Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-26
DAILY SHORT STORY
Two and a Plum Tree.

They had been standing beneath the
plum tree when they quarreled, or,
rather, when they parted.
They had set out for the plum tree
with the full intention of gathering the
great purple damsons which weighted
its branches, but when finally they
stood in the long shadow which the
tree made in the afternoon sun dam
sons were the last things in the world
of which they thought.
Betty, scarlet 10 the roots of her cop
per colOred hair, withdrew all censor
ship from her tongue and said things
which she would have Indignantly dis
claimed had any one repeated them to
her an hour later. Jerrold listened
silently, but III his eyes was Il strange
look which she had never seen before.
When in the midst of the TRADE she
paused for breath, he had turned sud
denly on his heel, and with u curt
''gOOdby" cast over his shoulder
as Il bone would be thrown to q stray
dog, Betty thought-he had vaulted the
low fence and gone wrathfully across
the pasture.
scrub oak hid him from view Then
she sat down with her back against
the trunk of the plum tree and thought
it all over. AS she thought angry
tears came to her eyes, coursed down
her cheeks and splashed impudentIy
on the hands clasDed tightly in her lap.
She sat there until the shadow of the
tree had reached the fence, and the
breeze coming in from the water made
her shiver. She rose and turned her
face toward the scrub oaks behind
which he haG disappeared
You left rather abruptly. Mr.. Jer-
rold Neil" she said between her white
teeth, land you may stay away as
long as you please. You're hardly
worth crying over" she added as she
brushed away her tears.
Neil next morning sat on the veran-
da of the casino, Solemnly rolling and
smoking innumerabIe cigarettes, which
utterly failed to bring him the peace
of mind he sought Catboats with
trim white sails were darting TO and
fro in the bay, and each one suggested
the joys of a morning sail with Betty.
But the memory of the parting at the
y wretched hour dragged past. and
he gave up his vain attempts to inter
est himself in the columns of the morn
ing paper He flung away his ciga-
rette and, getting to his feet. strolled
down the gravel path.
I'm a fool" lie unused, land brute.
1 needn't have left her in that fashion.
BY George, I'll go over to the plum
tree and get some of those damsons.
III send 'em up to her by Tom. She'll
understand"
Mr.. Jerrold Neil strobe across the
fields whistling gay aria. He emerged
from the clump of scrub oak in the
pasture and made straight for the
plum tree As he spied the tree one
note of the aria was prolonged into
whistle of surprise. Against the base
of the tree was a stepladder, and
among the branches he caught mo-
mentary flash of white muslin. Then
he resumed the aria, quite as if this
delightful bit of information had not
been vouchsafed to him.
He took down the stepladder, folded
it up and calmly sat down on it. Some
thing suspiciOusly like a gasp of dis
may came from the branches above his
head, but to this he gave no heed.
With his chin in his palm he sat on
the stepladder and sighed ponderously
before he began to muse aloud.
'''Tis strange" said Mr.. Jerrold Neil
beneath the plum tree" tbs passing
strange how the human heart will al
ways seek the scenes of it's aff1iction.
1t was here we quarreled'-another
sigh. "She said-O Lord, what didn't
she say? If I'm all she made me out
she's wen done with me'-sighs ad
libitum.
He drew out pipe and filed and
lighted it. BY vigorous pulling he
managed to send quite Il respectable
cloud of smoke up among the branches.
a little choking cough rewarded his
efforts. and it was with difficulty that
he restrained chuckle. Presently a
wee. small voice crept down from the
branches:
Mr.. Neil,'
Neil started violently.
"Ah." he said. my trouble has
brought on Authorizations! Methought
1 heard my own name. Twas Betty's
voice, but far too small and weak"
Mr.. Neil.' This time the voice was
loId and clear.
There it goes again. cried Neil. |
"Surely Betty's, yet she always called |
me Jerry, with such pretty accent"
Jerry, you-you wretchv' came the |
voice. accented to the queens taste.
"Oho!" said Neil. $50 it's really you, |
eh?"
"Yes-no. Don't look up. Jerry, |