Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-23
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
A Bone of Contention
BY Mrs. M. 1. RaYne.

Two III SNAPPED leeI, an instrument OF
fate endowed with strange power in
love affairs. half sister to the horse
show, that weird bit of social demon
ology. n chickens wishbone.
The fact is always emphasized when
the modern black art is practiced that
the bone must belong to chicken; but,
as no other fowl. not excepting the
bird of America, the turkey. possesses
such an appendix, the distinction seems
unnecessary
The bone on the pyramid was res
cued from destruction by the white fin
gers of girl. who dressed it and hung
it over the outside door. When it had
been lodged there an hour 4 man came
in. He was tall. and as he came under
the "conjure' he brushed it with his
head and disiodged it.
"Well, you're it," laughed the girl as
he stopped and picked it from the floor.
THAT is the first time you ever came
under the wishbone."
"Will you break it with me. Nell?
You know / believe in it as an omen.
We will both wish, and the one that
gets the wish piece must tell the other
what wish was made"
"Oh. let's tell beforehand. Health
and prosperity is all wish for. Am
not moderator
81 WISH" said the man. that we are
married at Christmas and live happily
ever"
THAT sounds like the ending to a
dime novel love story. Seeing that we
are not even engaged, it would take
a stronger force than that of wish
bone to marry US by Christmas.
Nell, will you marry me?'
She had waited seven years for this,
and now that it had come it was most
miserable chicken bone could supply
an opportunity for this laggard in
love. 4 panorama of war flashed
across her horizon. the CLINT of arms,
the flutter of flags. a soldier promoted
for bravery, then forgetfulness and ST.
lence. She looked at the serious, stolid
face of the man as he stood holding
the arbiter of human destnies be-
tween thumb and forefnger and de-
cided:
Eyes. David. but please do not give
your chicken bone too much credit.
You may not get your wish after ALL"
1t went apart with a snap, and Da-
vid held the long piece. and his salts
faction over it was immense
well. it worked. didn't It? We will
keep the pieces, and they will bring
us good luck. 1 have always had the
greatest faith in wishbone omens."
'Yet it was necessary that 1t should
fall and strike you before you accepted
its dictum." suggested Nell.
David Wilson wrapped the bone of
fate in n tissue paper covering and laid
1t away carefully among his cherished
possessions. Nell dropped hers into
her glovebox. wished the chicken that
owned it had never been born. rated
herself for n fool and sat down to have
a good cry.
Engaged to David Wilsoni Why, I
might as well be engaged to father.
And all I'm doing it for is to show
Ransom Hale that 1 am not breaking
my heart for him even If he is wear
ing fine new shoulder straps. The
mean thing, never to write n word!
oh, David, you superstitious, good, old
stupid. how will I get you of my
hands? Seven years of acquaintance
ship ought to count for something. |
oh. chicken bone, engine of destiny, |
how hate your
And the next day when Captain Hale |
called on Nell and asked her to marry |
him she consigned all chicken bone |
wishes to perdition while she made a |
clean breast of her affair with David. |
And what the captain meant by hold |
ing her in his arms while he heard her
story can easily be guessed. Then
they went into session as n committee J
of ways and means to circumvent the
plans of destiny set in motion by that |
wishbone.
A week later David presented himself
In a state of abject depression. ''Tve
lost my luck" he said in Grape edged
tones.
Lost on a business deal?" suggested
Nell warily.
mo; lost my wishbone. 1 put it
away carefully, and now it cannot be
found high or low. 1t has disappeared
as If by magic"
"And you are sure no one was in
your roomT
mo one but my washerwoman, and
I don't know what she wanted there.
But she would have no object in steal
ing a wishbone-"
mo, and there would be no magic in
q wishbone that would let itself be
stolen. oh, David, that is bad omen.
We must call our engagement off until
you find it. Bad luck viii follow If we
persist in disobeying the omen. We are
up against it now"
"I know it. 1 feel it in my bones"
,aid poor, victimized David mournful-
". "Nell, dear. do you think it pos
,Ible that the-cat-ate-it?"
mo" Nell was shaking with laugh
er. which by desperate effort she
changed into nervous agitation. 81 feel
hat it may mean a warning. and we
must obey. We cannot throw ourselves
Igainst an oracle. You see. it was not
Intended that we should marry"