Rock Island Argus., 1906-10-12
DAILY STORY
THE GIRL OPPOSITE.


the hotel opposite mine.
] never tired of looking at her and
wondering about her. She was quaint,
and when have said that l have said
all 1 can say by way of description.
1 fancied her an embryo actress or one
ambitious to be an actress. Then l
put her down as a would be scribbler,
one who would, IL she could, write
stories of the Ouida kind. Whatever
/ thought her, l never attributed to her
anything commonplace.
Her room fronted mine Before ap-
pearing dressed for the afternoon and
evening she would stand before her
mirror combing her hair. And such
hair! 1t was ravishing. Its depth and
length were only to be compared to a
high cataract. On one occasion when
she was walking from the window
saw that it swept the floor. Every
afternoon at 3 1 would take my posi-
ton at my window, close the blind SO
as not to be observed and watch
through the stats for her to display
her magnificent tresses.
One evening, returning from a walk
in the mountains, l passed the DevirS
we'll. A stream tumbled over a ledge,
and beneath was a basin which small
boys said had no bottom. 1t was the
well. AS approached woman came
from beside 1t, and through the dusk
l recognized the girl opposite She
was alone and a long way from the
village.
You are out late" L said, ''for
woman Aron't Won q afrai ~
THE place fascinates me-" she re
Is it very lateT'
Eight o'clock, and the twilight is not
so long as it was earlier in the sum-
mer"
You are a gentleman; 1 know you
are. There is freemasonry between
ladies and gentlemen which circum-
stances cannot do away with. I'm
sure I can trust you to take me to the
hotel"
you may, certainly
She put her arm through mine. cling
ing to me as though frightened at the
loneliness of the place. We walked
between towering rocks and along the
margin of the stream, which now boil
self into little lagoons. Coming to a
bridge under which it flowed. she
stopped and leaned on the rail. but not
releasing her hold on my arm. The
full moon shone through the narrow
gorge. the beetling crags standing out
in bold silhouette on either side.
Isn't it beautiful?' she said, turn
ing her face to mine.
The moonlight softened her complex
ion. 1t lighted her eyes. Her lips We're
in close proximity to mine. What
could / do? What did do? I kissed
them.
what have you done?' she walled.
81 have trusted to your honor, and
you have taken advantage of a poor
girl in this lonely spot
Forgive me-" I said The tenpta-
ton was too much for me. 1 will not
offend again
We walked ON. Not for a moment
did she cease to cling to me. leaning
more and more upon me as we pro-
ceeded. She seemed tired, for, though
L bore a great deal of the weight, l
could not get her on except at
snail's pace. Every now and again.
when we reached a spot where the
stream wound far below US and the
face of the rock shot up far above us,
she would pause and, leaning on a
guard rail, look out upon the moonlit
scene, apparently forgetful of the hour
or her distance from her hotel. And
1. too, was forgetful. 1 forgot more
than once that 1 was a gentleman
with a lady under my protection, and
q kiss was the result Of each failure
to remember.
Was 1t the wildness of the place or
the girl that cast a spell over me? At
any rate was bewitched. 1t was near
midnight when we reached her hotel
and stood in a dark corner of the
piazza, 1 holding her hand and pour
ing forth a torrent of words, every one
glowing with love. Then after a rap
turous kiss she stole into the house,
while I went across the road and up
to my room.
1 caught sight of my face in the mir
ror. My eyes were as wild as the en-
virons of the Devils we'll. My heart
was beating like drum. I wondered
II the girl was not a denizen Of the
spot so aptly named. Was not her stay
at the hotel opposite a pretense, her
real home at the bottom Of the well?
AS looked at my excited image the
spell fell away and / cursed myself
for fool. Undressing, 1 got into bed,
leaving open the shutter, and the moon
shone through the window. 1 was
again in the gorge. We were standing |
IN the bridge. 1 was enthralled.
The next morning fed. Before any |
IF the guests had risen was on a
rain steaming for the city. When 1 |
1t I dragged myself into the |
dingy street and to the de- |
serted house where I lived. There I |
struggled till midnight TO resist a
to go back to my enthrall- |
nent.
In a week was myself again.