Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Difference of Ten Years.
IOriginaI.l

she had hosts of admirers among men
who were of suitable age for her.
While l had not the courage to
thrust myself forward among so many
suitors, l could not forbear telling my
love, or. rather, writing it. for even
had l plenty of opportunity l could
not have spoken it. So without hav-
ing expressed admiration or having
so much as sent a. handful of flowers
l sat down and wrote a love letter,
ending with proposition of marriage.
The mail in which Il reply should
have come did not bring it, nor the
next. nor the next. \ week passed be-
fore l gave it up. Then it occurred to
me that the lady did not consider me
of sufficient Importance to warrant
reply. Two weeks after the writing
for my second year.
Ten years passed. The lady of my
love had been replaced by the ladies
Of my loves. 1 was not married and
had no expectation of being married.
Ny attentions to the fair sex had been
end of which goes down as the other
goes up. As l grew in age the girls l
fancied were of more tender years. At
twenty nine fancied maidens of nine
teen.
One morning, hearing the postman's
whistle. l went TO the door. where he
had been dropping the letters through
a slit into box inside, to get my mail.
I dropped 4 package and on STOPPING
to pick it up saw the white corner of
letter between the bottom oil the box
and the door. pulled it out, ana an
other followed. Prying the box away
from the door, Il dozen letters dropped
to the floor. 1 picked them up and
found them of various dates. running
back for Il number of years. On open
ing them l found one that startled me.
1t was signed ''Winifred Stirling" 1t
read:
Your letter was a great. but admit,
pleasant, surprise. l confess that have
admired for a long while one whom
have been used to consider the soul of
honor and whose youthful enthusiasm
contrasts with the worn emotions OF older
for one reason-when you are my age.
twenty-nine, 1 will be thirty-nine. VIII
you then love me as You do now leave
1t TO you to decide. If you are sure you
will come and see me tomorrow evening.
If not. let drop the matter here.
Was ever test so put upon Il man i'll
the very nick of time? l saw it all.
had not called, and she had supposed
l had come to a negative decision. l
tried to picture how she would look
at this advanced age. l could form no
image except the one l remembered. l
read again the words zone whom 1
have been used to consider the soul of
honor" I had made proposal. 1t
was not the lady's fault that had not
received my reply. | was unmarried
and fancy free. There was nothing for
me to do but proceed as l would have
proceeded ten years before or live in
her contempt, as l had doubtless lived
for the past ten years. MyamOur propre
triumphed. l was the same individual,
with the same Sensitiveness. / learn
ed Miss Strings address - she was
still Miss Stirling-and wrote her the
explanation of my long silence. She
her.
i found a woman attractive in what
constitutes attractiveness in women of
her age-that is, intelligence. tact, sym
pathy. indeed all traits except beauty.
There was still enough of wOman's
witchery about her to lend n sparkle
10 her eye ut my position, which seem
ed To amuse her immensely.
We meet" she said, Just in time to
fulfill the terms of my letter. Nothing
could be more to the point Look at
me and tell me if at twenty-nine you
can love a woman of thirty-nine."
Il can said. with my tongue. call
ing up what resolution 1 could to screen
the falsehOOd.
What u valiant liar"' she exclaimed.
laughing. You're splendid. Why did
not fate put you ten years ahead of me
instead of ten years behind?"
Because fate wished to prove that
there are certain men whose hearts,
once fixed. never change was my
sturdy reply.
Bravo she cried. clapping her
hands. You should have lived in the
days Of knight errantry. BE seated
and tell me all about it. I would give
worlds to have seen your face when
you read my letter. Let me see: you
are just entering upon that age when
men first begin to delight in the buds
Nineteen is the age for you now. Ev-
cry few years you will drop n year till
you get down to fifteen. There you will
stop"
There had been something about Miss
Q -
ture. and the essential features of that
something were with her vet. began
10 wonder if. after all. it would be so
hard 10 play the part of lover to this
mature woman. / left her. but was
not content till | saw her again She
became my best friend. Her judgment
was better than mine, and l consulted
! her. Her savoir faire was excellent,
Z