Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
Attest OF DISPOSITION.

ans life so full OF unconscious. inno-
cent deception as the wooing period.
| met Miss Caroline Kennedy in the
, country during the summer and was
thrown with her for one week only.
| but since every hour was spent in
dreaming the happy hours away" the
seven days counted for a good deal.
| We lived in the sunshine. walking
| through fields teeming with chirping
| insects. through woods alive with sing
| ing birds. drove over hill and dale and
foated on water that now spanked
| in the sun, now flowed languidly under
| overhanging tees.
When we parted / had asked Miss
Kennedy to be my life companion. and
she had consented conditionally- This
Is not the humdrum OF life she said.
Here all is rose colored. / wish to
see IL you. having arisen on Il gloomy
winter morning. dressed in cold
room. gone TO business in a piercing
assed by business details during the
day, will he cheerful and companiona-
BILE during the evening" ~
There was so much good sense in all
this that / acquiesced at once and
asked her for her plan.
You shall take up your residence in
our house in the city for one month.
During that time we will live under
the same roof. and our dispositions will
be laid bare To- each other"
To this l agreed and after II dozen or
more kisses left her. not To see her
again till tie middle of November.
when I was 10 spend the trial month at
her house.
] am an amiabie man when nothing
occurs To irritate me. rather impatient
and irascible for the moment, though
cloud is followed 10y sunshine in, quick
succession. During the month spent
I'm Miss Kennedy's home l confess l
was always on my guard. l made it Il
point 10 come down TO breakfast in Il
happy mood. and on returning in the
evening from business no matter what
had been the annoyances of the day. 1
was in an excellent humor. 1t occurred
TO me that the test was farce be
cause | was always prepared. The
feminine stupidity of my ladylove in
considering il of value was very charm
ing To me.
On the evening before the month was
up l came home from business after
dark TO find the house unusually cold
and cheerless The lights had not
been lighted and some one had left a
window up in the drawing room, for
i could feel the raw air pouring in.
went into the room and started to go
across the floor TO put down the Will
dow. On the way / ran my instep-a
very tender spot-against the rocker OF
a chair.
/ am not habitually used to swearing.
but the pain on this occasion drew
forth an oath. | was terror stricken
at remembering that some one might
have heard me- / listened. but could
not hear sound in the house.
'All out shopping. suppose" I NUT
tered. But why they wanted to,leave
such an uncomfortable house for AMMAN
TO come home to / can't see"
pushed forward. struck a table and
heard the cracking of broken glass on
the floor. ! knew that l had Knocked
over a lamp globe of considerable value
and I-well, / swore.
Stepping OH the broken glass that
cracked again under my feet, went
on toward the window and struck one
of those delicate stands used for bric-a-
brac. cursed that idiosyncrasy Of
women which leads them to put such
fragile articles in mems way, and by
this time it seemed impossible for me
to find words lurid enough to express
my dissatisfaction.
made up my mind TO first,close the
window. then strike light. then clear
away the rubbish. Suddenly remem-
bering that / was still on trial. /
braced myself TO be ready when the
ladies came in. with smile at my dis
comfiture and a quiet, well modulated
reference as TO what ] would do to
make good the loss. Unfortunately.
before the window. south exposure.
were II number OF plants perched on
rests especially fitted to be knocked
over. and. reaching for the sack. I up
set a fiowerpot, which broke to pieces
and. l knew, covered the floor with
earth.
Since there was no one to hear me, l +!
showed my wrath. closed the window |
and started away from it TO strike my |
nose on the edge OF an open door. The |
pain / suffered brought forth more ex- |
pletives. Feeling faint. / felt my way |
along the wall to the sofa and was |
about 10 throw myself upon ii when 1 |
put my hand against a soft, warm
cheek.
lis that you, DEAR" asked Miss Ken
nedy, as II awakened from slumber.
/ stammered n reply. wondering if
she had been sleeping during the exhi-
bition of my disposition" and hoping
she had been.
why. it's dark" she said. Having
a headache. 1 went to sleep under the
afghan. with the window up for fresh
air. / must have slept more than an
hour
I never knew whether Miss Kennedy
had been awake during the episode till
the day OF our wedding. when she told
me she had laid trap for me and was
conscious OF the whole of my exhfhi-