Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
MISS cILsERr's MISTAKE.
LOl5ginaI

CllDtflSs NhCh liz f'~AeN- A-eNNA
taken it returned and invited mato fol
low him. On reaching the suit OF
apartments TO which he led ne there
stood young girl, with a card in her
hand, whom / had never seen My
first impulse was to withdraw, hut
when she advanced tofgraet me there
was that in her presence especially in
the smile with which she welcomed
me. that babe me paaIsel for develop
mentS.
u expected YOU she said. Uncle
wrote me that you would be here to-
day, though l hardly thought you
would come SO early. Yes. l know
what you're going TO Say-couldnt
wait and all that Such nice things
don't count between Us. since we've
never seen each other. Keep them till
our acquaintanceiis at least few min
utes Old
1t was thus that she stopped the only
attempt on my part to tell her of the
mistake she was making She led me
to a tete-a-tete where We took seats
facing each other: then she said:
We'll. are you disappOintedT'
disappointed? On the contrary, I'm
delighted"
She lowered her eyes. She could not
conceal the pleasure my appreciation
called forth
And YOU l asked. Are you dis
appointed in me-"
Her only answer was a smile. but il
spoke far palmer than words that she
was much pleased with me.
4 have told uncle all along" she
cradle pieces of property would be no
inducement to me. There must be
something far beyond convenience"
Certainly" l replied.
Il confess it has bothered me to
know that your land is worth more
than mine
There was evidently "a match in
progress in which two estates We're to
be joined. l was rich, but the lady
might be richer. / was curious to
know how rich she was.
L have no idea what yours is
worth" ! remarked carelessIy. nor
do | care"
Uncle says it's worth 100000. while
yours is worth 10000"
breathed a sigh Of relief. If it
came TO tusSle with the other fellow
could outbid him-I was heir 10
S4UO.OOO
Don't let us talk OF such Sordil
matters Let us rather speak OF that
| union of hearts which is most impOr-
tant In marriage Tell me If since see
ing me You think YOU can love me"
Il don't know" size said, looking up
at me archly. It's TOO soon 10 tell"
y voluntary confession does not in
vOlve necessarily all the mean things
Il man has been guilty of, especially in
an affair of love, 50 l will only say
that ! had delightful visit but the
moment 1 got out of the hotel | felt
like Il cur. The thought of her discOv-
cry of my viIlainy Mortified me. This
came. l confess. not from Il tender con
science. but because | had fallen in
love with the girl had deceived.
There was no great mystery about
the matter. simply q coincidence. or
rather a double coincidence There
was probably more than one Gilbert
family in the hotel. and the man who
was expected must have been Of the
same name as /. Nothing remained
for me but to leave lay rival TO call in
his own good time and uncover my
villainy.
year passed. l neither saw nor
heard anything Of her who must be
Miss Gilbert, though / both wanted
and dreaded 10 see her. \ meeting
came at last. and when il came it was
50 sudden that it quite took my breath
away. At a ball one evening | was
dancing figure in which partners are
changed. and suddenly found myself
vis-a-vis with the lady whom / had 50
grossly deceived. / stood as if turned
10 stone. There was a mOmentary look
on her face as if she might have seen
me before. Then she accepted me for
a partner as she would any other man
who had not been introduced. We
finished the figure without a word, and,
nclining her head slightly, she left me.
took steps ut once to discover who
She was ana found, as / supposed. that
she was Miss Gilbert.
Apparently she had not recognized
ne aS the man she had received by
mistake. At any rate ! proposed To
DraZcn ii out that I was not ! Sc
cured an introduction aud asked her
10 dance. What troubled me was that
there was none OF that delightful in
terchange of sympathy we had expert
enced. one thing she said pierced me
10 the heart You have the same
name and greatly resemble a man who
once treated me very dishonorabI
/ thanked heaven that she did not
know l was the same person and set
out 10 win her as an entirely new
identity. ! found it uphill work How
ever, by exercising patience | finally
succeeded, when she told me that /
had had TO overcome her prejudice
against me in my resemblance TO the
man who had acted so Contemplating.
/ shuddered at the narrow escape l
had had In not being recognized and
declared that the fellow deserved a
coat Of tar and feathers