Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-03

y,
and they walked forward together in
silence for awhile until she had made
up her mind what to say and how to
express 1t. - ae,-
Captain Selwyn, there are two
things that you do which seem to me
unfair You still have at times that
faraway, absent expression which ex-
cludes me, and when I venture to
break the silence you have a way Of
answering, Yes, child and No. child
as though you were inattentive and l
had not yet become an adult That is
my first complaint. What are you
laughing at? 1t is true, and it con-
fuses and hurts me, because l know
am intelligent enough and old
enough toto be treated as a woman
a woman attractive enough to be reck-
oned with! But I never seem to be
wholly so to you"
The laugh died out as she ended.
For a moment they stood there con-
fronting one another,
"Do you imagine" he said in a low
voice, that / do not know all that?
Il don't know whether you do. For
all your friendship-for all your liking
ynd your kindness to me-somehow-I
I don't seem to stand with you as
other women do. I don't seem to stand
| their chanceS.'
what chancesY
''The-the consideration. You don't
| call any other woman Child do you?
| You don't constantly remind other wo-
| men of the difference in your ages, do
you? You don't feel with other women
that you are, as you please to call 1t,
hors concours-out of the running.
| And somehow with me it humiliates,
because, even If l. am the sort of girl
| who never means to marry, you-youI
attitude seems to take away the pos
sibility Of my changing my mind. 1t
dictates to me, giving me no choice, no
liberty, no personal freedom in the
matter. It's as though you considered
me somehow utterly out of the ques-
tion-radicalfy unthihkable as a wom-
an. And you assume to take for grant
ed that / also regard you aS-as hors
concours. Those are my grievances,
Captain Selwyn. And / don't regard
you so. And land 1t troubles me to
be excluded-to be found wanting, in
adequate in anything that woman
should be. / know that you and
have no desire to marry each other,
but-but please don't make the reason
for it either your age or my physical
immaturity or intellectual inexperi-
ence."
One of those weather stained seats
Of Georgia marble stood imbedded
under the trees near where she had
halted, and she seated herself, out
wardly composed and inwardly little
frightened at what she had said.
AS for Selwyn, he remained where
he had been standing on the lawns
velvet edge, and. raising her eyes
again, her heart misgave her that she
had wantonly strained friendship
which had been all but perfect. and
now he was moving across the path
toward her, a curious look IN his face
which she could not interpret. She
looked up as he approached and
stretched out her hand.
Forgive me, Captain Selwyn," she
said. Il am q child-a spoiled one
and 1 have proved it to you. VIII you
sit here beside me and tell me very
gently what a fool am to risk strain
ing the friendship dearest to me in the
whole world? And will you fix my
| penanee?
"You have fixed 1t yourself" he said.
"How?'
"By the challenge of your woman
hood"
az did not challenge"
"No; you defended. You are right.
The girl | cared for-the girl who was
there with me on Brier Water-so many,
many centuries ago-the girl who,
years ago, leaned there beside me on
the sundial-has become memory"
"What do you meanP she asked
family.
"Shall tell your
Eyes"
"You win not be unhappy II tell
you"
"N-no."
'Have you any idea what I am
going to say, Elleen?"
She looked up quickly, frightened at
the tremor in his voice.
"Don't-dont say 1t, Captain Sci
wynn
"Will you listen as a penance"
'1-no, cannot"
He said quietly: 81 was afraid you
could not listen. You see, Eileen, that
after all, man does know when he Is
done for"
Captain Selwynw She turned and
caught his hands In both of hers, heI
eyes bright with tears. as that the
penalty for what said? Did you
think invited this?'
Invited! No. child" he said gen
tly. 81 was fool enough to believe In
myself; that is all. l have always
been on the edge of loving you. Only
in dreams did II ever dare set FOOT
across that fronfief Now 1 have
dared. love you. That is all, and II
must not distress YOU
But 1T does not" she said. II have
always loved you-dearly, dearly. No
in that way. i don't know how. MUS
1t be in that way. Captain Selwyn.
II