Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-02
The Argus Daily Short Story
Gordon's Proposal--Bl Clara H. Holmes.
Copyrighted, 1sOs, oy Associated Literary Press.

That G"rtI"u McFarIana. Remarked
Davy Molilton. is The limit tie Ilasu't
| courage rHntIgh To PROPOSE
Hun. u" y"u want To marry him
that yOu are 81 anxious about it|'
No; haven't cherry lips aud dim
pies
Never mind the Inventory. Brot he"
DaVy." Sh" replied.
''.til right. sis. bui it'll never happen
unless yuil propose. In the presence
at his divinity meaning you-he is re-
dnced to Il pulp"
The sting t" his teasing WAS in IFS
truth. Gordon was devotion Itself. yet
il WAS Il silent alteration. H.. seemed
uulbip Ia inter a word in her presence.
She had given him many opportunities
in that uueXpla Unable way Il woman
has. and once or twice he had houn-
.iercd ana >lammrrrd with effort untii
in vexation She had retorIcd 50 within
~icaiiy th.it she had siieuced him com
i'lrtriy.
oh. he's Just too ridiculous. 4 great
big thing like him. StamHIprin@ and
hlushin@ like Il Schoolbuy II fairly
makes me ashamed she grumbie1.
y woman'S motives are difficult 10
tathOm. BrSs. in an unuSual III Of
"raciuu$urSS. Ind allowed Gordon 10
escort her to II ball sShe WAS justly
vain of her escort : appearance as she
Struggled beside him in the depths of
the carriage. But 10y the time they
had arrived her manner had changed
viSibly. so much so that she almost
ignored him after the conventional
first dance. He had tangled his feet
hOpeleSsly in her train and missed
step until she was nearly beside her
self with modification.
There was ample excuse for his he
wiIderment. She was intoxicaiingly
lovely, with her draperies floating.
cloudlike. about her bare shoulders.
and the flush of exercise tinting hcy
face like rose. Davy's comment was.
Gordon looks as if he would like to
eat her.
Bess was so provoked at this that
she Intended to punish Gordon by
flirting outrageously. Besides, if
could make him cross. he might pluck
up a fraction of courage" she thought.
1t vexed her still more because she
felt that he understood her motive. SO
did Davy, and he would not fail to
tease her on the morrow.
CarelessIy tossing Gordon her bou
quet in passing. she walked off with
Gerald Stone for an ice.
Queer duck, that Gordon. Doesn't
appear to have much to say" remark
ed Gerald insinuatiuGly.
Here the eternal feminine came to
the surface. oh. don't know
Her tone was reSentfrl in the ex-
treme. The next instant she said
sweetly. Here's just the nook for
quiet chat. Let us sit here. awhile.
The ice can wait; so can Gordon.
He'd hold my bouquet all night"
laughingly.
An hour later Gordon sat abstract
eddy pulling at the petals of the roses.
lie had hoped that the flowers might
convey TO her that which he found so
dimcult to say.
In upon his musing dribbled the con-
verSItiou of two acquaintance.
80 Gerald Stone has Won Bessie
MoultOn: / thought Gordon was to be
the man. but he lacked courage. He
deserves to lose her. He should know
Il woman deSpises faint heart" said
"A voice be knew.
Il wonder how she would like it if
she knew that Gerald boosted to ME of
his conquest? He told as a great joke
that she bad left Gordon to moon over
her bouquet. Said they were going to
slip away and let him hunt for her
when he had tired of the flowers.
Sppuefl TO think If MIGHTY funny" an
swered the speakers companion.
Its contemplate. | wouldn't have
thought it of Bessie Moulton." was the
reply as they sauntered down the room.
The sturdy independence of Gordon's ,
Scotch ancestry rose within him. he