Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
CAUGHT A SEA PUss.
.~--~-~-~~NNO
IOrig!-all

Wheaton will never marry. He
once loved a girl who is dead TO him.
but his love for her is the same
'The old story, I suppose. Women
are fickle'
I'm this case Wheaton was 10 blame.
And this IS the story Of Wheaton 5
fault:
Arthur Wheaton at twenty was a
fine young fellow just out of college
and. being very ambitious and talented
his friends all predicted brilliant ca
reer for him.
During the first summer after gradu-
ating he went to the seashore, where
he had an adventure that colored his
whole life. y girl of eighteen, Anna
bel Whiting, while bathing. got caught
i'll 4 sea puss and was carried ont.
Wheaton. splendid swimmer. went in
and SWAIN with her 10 one of the ropes,
where he held her till the bathing mas
ter came in Il boat and got them ashore.
Miss Whiting, lovely girl, repaid
Wheaton by giving him her heart.
The episode occurred early in July,
and long before the end of that month
the young people We're engaged. Miss
Whiting was obliged TO leave the beach
early in August, and Wheaton, having
many friends there. decided to stay on.
1t was Il great pity that he did not so
with his fiancee.
The day after Miss Whiting left q
party came to the beach to spend a
week. They We're smart" people and
drank great deal of champagne. on
the morning of their arrival two of
them, man and n woman, We're stand
Ing on the beach looking at the bathers
when Wheaton walked down to the
water. There was some conversation
between the man and woman looking
on about him and his splendid figure. at
the end Of which a bet was made be
tween them that the woman would
bring Wheaton TO her feet before their
weeks holiday was ended. The same
day the man sought an introduction to
Wheaton and in the evening presented
him TO the woman.
Camilla Hyde was married and thir
ty, though she easily passed for TWEEN
ty-four. She was Il striking looking wO
man and mistress of the art of winning
Illtll, W llItn va W III I'LL an al anu
nothing more There was no similarity
between her type and that of Annabel
Whiting; indeed they We're antipOdcs
Before Wheaton met Mrs. Hyde she
had heard of his saving Miss Whiting
life, and she began at once to show an
interest in the matter, inducing him
against his will 10 tell her every detail
1t was still twilight, and she insisted
on his going with her and showing her
where and how it happened. Wheaton
yielded and went with her down to the
beach.
1t was 10 o'clock when the couple re
turned. Dancing was going on ut the
hotel, and Mrs. Hyde and Wheaton
sailed down among the dancers. Whca
ton was an excellent dancer, and. as for
Mrs. Hyde, she was superb both in
grace and figure. After the dance the
lady complained that the air in the
room was bad and she must 80 out or
to the piazza. There the two sat till
midnight.
Good night" said the lady. Il sup
pose you will go to bed and dream o.
your fiancee.'
Instead, Wheaton went down to the
beach alone, lit n cigar and threw him.
self on the sand. He thought OF An
mabel Whiting, but somehow she seem.
cd inSipid compared with the splendid
woman with whom lie had spent more
than four hours. -Four hours the frs
time lac had met her. He could hardly
believe it. The time had seemed in
finitely short. He smoked in quick.
he saw again the face of Annabrl
Whiting, with its grateful expression
as he held her against the force of the
pillows. But now there was Il re-
proachfuI look in the eyes that he could
not Danish.
Two or three days later Wheaton
was warned against Camilla Hyde rs
one who had a passion for winning
hearts to throw them away. He pack
ed up his trunks to leave, but there
was no train till afternoon. Mrs. Hyde
heard OF his intention TO escape her,
wayIaid him and took him down to the
beach, where she held him till the train
had gone. Then she secured his prom
Use to take her out on the water the
next day.
1 MS was the Only tnOEl w ASdAOh
made to free himself from her thrall.
The moon, which had been Il crescent
when the party came. was now at the
full, and on the last day of Mrs. Hyde's
stay she took her victim to the shore
with her to see it rise out of the water.
There was hush on the ocean, in the
east a glow, then n bit of light touch
ing wave on the horizon, followed by
n flecking of many crests. When the
moon came up Wheaton was bowed
down before the enchantress, his face
buried in her hands, which he held in
his.
The next day Edward Hyde. the hus-
band. came to take his wife away.
She introduced Wheaton. When Hyde
was alone with her he said:
Been up TO your old tricks again,
dear:"
II have won a basket of champagne
on this one. We're 10 have ii at DIS