Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-02
ole ENGAGEMENT
OF DOROTHY


There were only three of us sitting
in the club when the major came in.
l never knew why he was called ma
jor, except, perhaps. because his name
was Miner, and that he had n sort of
military bearing. 1 asked him about
it once. Didn't you ever hear the
story" he said, of how General Viii
hanson got his titIe?"
1 said that 1 had never heard it.
We'll" continued the major, he was
a general ticket agent for the Chicago
and South Pacific railroad"
With which evasive answer the ma
jor turned TO. his paper and refused TO
converse further on the subject.
AS l said. there were only three of
us in the club when the major came
in. He seemed nervous, and called the
boy to bring him some hot buttered
rum. The night was bitterly cold, and
Claiming. Wilton and had been wait
ing about, wishing that the storm
would cease. 1t did not, so we waited
longer. Then the major came.
Hello" lie said, and passed US to
give his order at the desk. Then he
sat down ut table and began to write
rapidly He called the boy again, and
asked that he ring for messenger.
The messenger appeared. The major
handed him note and some coins and
told him to take cab.
Must be in n hurry" suggested
Claiming.
Il am" said the major, "for if that
note doesn't get where it belongs with
in an hour it will be all up with KEN
ble'
He sat down with US and began STIR
ring his rum thoughtfully.
Great stuff. rum be said. 'I've
been thinking for a long time that I'm
going to spend my declining years
down on the cape somewhere. 1 shall
have a matched cottage, some nastur-
tiums growing in a wrecked dOry on
the lawn, and l shall sit on the beach,
dressed in 4 Sou'weSter and OilSkinS,
scanning the horizon for incoming lug
gers Each lugger will be laden with
hot buttered rum
The major slipped his drink medita-
lively.
You fellows want to hear a love
stOry:" he asked.
YES. let 'er CO." said Wilton.
We settled back in our chairs, pre-
pared to listen. for it was an unusual
thing for the major to volunteer story
of any kind.
81 shan't tell you the end of the
story till the boy gets back" he began
rs the boy the hero? inquired Chan
ming.
Not exactly, but he bears an i'm
portant message to the hero" said the
major.
Then he went on, and none of US in
terrupted him for some minutes. He
talked slowly and picked his words
carefully.
lit was this way" he began. ''There
was a man once who was lawyer,
and he had ward who had been left
to his care b. her father when he died.
The lawyer was a bachelor, and he took
the girl under his care and managed
her property and sent her to school
and to college and abroad and wher-
ever he thought she might grow to be
the woman her father had hoped she
might be. Then when she came home
to live he fell n'love with her. That's
all there is of the first chapter
The major picked up his glass and
held 1t between the light and his eyes.
Great stuff hot buttered rum on a
cold night" he commented.
Then he went on. This man found
that he was forgetting TO do his work.
He was thinking about her most of the
time. and he began TO lose confidence
in his ability to win cases. He lost
some that he should have won. Then
he began to reason with himself, and
he suddenly discovered that he couldn't
do anything more anyhow till he had
told her he loved her and found out
what she thought about ii. Mind you,
he was old enough TO be her father.
so one night he went to her house
and was prepared to tell her what he
wanted to. They sat together before
the library fire. Then the man began
to talk. 1 have thought, Dorothy he
said, that 1t is about time you were
married. Then the young woman came