Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-17

when Miss Mary CleyeS, forty years
old and aunt of Eileen Cleves, not yet
quite half those years, accepted the re-
sponsibility of acting as chaperon to
the young lady for few weeks stay
in the Berkshire hills she determined
to, do her duty at all costs.
They had scarcely reached the hotel
selected when that duty confronted
her. Paul Clifford, the artist, crossed
their path. The young people had
many mutual friends in town, but
had never been introduced.
In any hotel in the Berkshires, the
Catskills or on the seashore hand
some young girl and a bachelor artist
of note, with romance still leashed IN
his soul, are bound to meet sooner or
later if given half show
Such meetings come about by acct
dent, or Providence takes d hand, and
the first thing they know they have
introduced themselves to each other
and are talking about art and motor
trips through Europe.
Aunt Mary understood this; also that
she was there to prevent it. She
would insist on Formally to the bitter
end. She did insist Even when she
and Miss Eileen in walking out one
day were suddenly confronted by a
snake as much as nine inches long
and screamed and the artist came run
ming up and saved their lives from
the monster she stood on formality
and insisted that her charge do the
same. The artist hero was dismissed
with a formal bow and went his way
with an odd sense of their ingratitude
gnawing at his heart.
Three or four days later. however.
family with whom he was well ac-
quainted in the city arrived, and A
formal introduction took place. This
made things all right in one way and
all wrong in another.
He was now privileged to lift his
hat and say good morning, but the old
maid looked upon him as a possible
lover and added many precautions.
She was polite, but she was also vigi.
liant. The artist probably hoped. as
another man would in his place, that
in time she would thaw out. and he
held himself ready day and night for
| more heroic deeds.
Around the second story of the hotel
| ran a veranda, and the three parties IN
| the case had rooms opening on to this
promenade. One afternoon as the aunt
| was parading up and down the veran
da she noticed that the artist was in his
| room writing a letter. She at once
| suspected that it was a note to be
passed to Miss Eileen at the first ia
vorable opportunity.
The chaperon was disturbed, but de
| termined. She promenaded cIeal
around the house. and upon her return
she beheld a sheet of note paper. lying
on the floor. She also saw that the
artist had stepped out of his room.
draft had caught up the letter he wa:
writing and drawn it through the oper
window
Aunt Mary was woman of tn,
sternest principles. She reasoned /
out in a moment that she had no mo
raj right to that note. 1t was for he
to ignore its existence and continue
/ YET pTomendue, Out d. at once lie
stern principles took tumble.
She stopped. seized the sheet an,
fed to her room, which was next T.
that of her niece. Even then it wa
not too late to save her lifelong prin
ciples untarnished. She could hav
torn the sheet into fragments befor
reading the lines written thereon. Sh
could. but she didn't. She read even t
the last word. and moment later sh
was in the room of her niece. saying:
Il suspected it from the first! He 1
a cold biooded wretch
who is, auntie?' was the natura
/ query.
AIR. Clifford. I have found him on
Just In time. Oh. 3the perfidy Of il