Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-03
DAILY SHORT STORY
LOVE TAPS.

| very young people are apt TO rancy
the discussion of abstruse subjects.
why is it," remarked Mabel. THAT
old people usually dislike autumn an6
| winter
"Oh, old people have no apprecia
| ton, 1t has been all knocked out OF
them"
.All old people?'
mean
Mrs. Kennedy. for instance?'
Mabel did not look up 1T me. She
| bent her eyes to the ground. l saw
| her drift | had been somewhat at
| tentive 10 Mrs. Kennedy, who was a
widow.
Mrs. Kennedy is not DID, / said.
''She is thirty
Not yet twenty-siX."
The only reply to this was q scorn-
| full laugh.
ITO return to what we were saying
1 went on, Il think that people. birds,
trees, flowers, all pass through the
same stages. Each has its spring. sum-
| mer, autumn, winter. When the leaves
fall the old person is reminded that his
snow is on the ground il is typical Of
the end of life
"Oh, dear. how did you come to
think of that: TO hear you talk one
would fancy You Wee in your dotage."
This left handed compliment caused
slight color TO come into my face. L
did not deign an answer.
Il have it," she went on. You got
it from the widow. Is she in her sum-
mer, fall or winter"
Mrs. Kennedy is but half a dozen
years older than YOU" | said.
Please don't bite my head off. L
said nothing against your love. ! mere
ly referred to her age"
Miss Sinclair" l replied sternly,
these references to Mrs. Kennedy are
unpleasant to me. ! wish you to un-
derstand that, situated as l am with
regard to her, living under the same
roof with her, 1 must walk u chalk
line
with Mrs. Kennedy"
'You are incorrigible."
Tired of this defensive warfare, / de-
termined to carry fire and sword into
the enetny's territory.
Well" i said. since you will have
it SO, admit that l am partial to wild
ows. Only last night one gave me a
delicious kiss
l was watching her closely and saw
an involuntary SILVER pass over her.
My darling boy the widow said to
me. what would do if anything should
come up TO part u.s.
do old women who mate with young
fellows always call them darling
boy - !
Then she put her arms around my
neck and gave me a long kiss
''Shameful.''
why shameful:"
NO. don't mean that; anything that |
is legal is not shameful, but | never |
could endure these elderly women who |
get their claws on young men"
Mabel was turning white and red |
and l felt assured that | |
was getting the best Of the argument.
We came to Il stone culvert under
meath which ran small stream and
sat down on the coping. l sat very
near her. She moved away. / moved |
nearer. and she retreated to the end
of the coping. / arose and strolled
about finally bringing up directly be-
hind her Then. bending. / kissed her
Oh the cheek.
The hand that boxed my ears was
gloved, but the tingiing that followed
was worthy of bare hand. She turn
ed fiery glance upon me.
Keep your kisses for your superan-
nuated widows"
ITO kiss you is more spicy"
Il don't choose to divide my kisses
with others"
Its not a division. kiss you once;
kiss the other hundred times
The other gives you leave. 1 do
not"
That's where the spice comes in"
You mean the ungentlemanlike con-
iuct."
Why will not women understand that
o call man ungeDtlemanlike is insult
ng? l returned the thrust in kind. .
Il don't consider it ungentlemanlike Il
o kiss some women" 1 remarked
oddly.
DO you mean-you horrid-well, .
lever,'' |.
There are women who permit |.
DO you dare call me one of that .
,ind?' ls
You do not permit me to finish. The
widow who permitted me to kiss her.
WAS of course one of those l.
This fencing was with pointed
words, and already there had been a
cal Of pinking This last stab threw
he into fury.
nrioJ I.ol5:z A.-1
She was my mother" :
Your mother" scornfully. More :
kelly your
She left the word unspoken. I'turn-
on my heel and strobe away. Il had
-alked half mile before 1 otAsufh-
iently cooled to consider that the I.
barge Of ''ungentlemanlike" would :
old against man who left al girl :
lone in wood. 1 went back hand :
,und Mabel sitting on theScoping. Il |,