Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-18

noon We're four men who made up the
friendly octet, but the women, ON ac-
count of the GOODNESS of the day and
the charm of the big fireplace, had
elected to stay away from the links.
Three of the women were not young,
although the signs of age had been
modified by careful grooming and dill
gent massage. Mrs. Amesbury even
looked young with her slender figure, |
her shining hair and her grace of ges- |
ture and of carriage.
But Tressie Stuart was young, and |
therein lay the difference that made ]
Mrs. Amesbury uneasy. One might |
give the lie to age by attention to COM
plexion and costume, but there was a
quality in Tressie's laugh, a light in
her eyes, a buOyancy of spirit, that
separated her from the other women
and cast the blight of contrast upon
their beauty.
'Tressie," Mrs. Amesbury said, "stop
roaming around the room. You make
me nervous"
''Oh, do II" Tressies apology was
immediate. ITS something in the air
l think. These fall days make me feel
like young colt. / want to be out of
doors, and here we are drinking tea by
the fire, like lot of old tabby CATS
We are Il lot of old tabby cats"
Miss Angela Amesbury agreed cheer
fully. Unlike her Sisterin-law, she did
not aspire to youthfulness. Having
steered herself safely out of some
what emotional girihood into a calm
old maidism, she was prepared to
claim all middle aged privileges, ana
tea drinking at the Country club WAS
an indulgence that appealed to her
comfortable soul.
You are the only kitten in the
crowd. Tressie,' she went on. Run
on out and meet the men. They must
be coming in by this time
angela" Mrs. Amesbury reproved
her, "Tressie can't go without 4 chap
| eron."
why not?" Angela asked bluntly.
1.-TWO of the men are her uncles, the
| third is your husband, and she has
| known Junior Mason since she was Il
baby"
"Oh. week.-Mrs.. Amesbury shrugged
| her shoulders-"yOu know we don't
| think alike on such matters"
NO, thank goodness, said Miss An
CELIA. And then the hitherto silent
| Aunt Georgia Stuart. who was official
| ~ Tressie's chaperon, interpoSed,
| "Tressie always does as she pleases.
| Mrs Amesbury'' And Mrs. Ames-
| bury, with another shrug of her Shout
dcrs, gave up the argument and poured
herself a second cup of tea.
| And so it happened that as Junior
Mason came up the elm walk toward
the Country club. with the dull orange
of the sunset behind him. he saw hur
rying to meet him Tressie Stuart in
scarlet coat and stiff brimmed hat
Il should have died if l had stayed
in there another minute she told him
Cant we walk somewhere befor,
dark comes? This air is like wine"
Its awfully muddy" he stated du
bously, "in this path under the trees
The other men are coming around h!
the road, but this was the shorter way
| and | wanted to get a few minute:
with you before the whole crowd be
gan to pitiie patfle.'
Don't be slangy," Tressie admou
ished.
We'll, you wouldn't call their small
talk conversation, would you? IT
piff1e paffie, and Mrs.. Amesbury is tn
worst of the lCt.'
81 am ashamed of you,' Tressi
| oil
Mrs. Amesbury wouldn't thank vol
for calling her anybody's elder. Sh
considers herself the leading juvenil
: of the Country club That's why she
jealous of YOU"
: Tressie stared at him.
: Junior" she said severely,
didn't know you could be so critical o
a woman"
! He had the grace to look uncomfort
? able.
t shes made me so unhappy abou
Y you. Tressie," he blurted out at length
; about me-"
q Eyes. when you were away all sun
S mer and didn't write to me once"
Tressie's eyes were on the sunset.
Y "No. l didn't write" she said aftt
t a pause.
"Why not?"
il Mrs Amesbury said-that there We
e another girl, Junior"
Y WHAT"
d "Yes. She said you were paying d
> voted attention to a little Kentuck
d singer"
r. "Ohr' Junior flung up his head. "Ar
Il she told me you We're going to mari
Il old General Barnes"
o "who told you?" Tressie demande
Il "NIrs. Amesbury."
r. "Well. of all things" Tressie
cheeks were flaming. And you b
lieved her, Junior?"
e well, you believed about the he
9 lucky girl"
- For a moment accusing brown ey
= met accusing blue ones, and then tn,
- both laughed, the joyous laugh
youth that has come into its ov
"A again.
- "She is good at-fctfon," Tress