Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-06
THE ROCK BY THE SEA.

O'' "S' NioetbicCaotO Jou N<sh honS
yourself, Jack. But therein not going to
quarrel with you. How much longer are you
going TO keep me up to abuse mep and Ruby
laughed aloud In her usual saucy, tantalizing
manner. Jack looked at her, his face as black
as a thunder cloud, on which was written
n stern determination, but she was In no way
appalled, by it. On the contrary, she looked
at him gayly and carelessly, as if she were
perfectly Indifferent to him or his moods.
Miss Howard" he began, Miss How
ard" she mimicked mockingly; "since when,
prayi How ceremonious we grow, to bs
sure
lie resumed as IL she had not interrupted
him; 81 will not detain you but moment
longer. While am convinced that at the
present time you are perfectly heartless,
owing more to the unhappy way of your
bringing up and to the. influences and fash
ions Of society than to natural hardness of
heart "Ohl thanks, thanks awfully,
you are too good, she broke in again, laugh
ingly. 1t was all as good as burlesque to
her accustomed she was to lovers rant
ings. II am as firmly convinced he went
on, in 80 calm a tone that il should have
warned her that this meant more than an or
binary tiff; that you love me- but, with
your natural perverseness, will neither &C
knowledge it to yourself nor me-"
As he said this-with an air of a Judge
pronouncing sentence on some unhappy prts-
oner-with his gray eyes fixed ON her face
with the steruest gaze they were capable Of
In spite of herself the bloom on her soft,
round cheek deepened TO bright red, and
for an instant her saucy hooking eyes fell
before his transient smile passed over his
gloomy face at this evidence OF his power and
left 1t even gloomier than before AS he re-
garded the lovely half shy face before him
he commenced again bitterly: "And why
win you not yield to that love and make us
both hsppyf | viii tell you. You do not
wish TO be tied TO one; TO receive the love and
homage Of one Is not to your taste Oh, no;
not for years 20 come. II would wait pa
tiently, and In the meantime beGlways ready
to dance attendance ON your whims, not no
ticing any one else, and always Keeping In
the background when desirable Irritation
came up, then, perhaps, If you didn't meet
some one you preferred to me, after keeping
me in suspense all that time, you might era
ciously condsscsnd TO marry me. But I de-
cline to become the slave of any woman;
and, AZ much as love you, am going to
leave you forever"
"Ha, hap and her sweet, low laugh rang
out Ike chime Of slvery bells Tho plot
thickens. Ple>.se go on; it Is as lovely as a
play"
II know and feel" said Jack, earnestly,
shat we are especially suited TO each other,
and / believe that in time you viii realize the
truth Of what / say and win regret me, even
a. regret you now-but no more. I've al
ready said too rnuch-more than Intended.
Good-by," and with deep bow be turned
and left
well, Of all things she murmured
"Foreverl Fudge. III see him tomorrow
on the promenade the same as usual He Is
delicious. do like him the best when he as
ssrts himself He Is grand when he gets en-
ragged He looks so stern and glares 30, and
Is 90 unapproachable that am almost afraid
Of him-the darling. II don't look out he
VIII and In making me marry him before the
season is over. OF course l shant marry
any one else, but I'm not going to hurry my
SELF; there's plenty time" After which sage
conclusion she went up to her room In gay
spirits, thinking Of the good time she would
have in making up with Jack as she had done
o number Of times before.
The next day Miss Ruby failed to meet
Jack a. usual. In fact q week passed, and In
all that time he had not called. She had
missed his presence from ball and opera and
every place that she had graced with her
bright presence. At last making few In
quiries, she found that Jack was out some
whore on the broad ocean on his way to
China to Join his brother, tea merchant,
and was likely to be absent a term Of years.
Although outwardly Ruby managed to
conceal the shock she had received, she could
not conceal from her own heart that some
thing had gone from her that abe missed and
longed for with an indescribable longing and
a wild regret. 1t was all the more madden
ing that no one was to blame for her SORROW
but herself. The old places had lost their
charm. Everything end everybody was In
apid, fat and monotonous Ali II he would
only return, how gladly would she acknowl-
edge her love, and how gladly would she
marry him at the earliest date he might men,
ton Had she known his address at that
time she would have written to tell him Of
her love and penitence.
Four years after Jack had gone Ruby was
at q fashionable watering place. She was
stu tho belle Of every assemblage Her in
difference and utter carelessness, combined
with her rare beauty, brought her scores Of
admirers, whom she drove almost mad with
her GOODNESS. She was still as lovely as ever,
but in her big, brown eyes there was shade
Of sadness, and a slightly absent look which
gave touch Of soul to face that had here
tofore sparkled with wit and glowed with
gayety and high spirits, but had lacked feel.
ing. Now it was perfect. If Jack could
only zee her now.
One day she was taking her morning stroll.
and feeling an unaccountable depression Of
Pir1tA Her great eyes were wearing thsis
most absent hook, and as they wandered over
the crowd that WINS ever coming and going,
she started violently and her delicate, high
bred face turned as white as the filmy lace at
hsr throat She fixed an absorbed gaze on o
vehicle that was slowly passing. The occu-
pant was broad shouldered, grand looking
man dressed In gray. His shapely head
was crowned with q white straw hat,
q pair Of large, dishguring spectacles
Of colored glass completely hid his eyes; his
firm mouth was shaded with long brown
mustache, and between his lips was the In
evttable cigar. No whiskers hid his firm chin
.,d Co. sr,,pdad throaf A fo,tynap nj HE
side was driving a span Of spirited blncks. In
an instant the equipago was hidden by the
crowd, but Rubys eyes would have known
that face, that form, If 1t had been far more
fssting glimpse. She drew long breath,
and by the time she reached her hotel and