Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-09
DAILY SHORT STORY
A STORY OF womAN,s eNMirY.
lOriginal.1

country. In summer and during the
winter holidays we children. growing up
into manhood and womanhood, always
had house full of our young friends.
When | came home from college in
my senior year for the winter holidays
my sister told me that she had invited
her especial friend, Mary Lockwood.
for my particular benefit. Sisters at
that age wish TO be, but are not.
matchmakers Nothing could be de-
vised so well calculated to drive two
young people of opposite sex apart as
to tell them that they are intended for
each other. Mary Lockwood and
quarreled from the first. She soon be-
gan TO say sharp things TO me, and
retorted by indifferently drawing out
compliments that We're palpably iron
ical In our games L would choose her
OH my side, then sneer at her play.
She was very bright and poured out
number of witty sayings that tended
10 make me a laughingstock. But the
most vengeful thing she did during her
stay was 10 step deliberately under the
mistletoe when L was nearest 10 her,
thus daring me TO kiss her. Egged on
~
of our feud. L stepped up to her. took
her i'll my arms, and in the Scuffie that
ensued she bit my cheek.
/ got my revenge in this wise: When
the furniture was cleared for dance
/ stepped up to her and asked her to
dance with me. | believed she would
refuse, and she did, before the assem-
bled company. Here was something
that 1 could notice. From that time
forward 1 paid no attention to her
whatever. This cast damper Oh our
festivities. and my sister begged me
to apologize to Mary. but when 1 asked
for what L should ask pardon she had
no reply. Matters went on from bad to
worse till we dispersed. When Mary
Lockwood departed she left me note
apologizing for having refused to dance
with me in my own home. If she had
given me this before she went we
might have parted friends.
After graduation / studied my pro-
fession-m the city in the
of which we lived and
from which our friends had come to
visit us. a very select set of young
people got together for semiweekly
dances, and Mary Lockwood was
among them. ! was delighted when Il
friend of mine asked me TO join the
Rug Beaters," as they called them
selves. and consented. l heard nothing
more of the matter till spring, then
learned that Mary Lockwood had
'blackballed" me.
/ began to feel what it is to have the
of woman. Till ! learned of
this serious overt act / did not con-
slider our quarrel of any Importance.
but now 1 did not dare to make any
move where she could stab me. Ny
most intimate friends were members
Of the Rug Beaters," and 1 would not
join any other club, SO my winters
was spoiled.
One day while / was listening to n
lecture at the medical school on nerve
structures the professor said: Women
are especially subject to nerve tension.
Men fight each other for many differ
ent causes; women quarrel from nerv- |
Dus strain and are more apt to have |
paroXysms of anger with those they |
ike than those to whom they are in. |
| was surprised that
physician should not know what I |
Knew by actual experience.
One evening at n ball / saw my |
enemy among the throng. 1 had never |
'een her before in Il ball dress and |
vas surprised at her queenly appear
lnce. l noticed, however, that there
vas a sad look in her eyes. 1t quite dis
lrmed my just Indignation at her hav-
ng injured me. | could not conceive |
# q man thus doing so, and the wo-
mans act seemed to me all the baser
hat she had been my sisters guest.
Nevertheless I pitied her While 1 was
tudying her face she turned toward |
ne. She looked away at once and with
n expression much the same as / had
,een used to when we were together.
determined to tell her what / thought
+ her keeping me out of the Rug
seaters" and. going up to her, babe her
.ood evening. / was received about as
had expected and. giving her my arm,
ook her out of the throng. Seated in
cozy nook unobserved. I spoke to
err of my sisters introducing us and
err good intentions in doing so. Then
pictured how the matter might have
urned out had we not begun q useless
l
ulIy of my own shortcomings and was
bout to enter upon informing her that
knew she had turned an enemy in
~ path to injure me when-her head
yas turned from me so l could not
PC her facet felt her hand laid on
line. Bending forward. I saw tears
, her eyes.
/ could not now repeat the steps by
hitch we were in few moments-if
-e were not instantly-converted from
nemies to lovers. But in this / must
peak for myself. for she confessed
lat she had loved me from even be-
,re she had seen me. when my sister
adj sent her my picture-a picture
lat she had treasured ever since.
hiding that acts which 1 had sup
osed sprang from hate really had !
)rung from love caused me a mar
elous revulsion. 1t was as II heavy