Rock Island Argus., 1903-10-12
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Labor Day Romance.
IOriginal.l

ian Wyman. Marian and her mother
possessed just enough income TO ena-
BILE them to move in the best society, to
belong to the country club and to re-
turn their invitations by an occasional
afternoon tea.
Atwater, during July and August,
had been fitting about very much to
his own liking and very much to the
distress of Marian Wyman, who looked
upon his freedom as she would upon
that of an escaped canary, thinking
that he might at any time be shared
by some impecuniouS fortune hunter.
She breathed more freely when he re-
turned to his home and spent his time
with her either on her piazza or on
that of the club. This 1t must be ad-
mitted was because most of those with
whom he was intimate were still in
the country.
Miss Wyman had not discovered the
art of pleasing a man. She made the
fatal mistake of attempting to make
herself pleasing, whereas she should
have made the man pleasing, not to
her, but to himself. She overran her
slender income by buying articles of
dress she could not afford; she sought
to convince Atwater of her common
sense. her prudence, her with short,
all the accomplishments that may be
considered desirable in a wife.
At this tail end of the outing season
that is. for people of moderate in
cOmes-during the short period prior
to Atwater's departure for his hunting
club, Miss Wyman was very much put
out by the appearance of a country
cousin, Miss Lucy Trimble. The Wy
mans were under pecuniary obliga-
tiOns TO Miss Trimble's father, Mrs.
Wyman'S brother, for q temporary
loan which was now of five years
standing, and invited Lucy to be with
them for a fortnight's annual visit in
lieu of interest. She had been invited
for the last two weeks in July, when
no one was at home, but for some rea-
son had deferred her visit till the 1st
of September. Her coming halved the
hours Miss Wyman could spend with
Mr.. Atwater because she knew he
would not countenance her showing
aside q guest
What was deficient as an art in the
one was present naturally in the other
Lucy Trimble had never met so grand
q man as Atwater. She sat in his
presence like the timid little mouse
she was, her eyes fixed on him in ad-
miration and wonder. He never made
q remark but she fancied it must con-
tain something of profundity. She did
not talk to him, but listened with the
deepest interest to what he said, her
only remarks being sincere expressions
of admiration for his learning, his YER
satility. Atwater had been looking all
his life for some one to appreciate him
as he appreciated himself. Here was
a simple country girl who not only had
discovered what others had failed to
discover, but was sufficiently ingenu-
Gus not to be able to conceal her ap-
probation for him.
"Oh, Mr.. Atwater," she said, ''you
ought to be ashamed of yourself to be
content with society and hunting when
you would so shine In any profession!
Who knows but you might be presi-
dent?'
Atwater laughed, but he was delight
ed. He had often thought of taking
up politics, but refrained from doing
so because the country gentlemen of
America do not run for congress as
those of Great Britain stand for par
lament. He was delighted with Miss
Trimble and considered how he could
repay her for her appreciation.
81 have it," he said after n great
deal of thought 'Ill invite Mrs. Wy
man and Marian and this little chicken
to go down to the seashore for over
Labor day. I'll ask my chum, Bob
Allison, to be of the party to make it
even between us young ones, while
Mrs. Wyman can be chaperon."
From Friday afternoon till Wednes-
day morning the party enjoyed bath
ing, lounging on the beach, hops, and
Lucy Trimble, who had never seen
the sea, was simply delighted.
The outing was ended. The party
were at the station waiting for the
last train to go to the city that day or
the party would have waited for q
later one. Suddenly Lucy Trimble put
her hand to her belt and announced
that she had left her watch at the bo-
tel. There remained fifteen minutes
before train time, and Atwater offered
to go and get the watch. Lucy de-
clared that she alone could find it. The
two went together. They found the
watch and started to return to the sta
ton. The train came along and the
others, seeing them within n short dis
tance, got aboard. The train moved
out and the party waited expecting to
see the two missing ones come in from
the last car. When some time had |
passed and they did not appear Miss |
Wyman suggested to Mr.. Allison that |
he had better go back and see if they |
had got on. To this Mr.. Allison de- |
INJURED, stating that he did not pro- |
pose to interrupt a tete-a-tete. When |
the train reached the city it was dis |
covered that the missing ones were not |
aboard. Mrs. Wyman proposed to re-
turn. but there was no train to go on |
till morning.
OF course when Mr.. Atwater and |
Lucy TrimbIe returned they were man
and wife. There could be no other re-
suit without the girls disgrace Mrs |