Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-05

Exactly. Women are full of feeling.
and a woman feels He heSitated.
II know what you mean. How well
you understand women"
He wondered. He didn't know him
self what he meant?
Now, if a man were to propose TO
me-" she continued, Ion Lovers rock /
would consider that Providence had
brought the meeting about and l had
met my fate"
There was a silence during which
the man unused: This girl is giving
me a great advantage. All L have to
do is to get her to go with me to Lovers
rock and she is mine. She is either u
desperate tiirt or she loves me. In
either case / have been bewitched by
her and there is only ONE egress from
the trap which have fallen into-and
that is Lovers rock.
1T is high tide" he said aloud. 'In
six hours it will be at the ebb.'
THAT will be midnight"
"And it won't be ebb again before to-
morrow noon," he muttered ruefully.
The hour we all rest after bathing"
He mentally cursed the tides, which
came and went at such incOnvenient
hours. He was looking out over the
water. computing how long he would
have to wait before learning whether
he was to be happy or miserable. They
stood for awhile looking at gilded
sail on the horizon. When the sun
sank lower and the gliding faded they
went back to the hotel.
hn hoy TN,
boat. and, after rowing about idly,
pulled for Lovers rock. Once there he
asked her to go ashore, but she sat in
the stern and smilingly declined.
(which means" he said, that Provi-
dence does not intend
'Oh, Providence only Influences peo-
pie on Lovers rock who have walked
there
That afternoon he spent studying the
almanac and learned that in about a
week he might hope TO get on to Low
ers' rock at time when it would be
proper to take a lady there or when
the sun was not looking down from di-
rectly overhead.
He was tempted to ask his question
in the evening on the piazza, but he be-
lieved that If he did he would meet
with refusal. So he counted the days
and the hours, even the minutes, till
the tide would ebb at from to in
the afternoon
Fortunately for him the moon did
not stand still, but drew the tide later
every day. She had been used to
but when the tide served so as to en-
able them to get to Lovers rock at
that hour she did not emerge till the
evening meal. This threw him into IL
fever which only rendered him more
beside himself. Just before dusk she
came out on the piazza. becomingly
dressed, and he asked her to walk
down on the beach. She hesitatingly
consented, and he led the way to the
tongue of sand over which they might
go to Lovers rock. Now that II was
possible to go there she demurred
"She has grown coy" he said to him
self. 81 must be bold. \ woman likes
10 be carried, not led" He seized her
hand and drew her, struggling family,
where he wanted her to go. Tiptoeing
over the wet spots. they gained the
rock, climbed It and stood on the sum
NIT.
The air was still, the stars were com
ing out overhead, the waves rolled in
gently breaking on the beach. She did
not seem to be thinking of the ocean
or the sky. Her eyes wandered about
in pleasing distress. He felt encour-
aged. Surely she was under the infiu-
ence OF that singular feminine feeling
that was to be expected with lover
on Lovers rock. He poured forth his
tale Of love.
She did not fall on his shoulder. She
covered her face with her hands and
said:
II am so sorry. -Four days ago | was
on this rock with man.
He turned away crushed. then faced
her and asked:
AT what hour of the day or night
did you come here?"
1T was a week ago. He came I'D
from the city at night on the 10 O'Clock
train and was Obliged to go back at :.
in the morning. We sat out on the
piazza till after midnight. then he
swore that l should go with him to
Lovers rock. I told him that the hour
was not proper one for girl to -
there with man. He brutaily declar-
ed that hours We're nothing to him and
so should He obliged me to CO.
And you accepted him."
What could l do?"