Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-31
DAILY SHORT STORY
An Odd AffiIiation.
IOriginal.l

husband TO get one or his men 1rlehuS
to come and dine with them, but Dick
Ramsey was a man of the world who
knew when his matrimonial affairs
were in good condition and preferred
to let we'll enough alone. Not that he
didn't trust his wife implicitly. He
simply didn't propose to go out of his
way to bring about complications.
One evening while the Ramseys were
''out'' Mrs. Ramsey was introduced to
a widow with whom she fell desperate
ly in love at first sight.
"Oh, Dickr' she said. give met the
loveliest woman in the world. Shes
taken the third house from us up the
street. I'm going to call on her, and
she's promised to come in often, play
whist, pingpong, anything we like.
Wen have a delightful winterP'
That's very nice. Is dinner ready"
''Just like a man-no enthusiasm
about anything except something to
eat!' replied the wife, disappointed.
Mrs. Ramsey called on the widow,
and within a week the widow returned
the call. Then Mrs. Ramsey invited
her to come in to spend an evening.
She made herself very agreeable; in
deed she professed all the friendliness
that could be desired. When she was
ready to go home Mr.. Ramsey escorted
her
The widow invited the Ramseys to
make her an evening visit to play
whist and had a gentleman in to make
up the set. The gentleman was TO play
with Mrs Ramsey, and he did. He
Alt % l.,
to her, but Mrs. Ramsey didn't care
for his attentions. However, when
the widow took Mr.. Ramsey off to her
aviary to show him her birds the wife
was obliged to content herself with
the stranger.
The situation about Christmas time
was this:
The widow was very much with Mr..
Ramsey. The utilization between the
three was the talk of the town. \ rel
alive OF Mrs. Ramsey was bold enough
to speak to her about the matter, and
the wife declared that she was perfect
ly at ease as to the intimacy between
her husband and the widow.
However, Mrs. Ramsey grew nerv-
Gus, excitable, pale, and when alone
truth is, she hated the widow as bit
terly as she had loved her. But the
more she hated her the more she
raved about her beauty, her w.t. her
humor or her many attractive ways.
No one dared speak against the wild
Ow in Mrs. Ramsey's presence, and
whenever the husband and the mutual
friend were most together the wife
seemed most called upon to sound her
rivals praises.
AS for Dick Ramsey, he was one of
those imperturbable, reticent fellows
who keep their own counsel. He new
er spoke of the widow in company,
leaving Mrs. Ramsey to sound sufti-
cient praises for both. Seeing that his
wife's health was becoming impaired.
he proposed a sea trip to Cuba. Mrs.
Ramsey yielded, then astonished her
husband by inviting the widow to be
of the party. The widow accepted,
suggesting that it would be pleasant
to take along the gentleman who had
played whist with them. But Mrs.
Ramsey declined to invite him.
Mr.. Ramsey, though surprised at this
move of his wife, made no comment.
However, during. the voyage he man
aged matters so that Mrs. Ramsey was
not left alone; the three were constant
~ together.
When the party returned, Mrs. Ram
sey was no better. Indeed, she was
worse. She declined to own that she
was i'll, and to speak to her on the sub
ject of her health was as dangerous
as TO decry the rival in her presence.
The thinner, more wan Mrs. Ramsey
became the heartier grew the widow.
Evil disposed persons said that the
widow was a vampire drawing the life
blood from the wife whose husband
she was drawing at the same time. At
Easter Mrs. Ramsey was little more
than skin and bone. Her husband was
very anxious about her and asked his
doctor what he should do.
Take her on Il trip
1--WE done that
''Do it again, and this time go with
her alone"
Ramsey went to his wife and told her
that he was making arrangements to
take her to Europe. She consented, but
the same evening Ramsey saw a note
on his wife's dressing case addressed
to the widow. At the same moment his
wife came in.
Mary" he said, 81 don't want to
pry into your affairs, but does that
note contain an invitation to that ours
ed woman to join us on this trip?"
Cursed woman?"
Eyes. Ever since you became infat-
uated with her last autumn she has
been the bane of my existence. She
has palaveFed over me, and I. not dar-
ing to give you my opinion of her,
have withstOod her constant efforts to
get me into her clutches. 1 can stand
it no longer. You are ill, and l be
lieve the woman's influence over you
has something to do with your illness.
beseech you TO go alone with me and
get rid OF her.
While Dick Ramsey was speaking
his wife stood looking at him in aston
81, L. 4 Il