Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-13
DAILY SHORT STORY
AN ILLUSION.
[Original.1

would marry some girl with nothing to
recommend her but a pretty face.
used to think that she wished me to
marry Margaret Deane, who knew how
to sew and cook and do a lot of practi-
cal things in which 1 took no interest
/ rather admired Gwendolin German.
Gwendolin was tender flower, just
such n girl as a man likes to take I'M
der his protection. Her cheek was not
round and rosy, but there was a little
pale red in its center like q rosebud
painted Oh a china cup. with lips of the
same hue.
The time came when 1 made up my
mind that unless 1 could win Gwendo-
lin my life would be a failure. l was
but twenty and that's very young for
a man to feel that his happiness is
bound up for life in one person. How
ever. l proved my constancy by years
Of devotion to the image 1 had set up
in my heart. Fearing that could not
express myself with sufficient delicacy
to impress one so young. SO modest. so
tender, / wrote my proposal in q letter.
1 was several days composing it. and
when finished left it for another day
on my desk in order to read it once
more before posting it.
! was suddenly called away. and
when / returned the letter was gone.
/ asked my mother what had become
Of ii. and she said that il had been
posted with a batch OF letters that had
been sent TO the mail while 1 was
away from home. With this / was
content and confident that Gwendolin
had received il and waited anxiously
for n reply.
When l met my love again I was
much embarrassed. My Imagination
made her seem to me cold. even Of
Tended. and as she made no reference
TO my letter il occurred TO me that for
some reason-I imagined a doZen-she
was displeased with my proposal. re-
manned with her but a few moments
vainly endeavoring to converse on tri-
fies. then left her.
I did not call again, and within year
her family left the place where I'lived,
and she went with them. My heart
went with her. / lived on Il bachelor.
My mother frequently invited Mar
garet Deane to our house, and I could
see that she was Intentionally placing
her i'll my way. Margaret accepted
whatever attention l gave her. which
of her she did not seem to
notice it. AS the year passed I made
a friend of her. but it did not occur TO
me to make love to her.
When 1 was thirty my mother died.
Before Or death she made me a con-
fessiOn.
My dearest boy" she said. before
die 1 wish your forgiveness. Ten
years ago | saw that you were about
to choose a companion for life who
would not make you happy. l kept the
letter you wrote to Gwendolin Ger
main, hoping to gain time to direct
your attention to Margaret Deane. Ten
years have passed. and every year l
have intended to send your letter to
Gwendolin. / have never done so till
today. BY tomorrow morning she win
know for the first time of your pro!
DosaI, but by that time l shall have
eft you free to choose for yourself"
And SO my mother, to whom / was
so devoted, had caused me ten years Of |
misery. i forgave her and did not |
litter word of complaint. Indeed the |
pain 1 suffered at her loss neutralized |
my feeling of regret for my long suf- |
'ering.
The day after laid her in the grave |
took up a number of letters that had
cumulated-mOstly of coincidence
md among them was one from Gwen |
iolin. 1t brought the first of different |
from what had experienced |
since the beginning of my mothers |
illness. But with it came the remem-
France OF what my mother must have |
endured from her distaste for my |
.hoice. Margaret had been with her |
constantly i'm her last days and had 1
'omforted her as If she had been her |
'wn daughter.
i felt an inclination to complete the |
acrifice my mother had brought about |
~ acceding to her wishes and giving |
Margaret the option of being my wife.
But l was bound i'm honor to Gwendo-
in as well as by love. In her letter she
sked me to come and see her IL felt
% inclined. since she would talk tonne
atber than write. ~ yeI
A few days later 1 went to see her.
She still lived with her family, who
we're wealthy-more so than when !
lad parted from her-in a stately man
ion IT was evening when 1 called,
nd | was ushered into a private par
Or. In n few minutes a bony. sallow,
crawny woman came into the room,
ressed in the height OF fashion, be-
ecked with jewels. her hands covered
Tith rings. i barely recognized Gwen
olin and would not have done SO had
he not preserved the rosebud in her
heck by a touch OF paint.
so your poor mother has gone" she
aid. What a silly thing to keep your
stter from me! Just as IL I were
bunting on you. You were lovely as a
oy. admit; but. you know, papa has
lways brought me up to understand
hat I must marry money, and OF
curse that would not include you. But
re can be friends, you know. Just