Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-10
Copyright. 1907. by Robert W. Chambers
3 .sss 8 8 q 8 e = s;

colored paper lanterns, dancing had
already begun, but Selwyn and Ell
leen fingered on the lawn for awhile,
fascinated by the beauty Of the fire.
works pouring skyward from the Mo
brara.
They seem to be very gay aboard
her." murmured the girl. ''Once you
said that you did not like Mr.. Neer-
gard. Do you remember saying 1T?
He replied simply, II don't like him.
and remember saying So"
TT is strange" she said, "that Ger
aid does"
Selwyn looked at the Illuminated
yacht. Il wonder whether any Of
Neergard's crowd is expected ashore
here. Do you happen to know?"
She did not know. A moment later,
to his annoyance. Edgerton Lawn
came up and asked her to dance, and
she went. with q smile and Il whis-
pered Wait for me, if you don't mind /;
I'll come back to YOU"
At intervals he caught glimpses of
Eileen through the gay crush around
MIN. 11C bSlt4NCu w mia anu GUS
Sested to her it was time to leave,
but that young matron had tasted just
enough to want more. and Eileen, too,
was evidently having a most delight
full time. So he settled into the har-
ness of pleasure and was good to the
pink and white ones, and they told
each other what dear" he was and
l., ho n
ever.
Truly enough, as he had often said,
these younger ones were the charm
ingly wholesome and refreshing anti
dote to the occasional misbehavior of
the mature. They were, as he also as
serted. the hope and promise of the
social fabric of nation, this younger
set.
Supper and then the Woodland CO.
tillon was the programme, and almost
all the tables were filed before Selwyr
had an opportunity to collect Nina and
Austin and capture Eileen from very
rosy checked and indignant boy who
had quite lost his head and heart and
! appeared to be on the verge Of head
long declaration.
Its only Percy Draymores kid
brother" she explained, passing bel
arm through his with a little sigh OF
satisfaction. "Oh. here come Nina
and Austin. How pretty the table:
look all lighted up among the trees
And such an uproarr' as they came
into the jolly tumult and passed il
among a labyrinth Of tables, greeted
laughingly from every side.
Under a vigorous young oak tire,
thickly festooned with lanterns Aus
tin found an unoccupied table. Their
We're Il great deal of racket and laugh
ter from the groups surrounding them
but this seemed to be the only avail
able spot; besides, Austin was hungry
and he said so.
Nina, with Selwyn on her left, look
ed around for Gerald and Lansing
When the latter came sauntering u
Austin questioned him, but he reptile
carelessly that Gerald had gone to joi
some people whom he, Lansing, d
: not know very well.
"Why, there he is noww exclaime
] Eileen, catching sight Of her brothe
seated among a very noisy group o
5 the outer edge of the illuminated zon'
"Who are those people, Nina? Oh
Rosamund Fame Is there, too; and
4 and
= She ceased speaking SO abruptly thu
1 Selwyn turned around, and Nina b
o her lip in vexatiOn and glanced at be
e husband, for among the overanimate
e and almost boisterous group which ws
f attracting the attention of everybod
in the vicinity sat Mrs. Jack Ruthve
And Selwyn saw her.
For a moment he hooked at her-loo
ed at Gerald beside her, and Neergal
on the other side, and Rosamurd o
posite, and at the others whom he h.
never before seen. Then quietly, b
/. with heightened color, he turned b
d attention to the glass which the ser
8 ant had just filled for him and, res
t. ing his hand on the stem, stared at t
d bubbles crowding upward through
q to the foamy brim.
10 Nina and Boots had begun ostent
le tiously an exceedingly animated co
If versation, and they became almost a
$. gressive, appealing to Austin, who S
d back with q frown on his heavy fat
N and to Eileen, who was slipping b
d mineral water and staring thoughtful
II at big, round, orange tinted lante
n which hung Ii
n - = the harvet
"A sSTlY moon b e b | r
dNw E1AGA Gerald, throwi
E9xt - t3x his curly he
81 IN ,g$SEs into silhouette
4 NSIAli What COW,
S~\ W1y,Es sation there W
n ~ NV to carry, Boz
!, ri and Nina C;
\ rjed AuStin