now rich and repeat
that offer Do you accept it!'
| Il do" she answered.
| "Ha! false woman" he cries, lat last my
revenge is accomplished. Know, then. that
do not love you, and that my only object
| in coming here tonight was to humifatt
you;" and with hollow. knocking laugh h,
| turns to go.
"Stop!" says the girl in an imperious man
ner, and as she speaks Thomas Turnstiles see
two men, one lawyer and the other ,
stenographer, come from behind Japanes
screen which stands near an Etruscan cuspi
dor Hetty's face lights up with a weird
| baleful smile.
"What does this mean" he asks. "Wh,
have my words been taken DOWN.
1T MEANS" she answered, that l an
loaded for bear"