Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-30

say, I'm awfully sorry, Mr.. Manager
or Mr.. Owner Of Steel Plant; but
you see. / have everything want
thank you, and 1 don't care the least
little bit for you Now, where would
your suppose theory be then, DIR. Som
mers?'
The man shrugged his shoulders.
Anyhow, Miss Durant," he said
"the manager Of the steel plant or the
owner Of the steel plant can go to the
girl he loves. make his fight, take his
chance and, like man, abide by the
result. But the navy fellow can't do
that. All he can do is to bite his lips
and twiddle his thumbs and regret and
suppose"
He ended it bitterly, half turning
away from her. so that he did not see
the girls quick, involuntary motion To-
ward him. BE was still half turned
away when she fought down the In
clination Of her heart to speak. At
last she gained self control.
"Of course, Mr.. Sommers," she be-
gan sarcasticaIly, "if the navy men are
so selfish that they're not willing to
give q girl a chance to show the stuff
she's made Of, if they're afraid to take
any sort of plunge except a plunge
for glory, why, they must expect to
receive the reward that comes to the
men who won't try-the reward of
failure. If 1 were a mRn"-her voice
took on color of strength and holiness
whether l were in the navy or
whether I owned q continent, would
not let any foolish selAshness Of my
own keep me from attempting to get
anything I wanted"
''Francesg' The man whirled sud-
denly, catching her two hands. you
mean it,"
She looked up at him, happy and
quite unafraid.
EYES," she said, ''of course mean
it," And her eyes invited him
Impulsively the man leaned toward
her Then, as their faces almost seem
ed to touch, q cold, hard voice seemed
to cut them apart.
"Ahi Good evening! / thought it
was you two up here"
Angry, embarrassed, the navy lieu
tenant stepped back. The girl. with a
woInan's power of self control, seemed
quite unmoved.
"Oh!'' she cried gayly. 'Ts that you,
Edward? Lieutenant Sommers and l
were just talking Of you. Be says
you're a lucky dog"
The marriage OF Frances Durant and
Edward Plnckney had been so long
anticipated by all who knew them
that the announcement of their en-
gagement would have been received
with a feeling Of general relief. In
the minds OF their friends it would
have Strengthened out an awkward
Under present circumstances
their friends did not know just how
to take them. For more than year
it had been generally understood they
would some time marry, but the mem
bers Of the set in which they moved
had waited anxiously, but in vain, for
some definite sign. 1t was generally
taken for granted that Mr.. DuFant did
not object, and Mrs. Durant was open
Iy in favor OF the match.
Frances herself was the stumbling
block. Time after time her intfmates
tried to find out, but each time, with
perfect good humor, but with complete
she blocked every at
tempt Finally, their curiosity block
ed, the solicitous friends had decided
to take the situation for granted, and
so they had with perfect faith spread
the report that as soon as Frances had
reached her majority the couple were
to be married. Even the people about |
the steel works had come to look at
the matter in the same light. The
men understood that the general man
ager was some day going to marry
the daughter Of the boss, and that |
made them treat him with more re- |
5pect, for not only was he the mana
ger, with power greater than most su-
pervising managers had, but he was
also expected to own the works some |
lay himself.
Pinckney, too, was particularly care |
'u1 not to contradict the general i'm |
preston. he knew the influence it |
gave him, and also he was so tremen- |
lousy ambitious and so anxious to |
bring the marriage about that he really |
believed it would be. And even an
enemy must have admitted there was
every reason for him to hope. The |
son of a friend, George Durant, who |
had committed suicide after running |
himself on Wall street, Edward Pinck-
ley when a mere boy had been taken
nto the household Of the steel mil |
ionaire. Durant had sent the boy to
he best schools in the country. Boy
.hough he was, Pinckney had appre-
Hated the opportunity given him. He
had studied hard, finally graduating
rom one of the best institutions at
he top of his class. Then hts bene.
actor had placed him Immediately in
he works. Durant had no son, and
o him Edward Pinckney, with his In
'orn tact, his aggressiveness and his
plendid mind, seemed Just the kind of
ION no v-o-1iH bova Iitaa IN i1ova II