Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-07
DAILY STORY
A KNOT THAT REMAINED TIED.


crimson and brown. One dab larger
than the rest. a splotch of white-a
girls parasol-mingled not fnharmoni-
ously with the variegated leaves. Be-
meath was a still larger dab Of pearl,
beside which walked a long streak Of
gray. Nature is wonderful painter,
and on this occasion she laid on the
colors with all the recklessness Of a
demented impressionist.
Its very beautiful" she said, "but
that in a few weeks / shall be back
in town"
"You have the advantage of the few
weeks. 1 shall so tomorrow"
"And you're not coming up again"
''Not this season"
'Oh, dear! Why must pleasures
end? I've had delightful summer"
"Why more delightful than any
other SUMMER
81 don't know"
"Then I can't give a reason for you.
I've been up here only this one sum-
mer. I can't compare it with Others"
you've been up four times this sea-
SON."
You mean a dozen"
"a dozen? l thought 1t was only
four. But your visits have been very
short, only two or three days each"
He glanced sidewise into her face,
while she looked away at the river,
sprinkled with the fallen leaves.
"You seem sad" he remarked.
Autumn Is q sad season. Besides,
having had so pleasant a summer, 1t
is especially sad to be reminded that
it is ended"
MY summer has been just the re-
verse"
She turned and looked at him inquir-
ingly with her brown eyes.
Yes he went on. cutting a sumac
with his cane. 1--WE been bothered"
Lowering her eyes, she noticed that
her shoestring was united. She
paused and put out her foot, and he
stopped and tied it.
"And what has bothered you?" she
asked languidly.
"Do you see those leaves drifting on
the surface of the river?"
Yes. Aren't they pretty?"
"They have no power of their own.
It's all in the current. Where it takes
| them they go. That red one, for in
| mill: then it will either swirl down the
| flume or sail on to the dam and pitch
| down on to the rocks below
Poor little leaf.'
He gave her a quick glance, then
asked, do you follow me-
| Follow you? I'm following the leaf
I'm very much interested in the poor
thing. Perhaps some fisher maiden IL
| boat may be captivated by its rich
tcolor. take it in and clasp it to her
breast"
"The leaf. as 1 said, is either drawn
into the mill race or goes over the
/ dam
"But the fisher maiden-will she &C
into the race or over the dam too?"
HIN, That's the most distressing
feature. The fisher maiden in trying
to save the fellow-I mean the leaf
may bring about her own discount
ture"
us she very near the DAMP"
ION the verge"
II thought you said it might be thu
Hume
1T doesn't matter which it is i'm
potently.
"Well, if she's on the verge it seem:
to me it's too late for her to save her
self. She'll have to go over
This was not all that he had beer
angling for. The question remained
Would the fisher maiden go over tn,
dam with pleasure? So he said:
"That would be hard on her.
would have been much better for he
to have left the leaf to perish"
Rather she should not have beer
Caught DS us DTlllldul cOlOT.
} This was getting nearer to the point
He looked down for inspiration-lov
ers are not apt to look up for it-as t,
his next move and noticed that her re
fractory shoestring was again trailing
in the dust.
eff you will go and sit on that rocl
down there under those dropping tree
1 can get at 1t better"
They descended a bank. and she sa
4 down on the rock, putting out wei
shaped foot, contriving to let bit o
s lingerie show under the edge of he
a skirt. He knelt before her and too
the shoestrings In his fingers.
This time" she said, "try to ii
g knot that will not come unloosened.
!. 81 wish l could"
"Would you like me to find ma
who canT' coquettishly.
81 know one who can tie knot tina
, would suit me exactly"
"Who?
1.-THE bishop"
Ha poya uuick glance ahorf hin