Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-08
DAILY. STORY
WINNING A PAIR OF GLOVES.

4
cies. In the many qualities that mad
up her identity rashness and sensitive
ness were mingled in equal proper
lions. Now, there are no two trait.
| that are worse fitted to go together
| and Miss Ford was constantly in trou
BILE on account of them. When enter
| ing upon some rash scheme she would
| walk on the tiptoe of pleasurable eX
| element. When suffering the conSe
! quences, which were almost always
| sure to come. she would be plunged
into a profundity of remorse and NOR
| tification.
When Leslie Ford, her brother, came
| home from college to spend the Christ
| mas holidays he brought with hin
! Pierce Keen, fellow member of the
senior class. Keen was one of those
young men who look on life and its
problems seriously and was taken VI
with the choice of a career, which
choice he must make in few months
He was sober and dignified. He had
very little small talk He did nothing
except after elaboration. In short, he
was Numerically antipodal TO Anita
Ford.
Miss Ford saw at once a great deal
of amusement in Mr.. Keen. She
would mimic his deliberate way of
speaking, his slow, automatic walk.
his habit of clearing his throat before
expressing an opinion and the thought
full manner in which he spoke. All
these things interested her intensely.
Indeed, Mr.. Keen's peculiarities were
4 a
realize that his sterling qualities were
gaining an influence over her.
A wood fire was always lighted in
the afternoon in the library, and Mr.
Keen used to spend a good deal of
time there with the books. One after
noon Miss Ford entered to find him
reclining in an easy chair with
slanting back, n book open on his lap.
asleep. She saw Il chance to win a
pair of gloves. Stepping lightly to the
chair, she stopped and barely touched
his forehead with her lips. Then, with
q glance to make sure she had not
awakened him, her little heart beating
a hundred strokes minute, she stole
rapidly away.
When they met again, Anita, with an
Keen in the face, dreading lest she
should see some evidence that lie had
been conscious of the kiss. But. no;
there was not the slightest sign of such
consciousness.
You must have read every book in
the library, Mr.. Keen" she said naive
ly, Judging by the time you spend
there"
mot this afternoon" he replied, with
his usual precision 81 found the fire
so comfortable that fell asleep"
Miss Ford did not dare trust her
self 10 say more. Her eyes were dane
ing, and she feared she might let drop
some word TO induce suspicion.
The holidays were soon ended, and
the two students went back to col
lege. After their departure Anita was
astonished to find an aching void in
her heart she had never felt before.
Indeed, she did not know what 1t was.
That it could be a 'dawning love for
the serious, methodical Keen she did
not dream. Nevertheless his manner
isms were before her every minute.
"Confound that fellow she said to her
self. Must he be constantly thrusting
his primness before meF'
A week after the young men had re-
turned to college n package came by
express addressed to Anita Ford. Tear
ing off the cover, there, wrapped in
tissue paper, was pair of gloves.
To say that Miss Anita Ford was
crushed Is to put it mildly. The prim
Mr.. Keen had been aware of the kiss
she had given him. What must he
think of her? His estimate of her she
conjured up was something like the
view lion would take of mouse
that had been presumptuous enough to
play with his claws. But if she was
plunged into Il slough of self condem-
nation at the receipt of the gloves she
was an hour later thrown into frenzy
on the arrival of a letter from the
sender saying that he felt emboldened
by having received so emphatic mark
Of her favor to offer her his heart and
hand
The paroXysm that followed the re-
ceipt of this announcement soon found
vent, like the first escape of hot steam,
In tears. The next change was the in
closure of the letter and the gloves in
the box in which the latter had come
md the sending Of them straight back
to Mr.. Keen. The third condition was
l craving for revenge. The fourth, |
which did not come for several days. |
was a gradual settling down to the |
realization that condition of enmity |
with the man she had kissed would |
lrive her mad.
AS the waters of whirlpool may be |
seen lower down the stream flowing |
so did this frightful COM |
Dlication after a long period of transit |
ion resolve itself into what it meant |
n the first place-love and eventually |
One day Mrs. Keen asked her hus- |
,and why he had 'insulted'' her with |
he gloves and the proposal. AS usual, |
lie thought awhile before replying, then |
poke with his usual precision:
"Quos Deus vult perdere prius de- |
nentat"