Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-28
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
A Mystery Solved.


ed upon the stage, but he noticed that
il was where there was acting rather
than music. All those in the box with
her We're chatting during the opera,
while she, resting her cheek on her
hand and her arm on the rail, her fig
ure partly covered by curtain, seem
ed TO be absorbed by her own dreams.
The opera was Faust" During the
scene where Mephistopheles and the
nurse are walking in the garden and
Faust and Marguerite are singing their
love she turned her eyes away, ana
they fell on Whittemore in the parquet.
his head turned toward her. his eyes
fixed intensely on hers. She blushed
slightly and looked again at the figures
on the stage.
When the opera was ended and all
rose to 20. WhittemOre was watching
her box. An elderly man put a wrap
around her shoulders, and the others
OF the party We're also getting ready TO
leave. Whittemore watched to see some
OF them speak To her; but. though they
were chatting with each other, no one
said word to her. Then they all went
out, and it seemed as if the electric
lights had been turned off.
Winter passed into summer, and
Whittemore went to the seashore. The
morning after his arrival nj bathing
time he strolled down to the beach.
There. sitting under Il sun umbrella.
was the girl he had seen at the opera.
She was peering far out where the wa
ter and the sky met. and here and
Of ~
ION bespoke Il sail She was alone.
Whittemore would have given worlds
for some one to take him TO her and in
troduce him, but he knew no one there.
He had come to he alone and for rest.
He waited. expecting that some Of her
friends would join her. but they did
not aRd after the bathing she arose
and went away. As she passed him she
started. Evidently she remembered
him.
The next morning he was at the
beach early. watchinS-fcr her. When
she came, ii was with n party of girls
and an elderly man, all in bathing
suits. What symmetry, Her hair. in
stead of being coilcd under one OF
those unbecoming bathing caps. was
streaming down her back. as IL is
sometimes worn by very young girls
while bathing. All the party save her
were talking and laughing. She alone
was quiet. Surely she must have some
sorrow.
The beach was shelving. and few
dared venture beyond the breakers.
The man of the party took the fair one
by the hand and led her beyond their
struggling in the water. The fair one
had gone under. With all his clothes
on Whittemore plunged in and brought
her out.
They stood on the beach, Whittemore
presenting a poor appearance in his
dripping clothes. The fair one looked
at him with an expression so distressed
that he thought she regretted that he
had saved her. Then without a word
OF thanks she turned and ran away to
the bathing house. The man who had
taken her beyond her depth had been
dragged out of the water, and White
more saw him coming toward him.
indignant, turned his
back upon him and walked away. The
next evening he saw the fair one being
driven toward the railroad station. AS
she passed him she regarded him with
the same panied glance.
Winter came again. and Whittemore.
who had detested society for its hOl-
lowness, plunged into the gay world,
hoping that he might meet the girl who
had absorbed his whole being. He APP
peared at teas. receptions, balls: he
went to the opera, to concerts, every
n l.,
At last, at musical entertainment at
the home of one of his most intimate
friends, he saw her, but where? Sit
ting alone in recess. so immersed be-
hind curtains as almost to be indis-
Although he was look
ing for her. when he found her he was
taken completely aback. He stood still
and trembled.
Pardon me-" he said. 81 am per-
mitted to speak to you here under our |
mutual friends roof, but 1 will not |
avail myself of the privilege. Remain |
here for n few minutes, and / will |
bring him TO Introduce me-"
Without waiting for her consent he |
hurried away. found the host and |
brought him to the recess.
1t was empty.
In vain he dragged the man through |
the rooms looking for her She was
not in any of the rooms below. They |
waited in the hall, and presently she
zane down, followed by her maid.
''Ah." said the host. Now l I'M
lerstand. That is Clara Van Cleve, an
orphan. She is deaf mute
Whittemore went home in great dis
ress. He was desperately in love. but
ne was practical man and considered
what it would be to be tied TO one upon
whom there was such Il blight. For
week he suffered torture. then made
I'D his mindsthat to 20 on through life
without her would be worse
han suffering with her. Then he spent
'ome time studying the deaf mute sign
language. This mastered. without call
ng in any one as a go between he |