Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-15
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Glamour of Love
lOriginal.l

the evening feacneu the ocean
House. and we were members of a
party to go to the beach by moonlight.
CristObel had pair of brown eyes
with which she looked at me in way
that showed she was greatly pleased
with me. In the soft moonlight it
struck me that she was very beauti-
full. There was ripple of chat from
those about us, n FLASHING of the
breakers on the beach, slender girl
beside me, and L was supremely happy.
The next day we all bathed, and nat
urally / expected CristObel to avail
herself of my assistance. She stood on
the beach q moment before going into
the water, and, though she had on
becoming bathing suit, she did not look
as beautiful as the evening before.
Her figure was somewhat angular, and
her complexion in the sunlight was not
what it had been in the moonlight.
John Caldwell, a man of forty, stepped
up to her, and as she looked at him l
saw the same satisfaction in her eyes
l had noticed in my own case. He
gave her his hand, and they were soon
merrily rising and falling with the
waves. had very slow time. Every
minute | was watching CriStobel
In the evening when l met Cristobel
on the piazza L was sulky. She noticed
it and asked me what was the matter.
but without waiting for reply started
for the beach, short distance from
the hotel. OF course L followed her,
and it was not long before l showed
her that l was jealous of John Cald-
well.
Mr. Caldwellr' she exclaimed. why.
he's old enough to be my father"
This comforted me, though 1 remem-
bered that was but six years younger
than Caldwell. Cristobel and l sat in
the moonlight till o'clock, and,
though it was but the second day of
our acquaintance, l was making love
to her. She was very easy to make
love to. Indeed she seemed to draw ii
out of Inc irrespective of my own Volt
ton. Before we parted L had been
transported to heaven by n kiss.
Hearing the music at the hotel, she
proposed to go back and have Il dance.
We waltZed once and separated. Not
being in n mood to enjoy the society of
any one else, sat on the piazza smok-
ing and thinking of my new found
love- Then | went down to the place
where we had been sitting. 1t was oc-
cupied by another couple. l was turn
ing away when | recognized John
Caldwelrs voice, followed by CristO-
bells laugh.
The next morning when we all start
ed to battle l was very cool to Cristo-
bel, but she made no scruple of joining
me and good naturally bantered me on
being what she called so cross" By
the time we were ready to go into the
water she had succeeded il bringing
back my good humor. and l assisted
her in bathing. There We're splendid
broad pillows rolling in over gently
inclined beach before breaking, ana
the eXhilaration was delightful. Girls
tobel was as excited as child. "She
is a child,' / said. How stupid of me
not to give her the leeway of Il child.
And vet how delicious to he loved by
one so innocentr'
If there is any time when it is impos-
sible for n woman TO look attractive, it
is when she is leaving the water. And
vet as 1 watched Cristobel going to the
bathhouse it seemed to me she had the
figure of sprite.
When Cristobel left us, she was not
enga ged to me or to John Caldwell,
though in comparing notes afterward
we discovered that she had fooled us
both. She went abroad and stayed
away three years. When she returned.
heard of her at the seaShore and con-
cluded, largely from curiosity, to run
down and meet her.
Perhaps the circumstances under
which l met her this second time were
unfavorable. AT any rate, l was very
much shocked at the change in her.
Was It in her or in me? Had not the
glamour been worn away? Not finding
her in the hotel on my arrival.
strolled down to the beach. 1t was the
bathing hour, and a hundred people
were in the water. Presently a long,
thin, bony looking girl with spindle
shanks emerged and came walking up
the sand toward me.
"There is q woman" l remarked to
myself, 'who should never show her
self in bathing clothes. She looks like
drowned grasshopper."
The girl came on and when within
few yards of me threw up her hands
and exclaimed:
"Well, upon my word! Where did
you spring from?"
Aloud 1 replied: Delighted to meet
you again. How well you are looking"
Inwardly, exclaimed: "Great heav-
EN- Is this Cristobal?"
We met in the evening on the piazza.
She had put on her finest dress and
when 1 Joined her received me with
her most winning smile. Alas. her
cheek was bony and her complexion
that of quadroon! Her voice, which
three years before had sounded so
melodious to me, was harsh. Perhaps
there was still some magnetism in the
eyes, but the other features were so
faulty that these alone did not move
me. Really she was but little altered
1t was who saw through other eyes.