Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-16
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
WAX FIGURE
Of A HERO

to the drawing room and cigars were
brought to the dining table. \ smile
passed over Halstead's face.
That's funny story" he said.
Funny stories. especially about the
first meeting of wives and husbands,
are always interesting"
Il hadn't been out of the Naval acad-
envy year and was as full of nonsense
as the dayI left Annapolis. Our ship
was ordered to the Brooklyn navy yard
for refitting, and, having Il good deal OF
time on my hands. l spent ii in New
York / found the Eden Musee Il good
place to get away with an afternoon
and spent not only one but several
there One day. was in uniform ut
the time, having been ordered on some
official duty in New York connected
with the ship-I strolled into the show
of wax figures along with one of our
fellows. Tom Anderson Tom was on
leave and in multi. We went through
the place and sat on wooden Settee
to rest and watch the people. y friend
of Toms went by, and Tom left me
temporarily TO go to speak to him.
Il noticed that several persons look
ed at Inc scrutinizingly, suspecting that
since 1 was in uniform l might be
wax figure of some great naval hero,
but as soon as they perceived that L
was merely a real live MILDLY they lost
interest in me and passed on. Present
~ / saw coming young girl of six
teen, whose dresses had not been let
down to the length for women. in the
care of n French maid. She was one of
the piquant kind, full OF animation.
This was evidently her first visit to the
show, and she was intensely interested
in everything she saw. She gave me
an inquiring glance, then asked her
maid in French whether l was flesh
and blood or wax. Not getting Il salts
factory reply, she came nearer and
fixed her sparkling black eyes upon me.
"Of course it was a mean thing to do,
but what can you expect from young
ster who has also the disadvantage OF
being u sailor ashore? l looked straight
before me. Tom Anderson was stand
ing at q little distance. talking with his
friend, and saw the girl trying TO make
me out. He smiled and called his
friends attention to the pantomime.
Tom had as much devilti.y in him as |
and was equally culpable. Tipping the
wink TO his companions. he led the way
toward me.
Ibid YOU ever see Admiral Farra-
gut as Il young MANI he said. loud
enough TO be heard by the girl. Here
he is just as he was ut twenty-One.
THE two stood before me while l
stared at vacancy. The girl drew near
to hear all about the great admiral.
was made after photographs taken at
the time
This was such a palpable lie that
found it difficult to retain my gravity.
When Farragut was twenty-one. pho
Biography was unknown. Besides. the
uniform was then very different. But
these facts had no effect on the girl
"'NO one would suppose said Tom,
that the great naval hero could have
been such n miserable looking speci-
men of humanity in his early days.
Look at that nose. Did, you ever see
such n proboscis:'
- think he was very handsome
said the girl to her maid Indignantly.
Then his hands-big enough for a
No 10 glove. And his feet-they'd COW
er the quarter deck of line of battle
ship
THE girl tossed her head and turned
her back on the speaker. How L ever
retained my gravity l don't know.
remember that 1 felt a horror of laugh
ing, for it would have revealed terri
BILE slight upon the young girl. 1 had
already had. enough of the joke and
wished that Tom would go away and
.l,x know
ing how we had fooled her. When she
looked away for moment. gave Tom
an appealing look, which he understood
and drew his friend to another Curl
osity.
LAS soon as they had gone the girl
entered upon an animated dialogue
with her maid, in which the former did
nearly all the talking.
Those men ought to be ashamed of
themselves to talk that way. We've
been studying about Admiral Farragut
at school, and it's n disrespect TO
speak so even about his wax figure. l
think he was lovely
MY heart melted more and more to
my charming defender. and l was be-
dreadfulIy ashamed of my de-
ception. The maintaining of a fixed
position was tiresome, but l would
rather die than reveal myself.
81 don't see,' the girl remarked. |
how it is possible to make wax look so
lifelike. See the color in the cheeks. |
the veins. Those eyes can't be glass. !
il he is wax figure after ALL
'.At this Juncture a fly lighted on my |
nose and made my position intolerable. |
Tho eyirI cama worry mar and axoninpd /
me critically. Then she raised her taper |
finger and touched me on the cheek. |
This was too much. l broke into
smile and said as kindly as l could:
'Mademoiselle, you have made a
mistake
"'Oh. goody graciousv she gasped,
drawing away as from redhot iron.
Il would have apologized, but she |