Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-31
DAILY SHORT STORY
Incorrigible.
rOriginaI.l

Ofiicer-How came you hereT /
| thought you We're abroad.
Lady-And l supposed you were in
the Philippines.
Officer docking at her admiringly)-
| The same feminine figure. the same in
nOcent eyes,
Lady-Where was it we last met?
| Officer-Have you forgotten?
Lady-At the graduating hop?
Ofiicer-After the graduating hop. 1
took you home. 1t was moonlight.
| Lady-Was there a moon?
Ohicer-A full moon. 1t stood mid
way between the horizon and the meri-
| dian. To the east the hills were black
over the bosom of the river the moon
| light sLimnered. lighting up the noun
tainS to the west. The air was still.
Lady-It seems to me / remember
There was moon.
Officer (softly)-I can feel now the
thrill that ran through my arm as your
hand rested upon it.
Lady-And II remember what you
said to me; no, what you didn't say to
me.
Officer-And your replies, All, if
they had only been sincere!
replies from n woman when he is en-
gagged to three others at the same
time?
Officer q wendolen, you wrong me.
That was mere play. l would have
been transported ut one real engage
ment to fourth. But she would not.
I.ady-Because she could not.
Officer-Could not?
LadyZShe would have been = fool to
trust you.
Officer-There is fallacy that takes
it's name from Il toy called the thau-
matrope. Il card with u picture of a bird
on one side and cage on the other. BY
turning the card rapidly the bird is
made to appear in the cage BY such
Il process you
LADY, put you into a cage?
Officer-By such process
Lady-YOu were too wise Il bird. You
of all men TO talk like this. l gave you
all the response your words deserved.
Officer-I deserved? Why. Gwendo-
len. was as putty in your hands.
Lady-Putty hardens very quickly.
Officer-So does Il wOman'S heart on
occasion.
I.ady-You men, whose game is war,
who slaughter each other. what do you
know of a woman's heart? What to
you is Il wound to n woman's very
soul: Less exciting than golf, more so
than pingpOng.
Gwendolen, had l believed
why did you not
Lady-Display my feelings like the
garrison flag which is saluted by the
boom of cannon?
Officer-Gwendolen, 1 swear on the
honor OF an officer
Lady-Which in all things save love
is of the highest order and in love not
worth that. Snaps her fingerSl
Oficer-What need for honor where
the heart is enlisted? oh. GwendOlen,
many night | have sat on the parapet
while the mOOn-the moon that looked
down OH US so softly that night-shone
on the incoming waves
Lady - Playing your guitar to the
colOneIs daughter.
officer Gmpatiently) - Gwendolen,
enough of this. Answer me-are you
still free?
Lady-Oh, go on about the moon
shine. It's delightful
Officer-You are laughing at me as
you did before. You cannot now; you
shall not. We are older; we are bet
ter
Lady-Better? Yen at least could not
be worse
Officer-Better or worse, for five
years 1 have been true to one love.
Lady-Now 1 remember. There was
n blue eyed. blond haired girl at the |
Point that summer. dainty creature.
whose voice was as soft as her eyes. l |
confess she was lovely. | caught sight |
one morning of your cadet gray and |
her robins egg blue winding up to
Fort Peet. Well, I'm glad you've been |
true to her.
Characterization, l swear to you |
(Enter gentleman. with lady. They |
approach the officer, his face turned |
from them. officer. hearing footsteps, |
turns.D
Lady Ito entering gentIemanj-John,l
this is my old friend. Captain Duncan |
Webb. Captain Webb. my husband
Captain Webb-Well. upon my word. |
Married? Go the entering LADY, Edith,
this is my very dear friend. Gwendolen |
Swan, now Mrs
Lady Pope-Plain Mrs. Pope, wife of
n civilian.
Captain Webb-When did you two
meet? Mr.. Pope. l congratulate you
upon having shared so wild a bird
How did you manage it:
Mr.. Pope wendolen. is this the for
mer cadet you have told me about?
The one whom
Mrs. Pope-The same-exactly the
same, with no Improvement. Go Cap
tain Webb 1 recognize in your wife
the blue eyed beauty we were just
speaking of. After all, you could be
serious and true as we'll.
Mr.. Pope-COme away. Mrs Webb.
These two are incorrigible; flint against
flint: to meet is to strike fire I dare
say they HEena at IL when We came I'M |