Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
What Came of a Kiss.
GOriginal.l
"AIolly!'

week without seeing her. She has
gone off without kiss"
That's too bad. Why didn't you
think of it before she went out?''
81 didn't know she was going SO
SOON"
well, see nothing for you to do
but go without the kiss
% THAT would make mother miserable
for whole week"
True, you deserve whipping for
your carelessness. You tnever attend
to anything properly. Either your
mother -or 1 must always be looking
out for YOU
True again. You must,look out for
me now"
"What do you mean by that?"
''You must give mother the kiss flor
me-"
81 will give her a kiss for you, but
it will be no good. You should have
attended to the matter yourself, and
saved her the disappointment. SNow
go. You will miss your train"
"But you haven't the kiss"
"What kiss?"
For mother"
81 told you 1 would give her kiss"
zone of your own. L want you to
give her one of mine"
''How can do that, stupid?'
81 will give it to you and you can
pass lit ON TO mother"
well, 1 declarer'
Tommy went up to her, put his arm
gently about her waist, drew her to-
ward him and kissed her. Tommy
was eighteen and Molly was sixteen.
She had been adopted by Tommy's
mother because she had no other home.
AS soon as Tommy had given her the
kiss he ran for his hat and coat and
left the house. Ten minutes later his
mother came in.
where's Tommy" she asked.
Gone
"Gone? And without n kissr'
1T troubled him very much, but he
couldn't wait. Why didn't you take
your kiss before you went out?"
Il expected to be back before he left.
I'm very much disappointed"
The mother said 10 more. The kiss
her boy gave her on Monday morning
when he departed usually kept her up
till Saturday evening. when he re
turned. Molly endeavored to tell her
that Tommy had left the kiss with
her, but she was unable to screw up
her courage to do so. Several times
she opened her red lips to speak about
il, but her face grew so hot and her
tongue SO rebellious that she gave it
up. Monday passed. and she had not
given up her commission. Monday
night when she went to bed she firmly
resolved that she would do so the next
morning, but the next morning the
mother was very busy, and Molly
didn't like to interrupt her. So Tues
day went by, and Molly had not acted
In the matter. On Wednesday she ar
gued that. half the week having
elapsed, the mother would only have
three days to wait for Il kiss direct.
Consequently when Tommy arrived on
Saturday night the kiss had not been
delivered. Tommy gave his mother n
good smack, and without mentioning
the kiss he had left for her he sat
down to supper. At . o'clock his moth
er went to bed and left him and Molly
sitting by the table. Tommy was read
ing; Molly was sewing. MOlly's head
was bent low over her work, the unde-
livered kiss being heavy on her mind,
or, rather, on her lips.
Molly" said Tommy, laying down
his book.
"What. Tommy" replied Molly, col
oring.
did you give mother the kissr
"No"
"Why didn't your
IL couldn't
10 hox Tor hot
doesn't belong to you all the week."
What could do with it:'
There is but one thing you can do
now"
whats that?"
"'Give it back to me-
"That wouldn't be right"
do you think it would be right to
keep .t?"
There was II long silence, at the end
of which Molly said: "Wait till to-
morrow. I'll see if / can't give it to
her after church"
at would have only been of use to
her before my return"
''Then if it's worthless it doesn't need
to be returned
at isn't worthless
But you just said it was"
"To mother Since you did not de-
liver it must have ii back"
Another silence, at the end of which
Molly said:
LETS ask your mother what to do
with IT,"
The next evening before the mother
went upstairs to bed Tommy said:
Mother, when 1 went away last
Monday 1 left a kiss with Molly for
you. She didn't give it to you. Now
we should like to have you tell us what