Rock Island Argus., 1904-01-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Kiss in the Dark.

| 1T IS 4 serious matter. SdEdu. tue at
tentioms of this young Cameron TO Car
RE. He's as wild as hawk"
What makes you think so:" asked
the wife.
/ Its rather what L hear than what
see. They say he fits from one girl to
another like a honeybee. Now. this
young Lamkie is different. He'll soon
have graduated from the Theological
seminary and will settle down to his
church. He means business. The other
fellow is just amusing himself"
We'll. / don't know. Cameron is L
| sprightly young fellow, and l don't
think there's any bad in him"
The rivals were certainly very differ
! ent. Evan Cameron WAS a whole
souled. hail fellow well met young man
who usually made himself out much
worse than he was. The consequence
was that every one except Carrie
Woods father considered him trihe
| better than he was. Farnam Lamkie
looked with horror on all that was not
| positively righteous, consequently some
people regarded him not quite so good
as he pretended. However, both young
men We're uneXceptional characters.
| and either would have made good
| husband for Carrie Wood. Carrie pre-
ferred Cameron. but her father was so
bitterly opposed To him that she dare
not encourage him.
Evan was bright enough To see which
way the wind blew. Indeed he was i'll
formed by n friend who was intimate
with the Woods that Mr.. Wood consid-
/ |, q Itrtt tiV nd I Iii
to be greatly esteemed. Evan was not
| one 10 rest content in his rivals appear
| ing 50 much better than himself and
| set his wits to work To invent some
method of getting ahead of the immac-
ulate theolog. The problem was too diff
fcuH 10 be solved till opportunity came
| to his rescue. 1t happened in this wise:
Mr.. and Mrs. Wood invited their own
and their daughters friends to an
evenings entertainment. wherein a
lecturer accompanied his discourse with
sterecpticon views, the subject being
1t trip to the Holy Land. Mr.. LamIlie
and Mr.. Cameron We're both present,
Mr.. Lamkie in high feather, the occa-
sion being in his line. AS To Mr.. Cam
eTOn, with his usual self diSapprODa-
ton. he remarked that lie thought he
would appreciate better a trip in the
other direction. Before the arrival OF
either Miss Wood had listened to lee
ture from her father upon Mr.. Lam
kie'S excellence and Mr. Cameron'S
shortcomings. Mr.. Lamkie. feeling
that lie could make himself interesting
to the young lady of his choice by GER
tain notes and comments as the de-
ScriptiOn of the Holy Land proceeded,
appropriated her early in the evening,
taking Il seat by her when the party
We're assembled in the large drawing
room awaiting the appearance of the
lecturer. In Difference to her guests
Miss Wood selected a seat farthest in
the rear and at the left of the line.
Mr. Cameron stood leaning against the
wall on the opposite side of the room
and near the front.
The evening was nearly spent. the
lecturer was approaching Jerusalem
and the end of his discourse, when
something gave way in the stereopti-
con. and even that light which was
permitted To fall only on the screen
was suddenly eXtinguished. In ten
seconds after the accident there was
heard proceeding from the identical
theolog were sitting Il kiss 1t was not
II brOtherly nor n sisterly nor fiIial
kiss. 1t was not Il short kiss. nor was
ii very long. but there was in it
great deal of body-a kiss 10 set the
young pairs of lovers in the room tin
CLING. Mr.. Wood OH perceiving the ac-
Cident to the stereopticon rushed to the
electric button ana turned on the light.
But half Il minute had elapsed before
he succeeded in doing this. The sud
den illumina ton revealed every per-
sons head in the room turned toward
the guilty couple. Mr.. Lamkie was
scarlet. and Miss Wood was rosy red.
Mr.. Cameron was observed standing
in the position lie had occupied when
the lecture began and was the only
person in the room who had the good
taste To refrain from staring at the
much observed couple
The guests were shocked. Mr. Wood
was furious and was inclined to order
the offender from the house That Of
fender took the first opportunity 10 go
TO the host and FASTENED to assert his
| innocence. He was not believed by Mr.
Wood. who turned his back upon him.
Miss Carrie tried to laugh the matter
off. while Cameron magnanimousIy as
serted that any man sitting by so love
ly 4 girl in the dark who didn't kiss
her was a fool.
Mr. Lamkie after this episode was
not in position to press his suit for
the hand OF Miss Wood. He did not
dare be seen with her for fear of excit-
ing comment: indeed il called a blush
IN I,a L.
her presence when others were about
She manifested no displeasure with
him. but this did not save him from
being criticised for conduct at least
unbecoming 10 the cloth. Ii was not
"a l,Ia fbat tho