Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-12

Writers describe as a "foreboding of
disaster" but when l have it it's gen.
orally connected with lecture from,
mother, SO 1 know it only as sneaky
81 haven't eaten the cream sort of
feeling.
! Just as had begun to take off my
frock Louise appeared at the door
which leads into the little drawing
room. She said that If l pleased
madam would be glad to see me in
her cabin. 1 hurried across to the
other stateroom opposite to ours and
there found Mrs. Ess. Kay in gor-
geously embroidered pink satin Japa-
nese thing which she calls kimona.
She was sitting in chair in front of
the makeshift dressing table putting
on her rings and clasping bracelets
on her wrists with vicious snaps. Sal
ly, who hadn't begun TO dress. was
standing up looking almost cross
that is, with different features from
hers she might have succeeded in
looking cross.
'Sit down, Betty, please, 1 want to
talk to you," said Mrs. Ess Kay.
Somehow it always makes me feel
stiff when she "Betty's" me, as my
;, old nurse says it does with your ears
\ if you eat broad beans
IF / do l shall be late for dinner"
said l, Just as If minute ago hadn't
been dying to pour out my news.
"Never mind dinner. my dear girl"
replied Mrs. Ess Kay, with an air
which I do believe she tried to copy
from mother What have to say is
more important than dinner. l hope
what I have been hearing isn't true"
. 'That depends upon what it was"
!; 1 retorted, Disgusting my pertness
with a smile.
Don't think I've been tattling," said
Sally. whatever my faults may be,
, l haven't rubber neck"
, didn't know In the least what she
; meant. But afterward she explained
that if your neck is always pivoting
around to pry into other peoples af-
fairs it is a rubber neck, and l shall
remember the expression to tell Stan
when l go home. He will like to add
it to his collection of strange beasts.
Mrs. Ess Kay partly turned her back
upon Sally. THE dear duchess" (she
always speaks of mother In that way,
: "the dear duchess has intrusted you
to my charge. Betty, and don't know
, what l shall do if you take advantage
, of me by playing naughty tricks when
ever l am incapacitated from chape-
t roning you for half an hour
One would have thought l was a
trained dog. l simply stared with sau-
Ger eyes, and she went on. Mrs. Col
, lingwood came in to inquire for my
[ headache, and she told me that you
) have been running about begging for
/ money to give to a common man in
the steerage. l sent instantly for Sal
", but she either knows or pretends
1 to know nothing
/ rushed into explanations, sure that
} when Mrs. Ess Kay understood
. should be pronounced mot guilty
{ But, to my surprise, her chin grew
l squarer and squarer and her eyes
e harder and lighter till they looked al
! most white.
2 II don't want to be harsh" she said
r at last in the tone people use when
they're walking on the ragged edge OF
b their patience, but for the duchess
e sake l must be firm 1t was very
f wrong of Tommy Doremus to let you
d make yourself so conspicuous. This
e may lead to your being dreadfully
It misunderstood and putting yourself
+ and all of us in false position. The
e man may be a butcher, for all yor
e know"
His complexion isn't pink and white
= enough for butchers" said l. BE
d sides, L thought that in America one
J. man was as good as another
l. "You We're never more mistaken il
it your life, my dear girl, and the sooner
you correct such an impression th'
better or you may get into seriou:
trouble from which l can't save you
If the steerage man isn't a butcher
he's probably a professional swimme
and the whole thing was a scheme t.
advertise himself In fact, / am pref
ty certain from what Mrs. Colling
wood said it was that. And 1 wan
you to promise me solemniy that yo'
will not go around helping to adver
tise the creature any more. If you 81.
you admire such person. people viii
think you're like the matinee girl
who wait at stage doors and run afte
actors"
l was so angry that talked back,
and it finally ended in our relation
being somewhat strained at dinner
which ruined my appetite until pc
culiarly soothing iced pudding cam
ON.
Afterward Mrs. Ess Kay was coo
to Mr.. Doremus and would have beer
* cold 1 think, If he weren't Mrs. Val
der Windt's cousin. He lounged NJ
lie to- our place on deck to give me thu
Ut news that the third class hero (as b.
b. calls the bronze young NAM refused
to be second class. He had asked
he permission to give the cabin Offered
N him to the child whose life he hat
a. saved and the mother.
l Its for you to say yes or no, Lad.
at Betty" announced Mr.. Doremus, "be
to cause it's your show. You set the to-
spinning"