Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-19

N71'NT I'M
| The par acre passing close, Dams head
u little bent, its though he tcere speaking.
A season of gayety now set in I'M
known to that quiet neighborhood since
the last visit of these enterplising young
ladies. Elias declaration that she had
come to the country to rest and to be
quit of the disturbing element of mascu-
line society appeared like the breath of
ones nostrils-a thing that passes, leav-
ing no trace that it ever has been. She
neither rested herself nor allowed much
rest to others, and she had not been in
the county week before every unmar-
ried man within radius of miles had
found his way to the house.
| In Dan Stewart she had an able aux
iliary, for all his instincts were social,
and between them they organized and
carried through successfully quite a
number of picnics, fishing parties and
impromptu dances. Mary, drawn into
the vortex 10y her impetuous cousin, en-
! joyed it as much as any of them, and
felt somehow as though the springs of
youth and joy We're being renewed
within her. She rode and walked and
/ fished with the rest, enjoying their
| pleasure AMI her own, and one evening
she actually danced again-a thing she
had not done for years.
Dan had 4 very nice tenor voice. and
both the Hcndersous were musical; SO Il
| part of the evenings was usually devoted
to music, singing and practicing duets
and having strange and inharmonioUs
! concerts, wherein Dan initiated Il French
horn with lis mouth land thought he
/ did it very well, too, although he some
times had difficulty in making the rest
agree with lim) and Ella whistled like
a mocking bird, while Mary and Nan
performed the instrumental part, and
Anthony picked bravely on a banjo.
For Anthony had suddenly become a
candidate for musical distinction He
had a good, although unframed. voice,
and the natural taste for music which Is
so noticeable in his class in the south
/ One evening he surprised them all by
! appearing with an old banjo under his
arm, which ne said he had bought from
white man living back in the woods
for five dollars.
The man was under conviction of sin
and mindful to be rid of satan and all
his works; So he had sold his banjo TO
Ned in preference to DESTROYING it, for
in all the Scriptures there is no verse
which teaches that for his souls saliva
ton a man slan turn his back on profit,
if so be he is poor already. This Ned
told them while he strung his banjo up.
and afterward, sitting down before them
SO that he mi yht beat time properly with
heel and toe, ne trolled out mining camp
ditties and Old plantation melodies that
: he had picked up from the negroes when
he was boy, to a rafting accompani-
ment that made the sheepskin sound
again. Once he droned for them real
ly excellent imitation of an Indian fu-
neral dirge, interspersed with walls and
curious long drawn howls, which per-
formance transported the little boys
t with admiration and caused them for
days TO fill the house with such hideous
sounds of mourning that Mary was
forced to interfere and make it pun
iShable offense.
Anthony, through his intercourse with
: Mrs. Beverley, had overcome his shyness
with ladies, and enjoyed this intimate
association with well bred women more
even than he realized himself until he
came to look back upon it. He was
sometimes overbold, and often decidedly
boisterous, but it was summer weather
and everybody was happy, so they were
: not captious or critical about him. With
Mary, what he did and said no longer
made particle Of difference; he had
. ceased even to jar upon her. For her,
heaven and earth were filled with soft
: content, and all things We're beautiful,
all people tolnrable, if not absolutely
pleasant.
The days rolled on in peace and beauty
until mont Lad passed, and then came
the little rift in the lutte, the tiny cloud
in the sky.
They had been dancing that is, the
, girls and Dan and Mr. Warwick, who
had come up from Richmond for re-
pairs" he said, after damaging course
of civilities to Miss Cornelia? Mary
played for them, and Anthony who did
not dance, leaned on the end of the piano
. and watched them. Dan was dancing
WIN LILO hcuSSiSOH, anu aAlcl ~ doHSl
turns or so, at word from her they
stopped in the corner by the piano.
''Let me play now, Mary" said Ella,
with mischief in her eyes, land take a
turn yourself 1t will do you lots of
{ good, and Mr.. Stewards step is just per-
lection"
''Please do. Mrs. Beverley, Dan plead
ed eagerly. " GU have never danced
with me once, and | have begged you so
often. Miss Elias compliment is to be
taken with salt, put I'm sure we should
get on together"
Mary hesitated Il haven't danced