Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-27
GOriginaI.l

L doubt II any woman can be char
liable to another woman"
Il can. When there is an opportuni-
ty, will show you
Would you forgive a girl for permit
ting me to kiss her without my being
engaged to herr
Il would not forgive you if you did"
'WeI turned. Why would you not
forgive meg"
The man is the stronger. He should
not take advantage of woman's weak
ness. Whom have you been SHINING
WITH"
IF 1 should give you her name, I
would be doubly guilty"
"a girl wig would SO demean herself
would not care
Don't blame her. You have just said
that you can be charitable
To this the only reply was a brief
silence
Il suppose" she said presently, you
can tell me what sort of a looking
thing she was
Thing? She was more than a thing.
She was Il human being with Titan
hair, brown eyes and skin white as
milk
You mean she was a redheaded girl
with challly complexion"
ON the contrary. she was very pref
ty."
what were the circumstances lead
ing up to-
The kiss? oh, that GANG about
very naturally. If you had seen it all,
you wouldn't blame her.
Il do blame her"
But you said that when there came
an opportunity you would show me
that you could be charitable"
Charity begins
AT homer
a slight color came to her cheek and
a mild flash to her eye at the asper-
sion.
'When the sin is confessed and the
sinner is penitent. But tell me more
about this bold jade"
''She was gentle, confiding. Her
voice was soft and sweet. So inno-
cent was she that she did not wait for
me to kiss her; but, throwing her white
arms around my neck, she kissed me-"
The horrid thing"'
There was 4 long silence. Aleen sat
down ON the beach and began to punch
the SaDu with nef l)3f0SOl.
You are offended at me-" 1 said,
seating myself beside her.
Il am hurt that l should have be-
slowed my friendship on such a tri-
fer. When did this disgraceful cpl
sOde take placer"
Last evening""
'Where?"
Every near where we are sitting"
saw Il spark of sunlight refracted
from her eye by n tear. There was no
installing it.
"Aleen,'' said, forgive me-"
you have treated me shamefully."
"Aleen, no one in the wide world
save you
The time for words had passed, and
it was fortunate that there was some
thing besides words crowding in to
take their PLACE. l put my arm about
her waist, drew her toward me and
kissed her.
\ burst of merry laughter from be- |
hind, child's arms about my neck, a |
rosy mouth against my check!
"AIeen,'' 1 said, this is the thing
the 'redheaded girl with chalky COM |
pleXion.' the sinner who kissed me. |
She has offended again.
Aleen rose and without a word |
walked away and crossed the board |
walk. and in a few minutes her re-
treating figure was lost within the por
tails of the hotel.
'Is she mad?" asked my little friend.
Mad doesn't express it. Can't you
find a word in your child's vocabulary
that will better describe her condi-
tion?"
what did you do?"
1 had drawn her on to bitterly con-
denim a woman who would receive n
kiss from man to whom she was not |
engaged and then kissed her myself.
81 have acted very badly" 1 said to |
the child, land am heartily ashamed of |
myself. 1 wish you would go to her !
for me and tell her So"
1 took her hand in mine and led her |
to the hotel. Since it was her bedtime |
and I preferred that Aleen's anger |
should have time to cool deferred the |
till the next morning, but the |
next morning Aliens mother an
nounced that her daughter was indis- |
posed and would keep to her room.
Toward evening a cold wind came |
up. and the guests of the hotel occu- |
pied the drawing room. Aleen sat |
reading at the other end from where L |
was. She did not deign to look up at |
me- though 1 was quite sure she knew |
1 was in the room. My little friend |
came in and babe me good night.
eco tell Miss Aleen," l said to her, |
''that you have taken back the kiss you |
gave me yesterday and wish to give it |
TO her"
She danced off to Aleen, who looked |
from her book when she came up, and |
1 saw that the messenger spoke. Then
for the first time in twenty-four hours |
1 saw Aleen's face break into a smile |
She did not look at me, but took the
child in her arms.
Later Aleen put down her book and