Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-03
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DAILY SHORT STORY
HOW 1T BEGAN.
lOrlglnall

ing away for few weeks. VI Oult NCE
mind staying at my house during my
absence? The housekeeper viii run K
she's a good old soul-and your bach
elor habits need not be interfrred with.
Rosie's still a child and associates with
those Of her own age. They won't
trouble YOU
Certainly" said Gray. Anything
| to oblige you
Lane departed and Gray took up Lis
| quarters in his friends house.
The first evening at dinner after
| few civil words TO the housckeepcr and
some remarks TO Rose about her school
| which he was surprised TO learn she
had finished. he devoted himself TO the
evening paper After dinner he Went
out.
| The second evening Miss Rose asked
! him if he would mind playing game
| of dominoes with her. Gray was just
| putting on his hat 10 20 out and looked
| at the girl in establishment. The idea
! Of expecting Il middle aged man to
play such an embarrassing game with
| a chit. Then it occurred to him that
| it was only civil for him to sacrifice
| trife OF his time while in his friends
house for the welfare of the occupants
! and he consented. Miss Rose seemed
more intent on looking up at him now
and again with Il pair of black eyes
than on the game. She chattcd the
while. rambling from one topic to an
other, sometimes indicating that she
had not long left the nursery; at obi
ers. conversing quite like Il woman.
The next two evenings Mr.. Gray left
the house Immediately after dinner and
did not return until late.
On the fifth evening Miss Rose in
formed Mr.. Gray that there We're tick
cts in the house for Il concert, and Ia
mented that she had no one to take
her Mr.. Gray hemmed and hawcd;
then. in Il tone indicating that he would
he pleased to sacrifice his evening TO
his friends daughter. he Informed her
that he would escort her. She kept
him waiting a long while, then came
down, in Il toilet that made her look
as pretty as picture of springtime.
Mr.. Gray felt delightful response
bility. Indeed, when the concert was
over and he went to his room for the
night hc was accompanied by a charm
Ing vision that would not be left out
u. =
large hat-a perfect flower garden with
a very small face under it He was &C
customcd to read himself 70 sleep, but
this evening the flowers on the hat
or the face or dainty figure, about
which there was 4 suspicion of the
perfume of violots, got between his
eyes and the lines. lie closed his book
and put out the light.
The sixth evening Mr. Gray asked !
Miss Rose if she would like to play
game of dominos She was sorry to de- /
cline since she expected n gentleman |
caller. Gray went out and played |
whist at Il quarter corner and lost
81 for himself ana 81 for his partner /
who abused him sOuHdly for continued |
bad play. Gray was thinking of the .
gentleman caller When lie went home /
the gentleman caller was there. lie |,
was beardless boy of. eighteen. Gray |
was Disguised with himself
The seventh evening was Sunday. /
On Sunday evenings there was no one /
of Gray'S bachelor friends available |
they all seemed to disappear Graz /
never could tell where-So he stayed 81 /
home. Miss Rose asked him IL he liked /
10 sing hymns on Sunday evenings. and /
he said he did not, but would smoke in /
the library. Would she come in ana /
have a chat?
That was the first Sunday evening in |
years that Gray mad not felt bored.
There was something in the girls fresh |
young prattle, like song from a bird. |
that took the ennui right out of him. /
Suddenly it occurred to him: What II /
lie We're ten or fifteen years younger /
and could spend all his Sunday even /
ings this way?
The next day Gray found himself f.
specializing as TO the proper difference /
of age between man and woman in the /
matrimonial state. He was more than
twice as old as this girl, but when lie /
was fifty she would be nearly thirty. !
That would not be so bad. And wher
he was sixty she would be forty. Bet !
ter yet. When he was seventy she
would be an old woman of fifty. Bet /
ter yet. 1t did not occur to him that /
it would really he worse
During the next week several gentle
men callers mOnopOliZed Miss Rose
they were all boys-and Mr.. Cray was
driven out. lie wished lie could put 4
them all on huge spit and broi them
for spring chickens. Instead Of being
bored nj staying at home he was bored
when he went out. The salt Of lis
former pleasures had lost lis SAVIOR.
Lane stayed away three weeks. then
wrote that he would be detained three
weeks longer. Cray had maintained
an outward fathcyly bearing toward
Rose. but once or twice she Lad rs
touishcd hiTn by referring TO their com
paniOnship Is something Of moment.
something more than an intimacy be
tween n elderly man and a girl still
in her teens. He was both frightened
and fiattered. Could Il be possible that
she considered him not beyond the age
at which she could love a man.
What would have been the result has
the affair gone on Indefinitely no one
can tell When Lane returned Graz
felt as If he had been set to watch :