Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-14

on's crude, honest singing:
For you'll take the high road. and III take
the low road.
And IL be in Scotland before you;
But and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks O. Ben Lomond.'
Telford drew in his breath sharply,
caught his mustache between his teeth
savagely for q minute, then let it go
with run of ironical laughter. He
looked round him. He saw in the road
two or three people who had been at.
tracted by the music. They seemed SO
curious merely. so apathetic-his feel.
ings were playing at full tide. To him
they We're the idle, intrusive spectators
Of his trouble. All else was dark about
him save where ON the hill the lights Of
the Tempe hotel showed. and o man and
woman. his arm round her, could be
seen pacing among the trees. Telford
turned away from this, ground his heel
into the turf and said: Il wish l could
see who she is. Her voice? It's impos-
slble. y He edged close to the window,
where light showed at the edge Of the
curtains. Suddenly he pulled up.
| No Whoever she Is shall know in
! time. Things come round. It's almost
uncanny as ii stands, but then it was
uncanny-it has all been SO since the
start" He turned to the window
! again. raised his hat to it. walked quick
| ~ out into the road and made his way
TO the View hotel AS he came upon
the veranda Mildred Margrave passed
him. He saw the shy look of interest in
her face. ana with simple courtesy he
raised his has. She bowed aud went on
| He turned ard looked after her; then,
! shaking his head as if to dismiss an I'M
reasonable thought, entered and went
| to his room.
| About this time the party at Hagar's
rooms was breaking Up. There had been
more singing by Mrs. Detlor. She ran
sacked her memory for half remembered
melodies - whimsical, arcadian, sad
and Hagar sat watching her, outwardly
quiet and appreciative. iilwardly under
an influence like none he had ever felt
| before. When his guests were ready, he
went with them to their hotel. He saw
that Mrs. Detlor shrank from the attend
ance Of the Prince, who insisted on talk
ing OF the stranger i'll the greenrOom.
When they arrived at the hotel, he man.
aged. simply enough. to send the lad
on some mission for Mrs. Detlor, which,
he was determined, should be perma-
nent so far as that evening was con-
cerned. He was soon walking alone
with her on the terrace. He did not
force tine conversation, nor try to lead
il to the event Of the evening, which, he
| felt, was more important than others
fcesscd. He knew also that she did not
care to talk just then. He had never
had any difficulty III conversation with
her-they had /, singular rapport. He
! had Travelled much, seen more remem-
bered everything, was shy to austerity
with people who did not interest him,
spontaneous with those that did, and
yet was Eever-save to serve a necessa-
~ purpose-a hail fellow with any one.
He knew that he could be perfectly nat
ural with this woman-say anything
/ that became man. He was an artist
without Alterations, q diplomatic man,
having great enthusiasm and some out
er cynicism. He had started life terri
bly, i'll earnest before the world. He had
changed all that. In society he was a
nervous organism gone cold, a deliber-
ate, self contained man. But insomuch
as he was chastened Of enthusiasm out
wardly he was boyishly earnest in.
wardly.
He was telling Mrs. Detlor of some
incident he had seen in South Africa
when sketching there for a London
weekly, telling it graphically, incisive.
ly-he was not fluent. He etched in
speech; he did not paint. She looked up
at him once or twice as if some thought
was running parallel with his story.
! He caught the look. He had Just come
to the close of his narrative. Presently
she put out her hand and touched his
arm.
"You have great tact. >" she said, land
! am grateful
Twill not question your Judgment,
he replied, smiling. Il am glad that
you think so. and humbled too
why humbled?" she laughed softly.
Il can't imagine that
There are good opinions which
make us vain, others which make rs
anxious to live up to them. while we
are afraid we can't"
Few men know that kind of fear.
You are a vain race
You know best. Men show certain
| traits to women most
THAT is true. OF the most real
things they seldom speak to each other,
but to women they often speak freely.
and it makes one shudder-tiIl one
knows the world, and gets used to it,"
why shudder:'' He guessed the an.
swer, but he wanted, not from mere
curiosity, to hear her say it.
The business of life they take seri-
ously-money, position, chiefly money.
Life itself-home. happiness, the affec.
tions, friendships an incident, a
thing to juggle with
II do not know you in this satirical
mood, he answered. II need time to
get used to it before can reply"
II surprise you? People do not ex-
pect me ever to be either serious or-or
satlrical, only look to me to be amiable
and merry. Your only jigmaker. as
Hamlet saba sprightly Columbine.
Am rhetorical:''
don believe Won GRO roaIrv cat;r