Rock Island Argus., 1908-07-29

william Ih0maS OSbOn' was the
way the name was written in the big
family Bible, but since he had grad
uated from curls and short skirts and
willie" he had been Bill" to all the
boys and "Will'' to all the girls. Only
the occasional appearance of a letter
addressed In full reminded him that
his name was both sonorous and i'm
pressive
Like Peter Pan, Osbon never had
grown up. He had arrived at the dig
| nifty of a mustache, and since his fa-
| doubled the capacity and capital OF
Osbon & Son, yet he was still the
same light hearted. apparently care
| free Bill Osbon that, he had been In
his boyhood and his college days.
Therein lay the source of his great
| trouble.
From the time she first could toddle
| about until he had left for college Bet
| ty Durand had been his almost con-
slant companion. About the same time
| she had gone to a finishing school. and
| when they had returned Osbon found
that there had arisen great barrier
| between them.
| Betty had developed ideals, and her
boyish sweetheart-boyish still-did
not measure up to her romantic stand
ards. She still liked Osbon except
when he spoke of love, but Osbon was
| too genuinely light hearted to play the
| lovesick swain, and when he spoke of
| love with a smile upon his lips Betty
| was wont to frown.
| Its utterly absurd TO ask me to mar
| ~ you," she had declared. Il like you
| awfully well, Will, but l must respect
and look up to the man l marry"
II see," was the light hearted re-
| sponse. "You want to be miserable
though married"
Betty frowned again at this exhibit
tor of levity at so important a mo-
nnent and assured herself that she was
right in her refusal to marry Osbon
Augustus Esterbrooke seemed to an
swer to Betty's description of an IDEAL.
He was tall, dark. mysterious and
handsome in saturnine way. No one
ever dreamed of addressing him as
Gus" and he moved majestically in
little world of his own, where the
cares and worries of everyday exist
ence were not permitted to intrude
Esterbrooke had inherited wealth and
estates, wherefore he despised the lit
tie things of prosaic everyday life.
1t was characteristic of Osbon tha;
he smiled as he saw the majestic Es
terbrooke escorting Betty down the
dock at the end of which lay the little
steamer chartered for the Sunday
school excursion down the lake.
Osbon was keenly conscious that ht
wanted Betty to be his companion, as
she had always been in those early
years when they had eaten mixture
of cake and sandwiches and deviiet
, eggs out of the same shoe box and bat
been supremely content.
1t was all different now. Ester
brooke's man solemnly bore an Eng
lish lunch hamper and rugs and wraps
enough for score.
Betty smiled in friendly fashion
upon Osbon, who was darting from
crowd to crowd, exchanging jes
here, giving a word Of greeting Their
: and doing his best to inspire the hofl
day spirit.
He paused for moment to exchang
> a word with Betty; then Esterbrook
led her of to the upper deck. wher
they could make themselves comfort
, able I'm the shade of the pilothouse
: Passengers were not allowed on tn
upper deck, but Esterbrooke held
block of stock in the transportatio
: company owning the feet of thre
= steamers plying the lake, and he wa
a privileged person.
The pair were not again visible t
the rest of the picnickers until tn
- grove was reached: then the seryau