Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-04
DAILY SHORT STORY
Didn't Wish to See 1t Again.
nOnDfnaI.1


period of cooling was one OF storms,
though the storms always tcame from
the girls side, never FRONT the mans.
He was self controlled and atJtimes
tantalizing. Had he igivent wayNto his
temper as she did peEhapsj theirl quar-
rels WOULD have been ,of shorter dura-
ton. They would have fought TO a
finish. kissed and made up. AS IT was,
the more unreasonableis she became the
more c0olly irritating her lover.
THAT ends it, she said, with fam
ing cheeks and flashing teyes. Il don't
wish ever to see you again" She took
off her engagement ring and threw ut
on a table. when we(meet againt it
will be as strangers"
Don't you think it wOlld excites less
comment on the part Of our friends If
we appeared simply indiHerent?'
Il prefer they should know that /
have sent you away"
You don't need to ten the whole
world what you simply. intend for
Wardwell."
''Mr. Wardwell would never have
treated me as you have"
"ShaIl 1 tell him we're off? 1t would
expedite matters"
"Thank you. When wish to send a
message to Mr.. WardweIl 1 will find a
more trustworthy messenger"
She seated herself on a divan, her
back propped with a profusion of fancy
pillows, and, taking up a book, pre-
tended to read.
"What shall we do tomorrow evening
at the Stuarts'?'' he asked. "Of course
you will be scheduled to me to take in
to dinner"
She dropped her book in her lap and
thought. ST shall tell Mrs. Stuart" she
said at last, that our engagement is
broken
"What reason will you give?"
THAT you have shown yourself IN
worthy of me-
Wouldn't that sound a trihe egotis-
teal? 1 would express it this way:
Walter is a brute That would con-
tain a great deal about me and not
make it appear that you deserve par
agon."
81 didn't imply that deserved par
agon," she snapped.
But you do. You need a man with
an imperturbable disposition, the pa
thence of Job, the meekness of Moses"
Her antagonism blazed anew. "That
is your mean way of saying I'm Jeze-
bel 1 wish you would go away.
told you 1 don't want ever to see you
again.
"As you wish. I suppose I'm not to
call for you to go to the Stuarts'?'
Instead of going away he lighted a
cigar and sat down in an easy chair
directly under a gas bracket where she
could best see him.
GAS to that" she said after delibera-
ton, 81 suppose it would be embar-
RAISING to show so sudden a break be-
fore announcing that our engagement
is broken. You might take me there
and pay me just enough attention to
prevent remark"
But 1 can't do that without your
seeing me again."
81 don't wish to see you again. It is
n necessity that interferes with my in
clination.'
"HOw would it do for me to call for
you in two carriages. one for you, the
other for me? Before handing you in
at the Stuarts' could put on a mask,
then take you to the door and leave
you. You could tell the hostess that 1
brought you to the house and, being
taken suddenly i'll, was obliged to go
home"
There was no reply to this ingenious
plan till he added, what do you think
of that?' Then she said that he talk.
ed like FOOL
"But I'm trying to invent some plan
by which 1 can prevent knowledge of
this break from reaching our friends
and at the same time avoid the neces-
slty of your ever seeing me again.
Now, how would 1t do
az wish you would go away. I'm
tired of your silly talk"
81 will as soon as we solve the prob
lem. How would it do to let Wardwell
into the secret and have him take you
to the Stuarts'. first going to q man
who makes up people for the stage
and have him paint Wardwell to look
like me? My nose is much longer than
WardwelFs, and his could be pieced
out. His ears are about the length of
mine, indicating that one is about as
big an ass as the other
stop! 1 will not listen to such in
suits"
"Where the insult?"
"You indicated that you are both
fools in wanting
1.-THE same girl. Certainly, where
there are plenty of girls to 60 round"
'Will you leave meP'
His head was thrown back on the
cushion of the chair. his cigar pointing
upward, his legs extended, the picture
Of Incidence. Suddenly something
snapped above him. and n piece of hot
glass, a fragment of a gas shade, fell
directly on his nose. cutting a cash
from which the blood ran over his face.
'Walteri Oh, heavens! Speak to
dearie! Tell me you're not killed. oh.
what shall do?'
IF you'd get bowl of cold water
and cloth think it might help mat
ters''
She was out of the room in moment
and back in another moment with what
he needed. His face and shirt front