Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-23
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Spat.
[original.l

singular" he said musingly, "that.I
have never seen this feature of your
character displayed before"
He had never before seen me angry.
l knew what he meant and knew that
/ was on dangerous ground, but this
did not deter me.
my character doesn't seem to suit
you,'' I said haughtily.
mot as 1t at present appears"
every well. Since / don't suit you
there is your ring"
took off my engagement ring and
intended to toss it indifferently on the
table. but irritation put more power
into my arm than was necessary. The
ring ricochetted Chats what he always
calls bound1 and. falling on the floor,
rolled dear knows where.
''As you WILL he said coldly, but 1
don't care to have the ring. 1t is indis-
solubly connected in my mind with you
and could only have n sad influence"
81 can see nothing sad in being re-
minded of one who didn't suit you"
'It would remind me of one as have
always seen her except on this occa-
sion-one 1 have dearly loved"
''Its pity you made such a mistake,
but fortunate that you found me out in
time"
81 certainly would not relish recur-
renee OF such scenes as this
"They would occur daily should you
i'll treat me as you have just done"
eff you can convince me of one act
of ill treatment L will apologize on my
knees"
That's just like man. He must al
ways be getting at the bottom of
things. Instead of coming to me, put
ting his arms about me and telling me
how sorry he was, he must go back to
the beginning and prove by what he
calls logic that am all in the wrong.
shall consent to no such thing.
1T isn't necessary" said, especial
~ since 1 have come to the conclusion
that you wouldn't suit me any better
than 1 would suit you
looked at him to see If my shot
struck home, but he was so impertur-
bable that If he had any feelings he
concealed them perfectly. This turned
the shot into a boomerang. 1t made
me angrier than ever. 1 should have
waited for his reply, but L didn't.
added two words which at the time
seemed very forcible. but which now
seem ridiculous:
"There, now
| 1 turned my back as I spoke so
couldn't see his face. This was a mis-
take. 1t gave him great advantage,
for it was impossible for me to judge
of the real intent of his words.
"Will you kindly give me the mean
ing o. that expression?" he said.
If his tone had not been so cutting,
l would have supposed he was chatting
me- 1 sat down on the corner of the
sofa, with my back still toward him,
and did not deign a reply.
what would become of a husband"
he asked, "whO upon presenting to his
wife some proposition of vital impor-
lance to both should receive a reply
rounded off by those two words? What
a conclusion to an argument
/ neither knew nor cared anything
|
help us to get together again? 1 knew
a trick worth two of that. 1 bent my
head down on the back of the sofa.
moving to such position that he could
see my waist, the waist he had so loved
to encircle. He couldn't see my face
and didn't know whether 1 was crying
or not. l didn't intend he should.
However" he said presently you
have settled the matter by return of
my ring-that is, you flung it on the
table and it rolled in under that brio
a-brac cabinet in the corner. Please
keep it as a memento of my
Former affection"
should have said it mournfully, but
l couldn't 1 was still very angry, the
more so that he wouldn't give me n
chance to make it all up. 1 spoke vim
dictively.
Never mind that. Do you accept
the ring?"
Does gentleman offer a lady q
ring that is lost without finding it for
| her?''
This must have been an argument
] that his stupidity could comprehend,
| for it silenced him for few moments.
Had you handed me the ring in a
| ladylike manner 1 would have found
! it for you. However, l am willing to
do my part in its recovery, but you
know that l am nearsighted and
haven't my glasses with me-
1 didn't believe a word about the
| glasses. 81 don't want the ring"
said. 'I'll find it for you, and you can
give It to some other girl
l got down on my knees in the cor
ner, and he got down on his knees be-
side me. l soon saw the ring, and he