Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-09
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
What's in a Namely Martha Cobb Sanford
Copyrghted, 1908. by Associated LITERARY

Just ahead of her Barbara King
caught sight of Bertram Mathews
Thanking her lucky stars that he had
not caught sight of her first, she dart
ed through the wide open doors of the
library building and rested for a few
minutes against one of the large mar
BILE columns in the lobby.
After she had given Mathews plenty
of time to pass she ventured to the
| door and reconnoitered cautiously.
Heavens! He had turned around and
| was coming straight toward the libra
ry, Barbara bounded up the stairs like
an antelope and disappeared.
With no apparent signs of haste or
purpose Bertram Mathews followed
her lead. At the top of the broad flight
| of stairs, however. he came to a stand
still and leisurely scanned the long,
| empty. corridor.
AS there was nothing to indicate
which way the golden haired vision
had fed, he started on lazy stroll
through the maze of special reading
rooms, sure of finding her somewhere
| 1t was clever of him, he unused, to
have crossed Barbara's trail without
her knowing it. He smiled at the
| thought of her blushing surprise when
he should unexpectedly stumble upon
her. What would she have to say to
him?
He was aware that he was deliber-
ately forcing >Barbara's answer after
yielding to her entreaty for an inter
regnum of courtship which would ter
inmate only by strictly accidental
meeting. But it had been two whole
weeks since he last proposed to Bar
bara, and human restraint has its
limitations.
Barbara didn't blush. however, nor
was she the least surprised when Ber-
tram at last discovered her in the Sc
cluded nook reserved for legal refer
ence. So absorbed was she in reading
a popular fiction magazine that his
presence failed to establish that tele-
pathic communication proverbially sup
Iposed to exist between lovers.
Bertram, his eyes dancing mischie-
vously, tiptoed daringly near her and
then passed out to the catalogue files.
Lifting down the drawer labeled "Ba,"
he ran his fingers rapidly over the
cards until he found two titles that
evidently suited him.
With punctilious deliberation he cop
led these on a little printed slip and
after filling in the blank spaces pre-
} pared-for the readers name and seat
number handed 1t in at the delivery
desk and waited developments.
Before long a small, freckle faced
page In brass buttoned uniform tripped
by him toward the legal reference
room, one small book under his arm
Bertram followed at safe distance.
Zone of ems out, miss" announced
the page. indicating with grimy fin
ger Cancelled title on the slip of pa
per which he handed Barbara
"'Why Men Remain Bachelors
read Barbara aloud soTemnly, and be
meath it. Bachelors Guide to Matri
mony.'" But didn't order either o
them" she informed the page indiffer
emily. There's some mistake"
Amt that your name and number
miss?" he had the impertinence to asl
her.
Barbara examined the slip more close
ly. "B. Mathews" it read, "seat Il
legal reference ROOM" She glance
b about suspiciovsly. There was onl
Q one other occupant, and that was no
"B. Mathews"
well. is it or amt itI' demande
4 the page, his tone suggestive of dar
y gerously overwrought forbearance.
rs what?" asked Barbara vaguely.
well, by thunder.' calculated tn
it diminutive government official. Don
% cher know yer own name?''
"Of course l do" Barbara answere
him with childlike naivete, "but-
,r shan't.t tell you, you little imp, so ru
away"
Then yer can't have the book