Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Love Game.
loriginaI.l

--IOm AiilSOn, BOD urnlee anu my
self. We are forever chatting one an
other, poking fun. ridiculing, abusing
IN short, doing everything but pralS-
ing. At times Tom and Bob will unite
to hammer me numerically; then 1t
will be Tom and against Bob or Bob
and l against Tom.
When Lydia first saw us together,
she held her breath, expecting to see
me land blow plumb between Toms
eyes. Then she expected to see Tom
pick up poker and brain me. But
when the process was repeated be-
tween Tom and Bob she began to won
der what it all meant Finally she be-
came fascinated with 1t.
I'm going to try it with Mae" she
said to me.
Better not. Women won't stand
that sort of thing" l said to her.
I'D like to know why. They can
stand. 1t just as well as men-that is,
If they want to-
That's 1t exactly; they don't want
to-" iot
II shall explain it all to Mae;>then
we'll begin.'
you'll lose your friend. I tell you
what you do. Begin with a man. Spe-
cialists gbing in for a dangerous ex-
pertinent first try 1t on a dog. 1 will
be your dog in this instance"
You don't seem to have a very high
opinion OF yourself
Never mind that. You wish to be
on what will call abusive terms with
very dear friend. After you have
proved that you can stand such treat
ment yourself it will be time enough
to try 1T on Mae. When shall we be-
ginY'
"Now"
every well; now IT is. We will play
q rubber of pingpong. 1 will treat you
exactly as l do Tom and Bob. If 1
offend you during two games, you give
up your attempt with Mae"
She accepted the terms and we went
to the table. She served the ball. At
the first serve it struck the line be-
tween the courts.
''Get that squint out of your eye" 1
remarked, land put the ball in the
court"
could see the blood mount to her
cheek, but, with a spasmodic effort, she
controlled herself and gave me the
next ball properly. 1 am very expert
at pingpong; when 1 returned it land
ed it in her eye.
''You did that on purpose" she said
hotly.
"Of course did, and I'll do 1t again
IL you give me another such ball.
That's not your side of the table. Stand
on the other side"
She darted an angry glance at me,
but bethought herself, and, biting her
| lip, proceeded with the game. We had
number of spirited returns, and at
last she missed the ball and 1t rolled
under a sofa. She waited for me to
get it. Since / was playing with Il
woman and it was only in words that
1 was to treat her as a man. L com
piled. But l gave the usual grumble,
IF you can't do any better than that,
I'll send a balloon at you"
Again she bit her lip, but said moth
ing except to count, making mistake.
"Fifteen-love."
"See here" / said, laying my racket
on the table. "If you can't win the
game by fair count, you'd better give
| it up
81 meant love-fifteen; you know
very we'll 1 did. You're trying to ag-
gravate me. I'll aggravate you and
see how you like it."
She served the ball viciously, and it
fell clear of the table.
There you-you horrid thing!"
'"That's fine repartee. You'd make
good end man at a minstrel show
BY this time her eye shone with sup
pressed anger, and her cheeks were
| flaming. The game had only been be-
gun, and considered it ungenerous to
push her too hard, so 1 let her alone
till we stood forty-deuce; then began
a little prodding. She had very lugu-
brious look on her face, partly from
anger and partly from injured limo
cence.
Come, Mrs. Dismal" 1 said. "Why
don't you weep few tears? They'd
blind your eyes and give me the game"
81 don't care. You're acting horri-
bly,. 1 never heard you talk this way
before, even to Tom or Bob
"Well, now, l like that. This would
be peaches and cream to either of 'em.
Vantage out!'
She was so clustered that she missed,
though bad put the ball in the center
of her court.
"That was foulr she exclaimed.
ooh, you plead the baby act, do you?'
| Nothing of the kind! l say 1t was
a foul ball.
"WeIl, call 1t off. Well call 'em all
off except those that strike your racket.
You'd better ram the handle in your
hair and go to sleep. I'll send the ball
against it and do your playing for
you"
This can hardly be called feather,
but it broke the camePs back" She
threw down her racket, put her hands
to her eyes, and, going to a sofa, buried
her face in a pillow. 1t ended the
game which was to decide whether a
woman could stand mans treatment
of a man. 1t was the end of another