Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
Douglas.
(Original.1

herself away by asking| me to play
accompaniments for her and insisted
| on singing:
Oh won't you come black Ime. Douglas.
Douglas, tender anditrue?
did not mind it at first, but when l
found that she could never go to the
piano without wanting to sing the
Douglas song l tired of 1t. Finally,
one misty evening when she appeared
more than usually depressed after the
invitation to Douglas to come back to
her, she-weIl. she wept wept with me,
an able bodied. fairly attractive man
present to entertain, amuse, interest
her wished that Douglas would
come back and remain long enough in
the grounds for me to go out and
punch his head.
l finally intimated that this Douglas
business was growing .tirRsome, think
ing she would mend her ways. What
was my surprise when she SOrrowed
more for Douglas than ever. Besides,
she seemed hurt, if not offended, that
l should take so matter of fact view
of what she called ''tepder associa-
| tions," aud refused to allow me TO play
the accompaniment again, playing 1t
herself and stumbling at every note.
Something must be done. Two weeks
once a year are too short to be spoiled
by such nonsense, and resolved on
stroke. One evening, after she had
walled the usual plaint to Douglas,
went to the piano, and after few
melancholy chords sang:
o Mary. dear. departed shade.
Whore is thy place OF blfssful rest?
See'st thou thy lover lowlytlaid?
Hearst thou the groans that rend his
breast?
arose from the piano and went and
sat in a dark corner fOrIawhile, then
rejoined Marcella.
Don't you think" L, said, signing,
chat anniversaries are,very sad?"
very she replied. not sympathet-
icalIy l thought.
Nothing more so,"I sighed again.
al supposed you toIbe a bachelor. 1t
appears that you AREA widOwer"
How did you find(that out?'
by your singing Burns beautiful
lament to his wife solfeelingly.'
Gam l to consider you widow be-
cause you are pining for Douglas?'
She got up and went into the house.
The next day WAS Saturday, and the
usual overflow from the city was eX-
pected. Marcella looked troubled.
"What's the matterT' l asked.
Douglas moved farther away"
She bit her lip. I,didn't know then
why. but 1 found out before long.
Without any reply 'she went into the
house.
In the afternoon when the express
Il
with the crowd who should come but
Douglas.
Well, upon my word. and this is
douglas, tender and true'-a pudgy,
fat. knOckkneed little man who slut
tered.
1 would have supposed that Marcella
would have met him. Not so. She did
not appear OH the piazza, and at dinner
time had headache. The next morn
ing / haw her trying to steal through
the hall to get away to the woods. but
Douglas was watching for her, and 1
saw him approach with the air of an
old friend, if nothing more. Marcella.
who saw that l was a witness to the
meeting. blushed violently, made few
incOherent replies to his tender re-
marks and q dash for cover. Douglas
looked puzzled.
There was little seen of Marcella the
Monday after Douglas had departed on
the early morning train. The same
evening she sat in an obscure corner
of the parlor with q novel. / went to
the piano and sang
Won't you come back to me, Douglas,
Douglas, tender and true?
/ sang the whole song over twice.
then walked out on to the piazza. 1t
wasn't long before 1 heard few SOM
Der chords, followed by
Mary. dear. departed shade.
Where is thy place of blissful rest?
1 couldn't understand what had led
the girl to play such u game. 1 went
to n good friend of mine, married
woman of mature years and with a
knowledge of the world, told her of the
episode and asked her opinion
"She undertook to get you," was the
reply.
Howl
by playing the man Douglas off on
you"
do you think that a high grade way
of getting a husband?"
you men can't be reached by any
high grade means. Women have to
give you what you are fitted for
"DO you mean to say that could be
won by any such ignoble meansT
'Of course you can and are. You're
in love with Marcella-so plainly in
love that everybody in the house has
noticed it,
l went out and Joined Marcella.
Douglas coming back soon?' 1 ask
ed.
'He Is coming back with Mary"
"Oh, perhaps it will be as well i'm
order to avoid embarrassments that be-
fore they come we should have an
understanding. 1t will save disappoint-
ment, remark and all unpleasantness.
Will you take a stroll?"
A few days later when / announced
to my mentor that Marcella and /