Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-15
DAILY STORY
A FEMININE COUP D'ETAT.
IOriginal.l

In Washington, where the society is
transient, one constantly meets people
who appear under the disadvantage OF
being unknown. While attending d re-
ception there held by the wife of Il
cabinet officer l saw young lady sit
ting by herself who seemed TO me 10
fall under this category. l could not
but feel that if she remained in the
swim for any considerable time in
stead of being wallflower she would
become u center of attraction. | was
wondering whom | could get to intro
duce me to her when she surprised me
by bowling to me.
My first thought was that had met
her somewhere. my second that she
had mistaken me for some other per
son. She looked an invitation for me
to join her. and l started to do Sc
when | saw young man i'll naval uni
form also going toward her. | hest
tGted, but she kept her eyes on me,
and interpreted her look to mean that
| was her choice. The naval officer
evidently saw the same thing. for he
turned in another direction So | join
Ell Tue ItllON liz tbHN tlllOilui
lines, | concealed the fact that | did
not remember her though | felt quite
sure she had erred in my identity. |
spoke of the nOtableS present and, as
Stunning that she was Il stranger. point
ed many of them out to her. | con
fess | did most of the talking. for the
girl seemed distract and TO tell the
ia inf
ested Indeed. several times she made
remarks entirely Irrelevant To the sub
ject of conversation. She said nothing
to show that she supposed me To he
some one else made no blunder III
speaking of my position, family OF
friends.
Presently we arose and strolled
through the rooms passing senators,
supreme court judges. cabinet officers.
members of the diplomatic corps and
other distinguished people. My com
paniOu seemed to he unimpreSSed by
them. but there was one person who
produced quite a different effect.
That was the young naval officer who
had started to join her when | had
done SO. Whenever he passed us |
could feel her hand tighten on my
! arm. He always looked at her intent
ly. wistfully and | thought reproach-
fully. l would have given way 10 him,
but my companion gave me no oppOr-
tunity to do so. | gave her chances to
drop me, but she did not avail herself
of them. Toward the close she drew
me To Il room where she could see the
guests passing out. | was standing
looking in another direction when l
heard her give Il sight seemed To me
a sigh of rclief-and she asked me to
take her to her mother. she led me
toward an elderly lady, but before we
reached her bid me formal good
evening and fastened on alone.
The next afternoon l met my COM
panion of the evening before on one
of the residence avenues and received
dead cut
had thought that there could be no
inconsistency of WOmankind that |
was not prepared for. but this went
further than anything | bad ever eA-
perienced. The girl had taken me up
for q purpose. But what purpose?
Was il to pique the naval officer? l
did not think SO.
| have one rule with wOmen-not to
do what they expect. The girl who
had used me would doubtless wait for
me to seek an acquaintance, 50 | made
no move in that direction. | met '-er
often in society, and, as / had preSum-
| ed, she became Il central figure. Final
| ly at a ball 1 was casually presented
to her. / greeted her as Il perfect
| stranger. She put her arm through
mine and drew me away to a quiet
corner.
IF the mountain won't come to Mo
| manned" she said, "Mohammed must
go to the mountain"
(Which. being interpreted. means
that you have an explanation to make
And | am sure you will make it
easy for me-"
That l have done from the first"
| what did you think when l spoke
to you at the reception
That you We're mistaken in my
identity"
And when failed to recognize you
at meeting you afterwards"
THAT you had discovered your mis-
take"
NONSENSE. You needn't make it as
easy for me as all that. You knew
had used you for purpose"
Il am delighted to have been of
service to you"
Il must make n clean breast of it.
You will not have good opinion OF
me, but l can't help that. Anything
will bring me more blame than the
truth. You saw Lieutenant Baxter
coming to join me. Well, we had had
an affair"
You mean he was then having an
affair"
Il had encouraged him."
! "Flirted him."
IL knew he must leave on a midnight
train to join his ship and sail the next
day. If he Joined me should have to
/ listen to-
"A proposal"
sT ayacutad a noup d.ato+ NO +ho