The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-25
THE IMPERIAL DRAGON.

The combination Of circumstances that
brought Miss Damon to Ir---moneyless, hut
determined, was known 10 nobody All that
amy one knew of her was impaired by brief
statement made by the editor Of The Dispatch
TO the effect that on certain clustering aft
ernoon in January she had walked into Tie
office and asked for employment lie had
declined her services with thanks, lut Size
came again and again, until one day She
found a vacant desk, sat down at it, and lad
been there ever since
| She wrote two or three cali.tic articles,
struck at one or two local atrocities, and il a
| little while made an unenviable reputation
for bitterness and cynicism. Her name got
out, and after that everything malicious and
punsent that appeared in the paper was I'M
| hesitatingly set down TO her credit.
| She was not known outside of the Office,
but the impressions that prevailed concerning
her were not ilattering. 1t was generally
agreed that She knew too much TO be Young,
was too cynical to be agreeable, and there
was a theory current among the papers read
| ers that she had been crossed in love and dis
appointed in hcr literary aspirations. She
dill her work in the daytime, and was little
moro THAN a myth 10 the men who spent their
NIGHTS II journalistic harness. They were
frequently questioned about her, and they
generally answered all queries by the broad
lli meaning statement that she did not ''Tun
| with the gang"
Soon after she began her mark il her new
sphere a book Of verses appeared, written by
| a gentleman Of l., George Lawrence,
Copies were sent to all the papers, and one
Of these fell into the hands of Miss Damon.
She prcfaced her criticism with the remark
that the veses were not uniformly bad, but
ranged from bad TO very bad, and then Iner
leSsly impaled the author To the extent of
three-quaItcrs OF a column.
Lawrence had never forgiven her, He re-
ferred 80 herever afterwards as The Dragon"
md "rho Imperial Dragon" The MANS
seemed appropriate, and it was generally
adopted. The criticised versiicr experienced
some satisfaction at having thus baptized her
with Indignation, but he by no means consid-
cred himself avenged, and at the mere men
ton of her name his muscles grew rigid and
! every artery throbbed with a Wild desire for
vengeance. Being clever with a pencil, he
made a sketch of her which embodied the
popular impression that she was a ShrewiSh
person of uncertain age, and it was a source
of endless amusement to himself and friends.
1t must he confessed that Miss Damon's was
not the only adverse criticism, and Lawrence
was a good deal depressed but not wholly sub
lucd. He did not intend to be snuffed out in
tins summary fashion, however, and though
for time he attempted nothing in a literary
way, he was casting about for fresh motive,
resolved at no distant date to make another
effort. ~Thc Dragon" had recommended
prose; he would try prose.
In the meantime summer had come and
Lawrence was to spend several months with
some friends in California. When he returned
he would GO to work in earnest
Ii was n glorious day, bright and coo,,
though it was the middle of July; the sun
was just rising over the eastern rim of the
,up-shapel valley; luminous mist, shading
from pink to purple, was rolling away from
Pixies peak, and the bits of sky showing he
tween the serrated ridges opposite were deeply
@ blue
= Lawrence, on his way TO California, had
: stopped to spend a day At Manitou. He had
reached thu springs the evening before, and
WIS finishing his breakfast this bright morn
ing in the great Sahara of a dining room,
o when the waiter came in to announce the car
riage he had ordered for the day. For tie
Z, last half hour the gallery in front Of the hotel
had been thronged with tourists ready to be
e .cin the days sightseeing, and the double lire
I ~ vehicles drawn up outside We're being
loaded with all possible dispatch, As Law
e renee emerged from the 'liningToom the last
:, wagon drove up to the door and a lady was
; ou the point Of getting in when the driver
-;iid:
Beg your pardon, ma'm but this carriage
for the gentleman.
But | ordered carriage for this morn
r ing"
z Your order was too late They We're all en-
q gagged This was the last one in the stables,
: ts.n give You one tomorrow
IL shall not he here tomorrow
Maybe the gentleman's going to stay oven
day or two and would just as soon drive to
morrow, suggested the driver.
BY this time Lawrence had come up
III you can give me a horse and saddle
1t viii answer my purpose just as well, hi
said
Il haven't got a horse"
As leave tomorrow on the early train,
said Lawrence. Il can not conveniently post
pone my drive But we are probably going
in the same direction, and / should be de
lighted to accommodate you with seat il
thus vehicle,
- There was nothing else 10 he done She ac
copied with thanks. Lawrence handed hcl
into the carriage, and thought, their eye
. mot, that she was not an unpromisng com
panion He was a gregarious animal. Ii,
: hated being alone, especi lily in crowd, ant
a chance acquaintance was not to be despised
| lie handed her his card She looked at til,
iame raised her brows slightly, dropped TIN
ard into her handbag, and then, looking
squarey at him, said:
my name Is Vincent"
He called her Miss Vincent at venture
She did not correct him, and they fell to dis
cusing the points Of interest on the way
Ii was a delightful drive and neither re
GREETED the circumstance that brought then
together They dined at the same table flu
ished up the sights i'll the afternoon and get
ting in rather late, t-1ok supper tete-a- tete il
s corner of tho deserted dining room. Tha
evening the ROOMS were cleared for ball
lie met her at the door as she was about q
enter the ball room.
She wore dress of black lace, with
sleeveless corsage that displayed a pair of su
perb arms and smooth, white neck TIL
sharp contrast of her hair and dress with tn
singularly fair complexion made her lool
hike black and white cameo, and he though
as she stood there looking past him into tn
ball room that no carving could be NOR
purely classic than her profile
''sShal we go in therat' she asked al
seems dreadfully crowded"
"Then suppose we stay here"
T. Il believe it is pleascnter here" she an
swcrcd.
The floor Of the ball room was full of prom
enaders They passed oCs on the verandah
20 and sat chatting in the moonlight. Occa
o. sionally they would return and beguie til
y intervals, waszing when TIE music permitted
ID until the crowd in the ballroom began T.
y, thin and the clock in the parlor struck l.
- ~ really must 30 now" said Miss Vincent
!. rising "rhere's o'clock and | leave at )
is Good night"
!. (Which way 10 you go Tomorrow" aske,
Lawrence, taking the hand she offered.