Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-25

Across tho fields, through the golden
sunshine ofthe Indian summer morn
ing, strobe Arthur Gray, Il look of alb
sorbed abstraction upon his intellec-
tual brow and three heavy tones of
German philosophy beneath his arms.
Behind him on the terrace Mrs Rem
wick and her husband watched his re-
treat. Mrs. Renwick's face was cloud
ed by an impatient frown. Tom Rem
wick was Grinning sardonically.
Il can't understand it," Mrs. Rem
wick complained. II invited all these
young people solely ON his account
picked out only the deep ones of our
acquaintance, the Taylor girls and
Miss Frayne and Charlotte Brand.
'They knew Ill about the ego and
the subconscicCs self and all that sort
Of thing. They could talk it 60 hin by
the hour. And what does he do? Gees
off every-.nerning with his musty
books and stays all day by himself l
call it dowpNShtTpdeness in him."
Her big, Ssas$ going, happy-go-lucky
husband laugheds My dear Agatha"
said he, "this comes of harboring a
genius in cur midst, genius we
can never hope to understand. Now,
e he could talk horse or shoot or get a
bit more speed out of 4 road car than
it was ever intended to show we could
give him the time Of his life. But a
philosopher, dropped here among our
unintellectual selves-dear heavens"'
He threw out his hands in gesture
of depreciation and made a wry face.
But lie IS a coming man." Mrs. Rem
wick began.
Tom Renwick's grin broadened.
HE seems TO be a going man just at
present. he remarked, with a bob of
his head In the direction Of the stoop
shouldered figure trudging scross The
nelds. "lt'sS desertion, pure and SIM
pie. Your intellectual maidens corralled
here must evidently philosophize with
out Your 1ionto inspire them.
"Come OH, Let's round 'em up and
give 'em whiri in the road cars up to
the top of Bald hill and back. That
will take their minds up for the time
being at least"
Its the last time I'll ever try to en-
terrain a genius" Mrs. Renwick de-
clared fatty, "even if the said genius
is my cousin and has done the family
proud"
''Amen. I'm with you there" said
Tom heartily ias he turned from the
| terrace and strobe off toward the ga
rage.
In the meantime Arthur Gray, quite
| oblivious to this criticism of his &C.
tons, tralnped down the field, climbed
| a stone wall into an orchard, where
the trees were deep laden with their
| wealth of fruit, and, selecting corner
where the mottled shadows We're most
| inviting, settled himself comfortably
on the ground. opened one of the pom
derous volumes and was soon lost in
the abstruse speculations of its author
| He read on in absorbed fashion, now
pausing to thoroughly digest some
choice morsel,. now frowningly noting
upon the margin his own opinion OF
the text at that point. 1t was an ideal
'ly quiet place in which to pursue his
research.
But suddenly the quiet was rudely
shattered. Just beyond the orchard
came the pounding of rapid hoof beats
A girls voice urging forward hel
mount rang through the still air
There was the swish of a hunting
crop, loud command. up, Rajah.'
Then the sodnd of hoofs suddenl.
ceased.
A masculine voice said, Hell neve
take 1t, ma'ar1!' And the girls voic,
replied, with a note of obstinacy In II
Hell stay here until he does"
Gray arose. He walked to the edg
Of the orchard and looked afield. o.
che smooth turf of the adjoining fell
girl-a wonderfully pretty girl-sa
on a horse, which she had evidently
fence just before her.
A little distance to the rear a trim
silent groom upon another horse i'm
passively watched the proceedings.
Even "a. Cray watched them the gil