Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-27
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
1.-The Maid of Arts BY M. c. Sanford.
Copyright, 1907 by C. H. Sutcliffe)

1t made no difference that she was
pretty and that she was fond of love
stories. like other girls-he knew her
real self behind this mask of coquetry.
She was really naughty, overbearing,
pedantic person with a string of aca-
demic degrees tackled on to her name.
He would round up this little matter
without any sentimental nonsense.
"Oh. yes" he said in his dignifed,
legal msnnar. you probably refer to
the day you dropped your handker- :
chief on my face. Here it is. l am
glad TO he able to return it to you.
And here is your college pin also. |
found it near the fence where you had
been carving your initials"
He handed both souvenirs to her
with a cold solemnity he had difficulty
in convincing himself was genuine.
The girl looked at the pin carefully,
glanced up at Richard n moment in
perplexity and then burst out laugh
ing.
THANK you," she said finally, recov
ering herself. But why do you i'm
| agine the pin belongs to me?"
|
| pride how he had traced the mono
gram on the fence, the pin and the
| handkerchief.
II cannot he mistaken, Miss Tudor,2
he finished confidently. You see.
discovered your identity some time
ago. You did carve the initials on the
| fence, didn't you?"
| Yes
And you did drop the handkerchief
over my eyes?"
"It blew out of my hand"
Same thing. And you are stopping
at the Sea Cliff, aren't your
| Yes"
Richard made a gesture expressive
of the futility of stating further evil
dence
The girl made an effort to check her
amusement.
~ will take up your points in Sc
auence.'' she announced, with mock
gravity, looking at him with a frank
ness so charming that he forgot his
dislike of her and smiled back indul-
gently.
First, did carve the initials in the
fence, but they were the initials of the
girl who was with me; second. it was
she who lost the pin, and, third, the
initials on the handkerchief are not
II. t"
Then you are not Helen Tudor?"
exclaimed Richard, with such evident
relief that the girl burst out laughing
again. And you don't write clever
theses and tack A. MS ON to your
name?'
The girl shook her head
Richard took up her handkerchief,
which was lying in her lap.
1T certainly looks like H. T. to me-"
he said. examining the monogram
: closely. Il am not yet convinced"
= The girl handed him the water soak
ed novel, open at the fly leaf.
: ITO Theodore Harnett," he read
aloud.
He took out his pencil and began
scribbling beneath the inscription The
girl looked over his shoulder
Theodore, adore YOU That was
as far as Iris foolishness had a chance
to go, for in flash Theodore had
snatched the book from his hands and
sped like a deer over the rocks.
Come back tomorrow" he called
\ land tell me how the story ends
And she did-and not only that day
but the next and the next, until the
end of their own story, like that in the
: water soaked novel, came with the
asking of question and an answer
= short, but sweet.
But, oh, how near you came t.
marrying III. T., didn't you. Richard?'
laughed Theodore bewitchingly. well
! she's welcome to all the A. Ms ant
other degrees she deserves. I'm hap
: Ply with just V. D."
There's one degree that's yours b!
nature, little maid of arts" sait
u Richard lovingly Cupid must hav,
conferred it on you at your christening
!, 1t isn't acquired from books, not eveI
from water soaked novels