Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-09
Che Hrgus Daily Short STORY
Chadwick's Choice. By Janet Gregg.
Copyrighted 1908. by Associated Literary Press.

After ten years of fried bacon and
salt pork the pendulum swung 10 It's
opposite extreme for David Chadwick.
The goddess of fortune, whom he had
long wooed in vain. now turned her.
face with truly feminine caprice. From
bacon and corn bread Dave had been
advanced almost overnight to a New
York hotel, where his days board
would have bought provisions for
month during his prospecting period
= And still Dave was not satisfied He
did not like what he termed '.fussy"
foods, and the very length of the bill
of fare deprived him of his appetite
Then it was that Neil Horton came
as an angel of deliverance and led him
10 her home in the suburbs, where
Dave devoured all that was put before
him and rejoiced in the absence of IL
bill of fare
II don't suppose that this modest
meal will appeal to you,' said Nell
with ostentatiouS mOdeSty I'VE are
plain people out here. and after your
grand hotel it must seem skinny,
but when | saw you on the avenue
l said to myself, I'll bet that's Dave
Chadwick, and I'm going to ask him
home. no matter what he may think.
You haven't changed a mite, Dave.
since you left Lawrence"
Now, it is pleasant for Il man wind
realizes that he is beginning to look
old to be told that he does not differ in
appearance after fifteen years, and For
the first time Dave decided that Neil
was looking remarkably young herself
He could noe know that Nell had
carefully studied the numerous pic
lures of the new Croesus in the news
papers and had haunted the vicinity
of his hotel for days before she had
encountered him. apparently by chance
| in front of the place.
The Horizons had known Dave in his
early life. before he had gone west It
seek and eventually find fortune
When the papers had taken up the
newly made multimilionaire, as the
| week before they had taken up the
newly born baby elephant OF the cir
Gus, Nell had read all the stories anl
had determined that Dave and his mil
lions should become her properly.
| HE always was Il dumb fool" ShC
| told her mother IF we can get hoC
of him before the others do I'll be mar
ried to him before the end of the
month. Did you see what the paper
said the other day about his cooking
bacon in his room and getting the
halls all smelly? He's sick OF the
IFrench stuff the hotels all have, and
Ilthere is no one to give him what ht
liwants because he does not know where
to look for it. Wen have him Over
here to dinner and-well, he'll want t.
leone again
Mrs Horton had nodded approyinglN
!upon her well preserved daughter, ant
SO the campaign was begun.
They were fortunate in the posses
ision of a. dependent relative. Tit
lHortons had an income, small, but Gs
lisured. and when Cleon Blake had dice
Ipenniless they had permitted hi
lldaughter. Dora, to enter their house
IIhold noninaliy as n member of tn
lfamily, but in reality as q superio
llcook.
l. 1t was she who had cooked the din
liner which had SO pleased Chadwicl
and which brought him frequently I
the little house. The men who wer
promoting his syndicate insisted tina
he must not remove from the hotel t
Il boarding house where his simple
needs could he suited, and ii was onl
| at the Horizons that he could escar
that terrible menu card, with its res
taurant French and its overric
sauces.
He did not always want steaks al
roasts, and the knowledge that theE
were good things on the bin which \
could not translate only added to h
dissatisfaction.
1t was after an especially tryin
meal at the hotel that Dave arme
: himself with box of violets and 50
| HE'D forth to propose to Nell. He ha
slowly come to the conclusion th
Nell was no longer as young as 81
lpretended to be- but she offered escai
lfrom the hotel and he was sick OF Il
: tiplace-sick of its cuisine, its GRIMM
! belIboys, its seryile walters and its a
:. | rogant clerks.
His business sponsors at least cou