Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-03

on tie door.
'only a little while. You'll all ex-
cuse meT
Sommers and Pinckney bowed, but
Frances laughed out loud.
"Dear old dad, what difference would
It make whether we excuse you or
not? We know you'll go anyway"
''wei, won't be long" he protest
ed; really 1 won't"
When the door had closed behind
| him Mrs. Durant drew a long breath;
then she brought her foot down with
emphasis that was almost stamp.
"Pm going into that study" she de-
clared, land stay there until I get him
out The idea OF his beginning busl-
ness on the first night home! He
won't stay long after come inr'
Indeed he won't" agreed Frances.
You know" she went on, with a
| laughing explanation to Sommers,
whenever mother decides that father
simply shall not work she goes into
the room. takes a seat where he is
bound to see her and just sits there
staring at him reproachfully. She calls
1t moral suasion."
"But does it workT' asked Sommers.
"Does it work?'' interpolated Pinck-
ney. IF you'd ever seen 1t you'd IN
derstand it would work"
Eyes, indeed" exclaimed Frances.
Father will struggle along for FIVE or
ten or even fifteen minutes. but at last
| that steady stare gets too much for his
nerves. He'll begin to make mistakes
| in his debating. and at last he'll jump
out Of his chair and stare, and then
| mother will heave a long sigh and say:
George, dear, know you are tired.
Don't you think you'd better stop
awhileY And he stops"
what a splendid system" laughed
| Sommers. land what do you do. Miss
Durant, when you want to manage
| him?"
The girl smiled.
"Oh, that's a secret" she said. 81
have my own way of doing it. but it
works, doesn't it, Edward?"
you're right there" agreed Pinck-
ney. 81 won't forget in a hurry how
you handled him on the wireless teleg-
raphy scheme"
"W1reless telegra phym exclaimed the
laval man. DO you mean TO tell me
that you understand wireless telegra-
ply too?''
Not very much" confessed the girl
''but 1 do know something about it.
Edward taught me the rudiments, and
then l went to work myself. l got
| some of the men up from the shops,
and they rugged up a station for me at
| the top of the house. Father did not
know a thing about it until one day 1
| brought him up there and showed him.
He didn't think it was very nice for u
girl, but what could he do?"
"Oh," said Sommers, 1T see your
system. You do what you please and
then make him agree"
Don't you think it a good one?' in
quired the girl innocently.
The man smiled and shrugged his
shoulders.
Good for little things. but how
would 1t work for a big one?"
The question was lightly put. and all
three were smiling. The smiles on the
mems faces were just a bit set, for
behind that question both knew there
was a great deal left unsaid.
Frances tossed her head lightly, but
the tone of her answer was vital with
disfavor.
''And on the big ones. too. Mr.. Som
mers. do always what seems best
to me-"
Pinckney turned away sharply, while
the smile in the face of the naval off,
Ger became more natural and a little
broader.
You know I'd like to see this wire
less ROOM" he said. SIT must be a
bully place."
''Oh, It's a workroom," the girl in
sisted-''nothing foolish about it. I'm
not as good yet as Edward at sending
and taking. but then 1 have more time
to practice. and if he doesn't hustle
III beat him"
"You fatter me-" said Pinckney.
Really. Mr.. Sommers. she can beat
me. / think. but we do have great
fun working over tt"
Eyes; Edward and / are more or
less partners-in this" agreed Frances.
"Partners?"
Sommers tried to keep his tone light
~ unpersonal. but a little hardness had
to creep in. The two men were so nat
urally antagonistic that probably they
must have taken opposite sides on
anything. and the feeling OF each for
the girl only tended to bring out more
Eeenly their Unborn antipathy. Since
the afternoon when Pinckney inter
rupted the practical love scene between
Frances and Sommers on the hill above
the works the tension had been greater
than ever between the men Each
reated the other with elaborate cour-
iesy. but it needed only word on
'ither side to bring about real trouble.
he more lmpulsive and domineering
Pinckney had been close to the limit