Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-17
DAILY STORY
HOW SHE SHARED HIM.
lOriginal.l


blank spaces in which to write the an
swers. 1t was impossible to determine
which were the more stupid the ques
tons or the answers that had been Il
written in it. The book was about
half filed, the writer's having been
both masculine and feminine.
l ran my eye down the column of |
questions such as "What is your ia.
vorite color? Your favorite proverb? |
Your age?" When I came to the last |
l paused and asked if the women an
swered that question. She said only |
one had, but she didn't count; she was |
Il practical creature and earned her |
own living. l went on down the list |
us life worth living?" Think of that |
TO he answered by people from sixteen |
to twentysiX, as most of those who |
had filled in the answers We're. What |
is your present thought l paused
again and began to write, THAT the
man Who She stopped me.
Don't write anything disagreeable.
won't have my book spoiled"
l had intended to write, The man
who got up this book did so for idiots
and to fill his pocket at their expense"
Instead l wrote. THE man who is
asked to write in this book should feel
highly complimented."
That's very nice" she said. Il
know how cynical you are, and L
feared you We're going to put in some
thing horrid."
My second thought was that / had
narrowly escaped making an ass of
| myself.
l went on down the list and paused
| ut What is your ambition" These
! questions We're goading me to ruin,
and again | came near making n slip
l started in TO write ITO drink all the
| champagne there is in the world" but
| caught myself when l had written
ITO drink" and finished dew from
| your sweet lips" l had no sooner
written this. which l had considered
high flown compliment. when l real
| lied that it was tantamount to decla-
ration. She was looking over my
shoulder and TO get glimpse of her
face l turned my head. My beard
came i'll contact with the almost invisi
bic down on her cheek.
oh" she exclaimed.
Excuse me-" / said
The glimpse | got satisfied me that
l had stepped Of the river bottom and
must swim. | was startled at the dis
covery, had never been before beyond
my depth and an Indifferent swimmer
at that. Still confess | had been pad
ding around the girl who was about to
well. TO drown me. She says I'm
cynical and | suppose l am, though
am somewhat eXcusabIe in this in
stance, for the word drown" carries
out my simile. l struck out wildly.
That won't do" l said. lin book TO
be seen by any and every body They
, might Think meanwhile it's true
its-shall l scratch it OUT"
OH
o This was no reply to my question,
, but it expressed a lot. Others may not
=, understand what it meant, but l did.
! was ratified. l made dash for the
q next question and read aloud, DO you
!
p, / wanted to write as | felt. II wish
1 knew which it will be for me if |
: settle this matter now" but of course
l couldn't write that. so temporized
and man who temporiZeS with the
girl he courts is lOst-that is, if mar.
riage is n failure. | wrote, 1T depends
upon whether one gets n good wife"
y It's wonder she didn't laugh when
- she saw what | had written, but she
:, didn't. This was Il serious business.
= Don't you think that one sided
y view to take of it?' she said in a soft
voice
- Upon my word exclaimed. was
- getting more and more ratified every
moment. I'll fix it," and | wrote on
;, but in this case l stopped again.
What case?" she asked in the same
: soft tone.
"Why, the case we were talking
!, weren't we talking about case? 81
:, we weren't. How stupid"'
IL "Oh!
What convenient word and how {
girl can use it, I've since tried it my
self, but without the slightest effect
4 ! vi al HILL uSluss IL anu Will
out the softness of voice, the surpris,
in the eyes, the injured look about th'
mouth. One might as well expect
woman to produce an effect by the u.s.
: of a swear word And yet this girl wa
sharing me with it.
You seem to think began ant
paused. Yes. she thought, and she ha,
right to think, but what l was abou
to say wouldn't help matters. Sh
didn't say OH I wished she would
or anything to start me afresh. l turn
ed to the book for a way out. "Wha
is your favorite method of proposalY
The question must have been put 1
for the women, and women who wer
firts at that A man might have
favorite beverage. but never favorit
method of proposal. But with me a
had depended on the nature of thi
next question, and it had gone agains
me. l surrendered at discretion.
wrote de1ibarataIv.