Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-24

chair.
"Come over here. Phil no. close to |
me. l wish to put my hands on your
shoulders, like that Now look at me.
Do you really love me?"
"Sure thing. Ninette."
"And you know l adore you. don't |
your
'Madly, dear, but / forgive you"
mo. / want you to be serious, be- |
cause I'm pretty serious. See. I'm not
smiling now / don't feel like it. be |
cause it is very. very important mat.
ter Phil. this thing that has-has-al
most happened It's about Eileen. And
it really has happened"
"What has she done:" he asked curl
! ously.
His sisters eyes were searching his
very diligently. as though in quest OF
something elusive. and he gazed Sc
reneIy back, the most unsuspicious OF
smiles touching his mouth.
"Phil. dear, young girl-a very
young girls a yapid and uninterest-
| ing proposition to a man of thirty five.
isn't she?"
| "Rather-in some ways"
"In what way is she not?"
"Well. to me. for example she is &C
ceptable as children are acceptable-a
blessed, sweet. clean relief from the
women of the Fanes' set. for example"
like Rosamund"
Eyes. And, Ninette. you and Austin
/ seem to be drifting out of the old cir
cles. the sort that you and l We're ac-
customed to- You don't mind my say
ing it, do you? But there were so many
people in this town who had some
thing besides misunderstanding well
bred, jolly people who had no end Of
good times. but who didn't gamble and
guzzle and stuff themselves and their
! friends. who were not eternally hang
ing around other peoples wives. You
have just asked me whether young
, girl is interesting to me. | answer.
yes, thank God, for the cleaner. saner,
happier hours l have spent this winter
among my own kind have been spent
where the younger set dominated.
They are better than those who bred
them, and IL in time they. too, fall
short they will not fall as far as their
parents. And in their turn when they
look around them at the younger set.
| whom they have taught in the light
and wisdom of their own shortcon-
ings. they will see fresher, sweeter,
lovelier young people than we see now.
And it will continue so. dear. through
the jolly generations. Life is all right
only, like art. it is very, very long
sometimes"
Nina sat silent upon the padded arm
of her chair, looking up at her brother.
Mad preacher, Mad mollah! Dear,
dear felIowr' she said tenderly. "Ali
ills of the world canst thou discount,
but not thine own
"Those, too" he insisted, laughing.
81 had talk with Boots. But any
way I'd already arrived at my own
conclusion that-that-i'm rather over
doing this blighted business"
"PhilT in quick delight
"Yes." he said. reddening nicely;
'between you and Boots and myself
I've decided that I'm going in for-for
whatever any man is going in for
life, Ninette. life to the full and up
to the hilt for miner
81 am going to say something that
is very, very serious and very near
my heart" said Nina.
81 remember" he said. Its about
Eileen, isn't itY
"Ycs, it is about Eileen"
He waited. and again his sisters
eyes began restlessly searching his fol-
something that she seemed unable tC
find.
You make 1t little difficult, Phil
I don't believe l had better speak OF
it."
"Why not?"
''Why. just because you ask me
why not? for example"
as it anything that worries you
about Eileen?"
"N-no not exactly. 1t is-it may be
a phase. and yet / know that If it is
anything at all it is not passing
, phase. She Is different from the ma
jority. you see-very intelligent. very
direct She never forgets, for exam
pie. Her loyalty is quito remarkable
Phil. She is very intense in her-hel
J beliefs, the more so because she Is
unusually free from impulse, ever
quite ignorant of the deeper emotions
or so believed until-untiI'-
, "Is she in love?" he asked.
, "a little PHIL
"Does she admit ftp" he demanded
unpleasantly astonished
, "She admits 1t in a dozen innocent
ways to me. who can understand her
t But to herself she has not admitted It
, l think-could not admit it yet, be
, cause-because"-
"Who is itT" asked Selwyn, and there
was in his voice the slightest under
tone of growl.
t Dear, shall tell you"
"Why not?"
"Because-because, Phil, think thai
} our pretty Eileen is little in low
D wtth-you."
= He Strengthened out to, his full
height, scarlet to the temples. She
dropped her linked fingers in her lap
gazing at him almost sadly.
"Dear, all the things you are prepar
Ing to shout at me are quite useless