Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-06-24
THE ARGUS DAILY
SHORT STORY
SANpERSON'S STRATEGY.
BY Cecfly Allen.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

cOnSiderate times to ask Sucn QueS-
tion-, cried Judith Brainard., no one
but you, Dick Sanderson, would have
chosen it,
Her tones were almost wrathful, and
Sanderson shifted his gaze from her
mobile face to the top of his stick,
which he twirled idly.
1.-THE idea of asking me for the
'steenth time to marry you just as
was trying to decide whether to bOr-
row a lemonade bowl and glasses from
Mrs. Drake or from the Bennington
girls"
Judith pursued her troubled way.
with romance pushed far into the back
ground.
Il guess it had better be from Mrs.
Drake. because she's right next door,
| though the Bennington bowl is much
handSomer"
Dick Sanderson rose abruptly and
| lowered above the girl of his heart
Il think that it is all nonsense, and
| | wish that you'd let your career go to
pot. AS my wife you can sing for
charity, you can run a church choir,
you can teach the little daughters Of
| the poor, you can
"And all on your money! If you
| really loved me all these years as you
| say you did why did you wait to tell
| me until-until-all our money was
gone and l was poor as a church
mouse:" demanded Judith, forgetting
her more present veXations in the old
grievance
| Dick turned suddenly grave.
| Il wanted you to have your fling. l
think every girl should. It's wrong to
marry the first man who keeps You
supplied in violets and things. You
may find out that American Beauties
and another man are preferable after
you've been out year or two. And 1
wanted my wife for keeps. not for a
brief honeymoon. 1 wanted
Judith rose abruptly.
Il know it all by heart, and SO I'm
going over to see Mrs. Drake about the
bowl and glasses
Really. from what I've heard of
critics and writer's and other bohe
mians, l should certainly advise a
strong dash of rum in the bowl
| Ills tOlIt "dN Dul II
conviction. and Judith flushed wildly.
II might have expected you'd say
something nasty. OF course all the big
people in music and art are not brand
ed drawing ROOM but they do things.
And, oh. Dick, want to do something.
l want to show the world that my ed
ucatiOn was not all veneer-that it is
practical"
Dicks eyes softened as they always
did at an appeal from Judith.
May / come? I've never seen the
lions of the musical menagerie. and l
promise solemnly that / will not pro
pose to you until it is all over"
"That sounds like my old Dick. You
may come and see the menagerie and
well. l won't scold If you propose aft
err it is all over
Judith's world had gasped when she
had fed the prosperous New England
city after her fathers death and es-
tablished herself in New York as
teacher of music 1t was all entirely
unnecessary. There We're relatives
and Dick Sanderson.
The relatives on the whole were re-
lieved. Dick Sanderson spent most of
his time in New York for the purpose.
rs he expressed ii to himself, of coun-
teracting the influences of studio life
Judith and her mother had cunning
little ap2.-nent in an eminently re-
spectacle neighborhood and Judith had
few very prompt pupils. And now
she was giving the first of a series of
evenings at home She had met many
clever men and women at other at
homes the season before and had
scattered her invitations broadcast.
you'd better not come too early.
Dick" she called after the persistent
one as he went down the narrow hall.
Il do love some honey people to talk
it over with on the finish.''
"All right I'll hold back as long as
l can
But when Mrs. Drake came in with
the bowl and glasses the rooms were
n mass of ferns and 1owers-from
| Dick.
!. How lovelyr she exclaimed. Flow
! ers do give room such an air. 1t
makes me feel worse than ever that
we cannot come tonight. But every 9TH
. err Tuesday, have you not?'
Judith nodded her head abseutly She
was trying to decide between plain
or lace centerpiece under the bowl.
And not for worlds would she admit
that she was disappointed. Mr. Drake
was the critic on a prominent paper,
and she wanted to cultivate critics
$50 sorry" she murmered perfume.
e torily. Il hope Mr.. Drake is not ILL.,"
mo. but some out of town relatives
, are coming. and they are not the sor,
Y to understand our slipping away. Blu,
I we'll surely come next time. 1 under
/, stand that Miss Morton. the new Eng
lish violinist, is to receive with your
a Yes; we studied together in Paris"
t At S:3e they were all in line. Mrs
Brainard in pearly silk and ireal lace
+ Miss Morton oddly English fas to COS
1 tune, delightfully."- alive as tt the pleas
: ure of the evening. and Judith dream
= in black net and gvioletS her eve,
m | a-pleam with authorization r,-o.us..f..