Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-16
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
The Gauntlet and the Mitten-By Martha G. Sanford.
Copyrighted.

Muriel stood by the steamer ran.
smiling goodby to a group Of summer
frocked girls on the wharf. Suddenly
the wind whipped one of the long white
gloves out of her hand as she was
waving last farewell and carried 1t
down to the deck below. There was Il
little ripple of laughter from the watch
ing girls. and Muriel, in order to escape
attention, hurried quickly into her
stateroom
1t was an unlucky omen, she argued
TO herself, but quite in accordance with
the losing game she had now been
playing for three long, desolate months.
She took off her hat, arranged her
wind blown hair and studied herself
critically in the little stateroom mirror.
~ ought to be pale and interesting
looking" she said to the reflection that
looked earnestly at her, 'but I'm only
disgustingly healthy"
| She turned away with sigh, and
| then with quick determination opened
| the door of her stateroom, placed a
chair where she could look out on the
restless water when she felt so ILL
clined and began cutting the leaves of
a new magazine.
| But the story selected either did not
/, interest her or else interested her so
| personally that she soon forgot the
print before her eyes and was lost in
| introspection.
| Up till now, the middle of Augu. t,
| she was sure she had presented a very
brave and cheerful front and that none
of the girls she had been visiting sus-
pected for moment the real state of
her heart Why had she broken it off ?
That was the question she had to an
swer everywhere. Varied as We're the
reasons she gave, they were also all
more or less fiippant
"Why, you see" she explained to one
of her most intimate friends, TON and
/ had known each other since we were
children. 1t was almost prearranged
by our families that we should marry
We were the end men, as it We're, il
a minstrel show that every one was
watching. At last Tom popped the
question. / ANSWERED. it according tc
what was expected of me, and every
body saw the joke except Tom and my
self. When it did dawn on us some
time afterward we laughed and parted
the best of friends" g..
4 Now, as Muriel recalled with wha
glibness she had ratified off this bit o.
fiction. even laughing to herself oyel
the apparent humor of it, she blushet
at her dUplicity.
What had been the real reason, afte
all, for her falling out. with Tom? :.
difference of opinion, so far as sh,
could remember, over the relative nd
vantages of spending ones summer il
a house boat or camping out.
She was rather unpleasantly con
scious that Tom had been willing t
split the difference. but that she ha,
argued that if they couldn't come to
perfectly harmonious agreement abou
spending their summer they very prot
ably would be equally at swords point
over the other seasons of the veal
And so at her request they had broke
the engagement.
Muriel looked out at the billowy w;
ter and for few moments was col
: scious of the speed. with which til
big steamer was pluhging through
BY morning it would bring her TO I'll
Cfiffside, where it all happened-ti
counting and the quarrel Would 81
be able to be brave and cheerful und,
such conditions when everything r
minded her Of
: A peal Of thunder startled her The
were speeding into the midst of tie
rife storm. Tom had always bee
such dear in a thunderstorm! Muri
tossed her magazine into the ber
and hurried down to the dining ROOF
where she would at least have Il
comfort of other people about her.
$40. notsa seat by the window" 81
said to the head steward who usher,
her In. 81 prefer ONE in the center