Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-08-23
D4ILY STORY
THE KISSING OF AUNT AGNES.
IOrigin3l.l


be overheard. We lived in Il subur-
ban place, and, going TO and from the
city, we usually used this method of
communication.
One afternoon when we were going
home together, after taking our seats
in the car, youngl woman with two
little children and asnegro nurse came
in. and, turning thetback OF u seat to
face the one in the rear, they occu-
pied both. the children and nurse in
the seat facing the front, while the
lady used the other, sitting next the
passageway, stacking the hand bag
gage near the window. This brought
her face to face with John and me.
She was very pretty and 50 young that
we wondered that she could be the
mother of the children. Then we
heard one of them call her Aunt Ag-
mes. She had scarcely been seated
when | signaled John:
Pretty enough to kiss, isn't sheT"
You bet"
"Wonder what station she gets off
at:' | asked.
Watch her ticket when the con-
duaor comes round and you'll see.''
1--WE been trying to catch her eye TO
find out if she'll flirt, but she won't let
me-
"Demure as a Quakeress."
''Just the kind of n girl I'd like to
shock
why don't you? Well reach the
tunnel pretty soon. Go over and kiss
her in the dark
THE trainman IL light the lights"
Bride him not to-
l took the hint, and getting up went
to the man in charge of the car and
corrupted him, though it took five dol
lar bill TO do it, Then 1 sat down on the
outside of the seat so that / could get
out quickly. Aunt Agnes was in
beautiful position TO be kissed, and all
looked we'll for the dash except my
courage. which was dribbling out as
we approached. the tunnel. 1t was
short one, not requiring more than
forty seconds to go through; so L must
act expeditiously. John, in order to
stimulate me. bet me S25 that l would
not do the kissing.
l watched the landmarks before
reaching the tunnel, and as we came
nearer my heart beat like Il kettle
drum. Ol.e after another familiar OBJ
jects sped by and at last we plunged
into darkness. l waited till the train
got midway into the tunnel, then dart
ed forward, put my arms around Aunt
Agnes neck and pressed my lips
against hers. / expected Il scream, but
instead what was my surprise to feel
two arms thrown around my neck.
They chung to me so tightly that was
scarcely able to unwind them. l sue
ceeded in doing so, however, and re-
sumed my seat while it was still dark.
A few moments later we shot out into
the light
BY an effort / appeared unconscious,
looking lazily out of the window. /
felt my hand pressed by John and
turned my eyes TO his. l will not at
tempt to describe the expression 1 saw
there, but it was enough to convince
me that something had gone wrong. 1
cast a quick glance at the place where
Aunt Agnes had been sitting.
Horrors of horrors. There sat the
black nurse.
Aunt Agnes was looking straight out
of the window. But what change
from that demure look she had worn
till we reached the tunnel. She was
making SpaSmodic efforts to keep back
her mirth; her eyes We're dancing a
hornpipe. and every now and then a
convulsive ripple that she could not
control swept over her. AS for the
nurse, she looked as If she had been
highly honored at being kissed by a
white man.
And l, what shall l say for myself?
No apple hanging from a tOpmost bough
in the sunlight was ever redder than
my whole face. Oh. that | could sink
under the seats and hide myself from
those twinkling eyes that now occa-
sonalIy turned my way! But no, l
must stay where l was till the train
reached my station, and, though it was
a matter of four or five miles, it |
seemed fifty.
Aunt Agnes left the train at the sta |
ton next before mine. By this time |
her merriment had come under control, |
and as she passed out nothing but a
faint smile lowered o<er her beautiful |
lips. John insisted that had won the |
bet and wished to pay the amount, but |
1 told him that if ever he mentioned |
the circumstance again it would be n |
cause of war.
OF course / left no stone unturned |
to learn who was Aunt Agnes. 1 |
found that she was teacher in deaf |
mute school. / had been chatting with |
John about her, not dreaming that she |
was NOPE familiar with the sign Ian |
grIage than either of us. l made a |
VOW l declared that l would touch |
neither wine nor tobacco till l had |
taken the taste of the nurses kiss
from my lips by an antidote- That |
antidote should be kiss from the lips |
of Aunt Agnes.
1 made the lady's acquaintance and |
was received with an amused smile. |
L paid her a great deal of attention,
watching for an opportunity to snatch |
a kiss. She seemed to read my de- |