Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-02

amy cueluOu, letlllIlS luly over Tue
steamers rail. watched the crowd on
the pier and wished. just for n mo-
ment, that there had been an oppor-
tunity to get word to some of the PEG
pie she could trust.
This was all so different from he,
last sailing, and it brought more sharp
~ TO her memory the scene of two
days before when she had given Dick
Nesbit his ring and had declared that
she hated the very sight of his face.
She had last sailed in June and the
pier had been crowded, but until the
very last she had seen Dicks smiling
face framed in an indistinct blur OF
other faces Now she would look in
vain. if, indeed. she looked ut all.
She had about decided to so to her
stateroom until the boat should swing
into the stream.
She half turned to suggest to her
aunt that course of action when she
caught sight of Dick making his way
! through the crowd about the gangway,
and presently he came on board with
heavy suit case that seemed to argue
his determination to take passage on
the Auracl3.
Amy half turned back to the rail:
| then she turned again and made her
way to the lower deck. where she
knew that the purser'S Office was To-
ca,ed.
Passing rapidly through the gang
way, she saw that it really was Dick.
though he was in earnest conversa-
ton with man in blue and brass. and
| he did not see her.
He had his pocketbook in his hand.
and with flashing eyes Amy made her
/ way back to the upper deck, where her
aunt still sat in the winter sunshine
enjoying the hustle that preceded tho
departure.
I One Of the most admirable things
about Aunt Molly was her willingness
to do what her tempestuous little niece
/ wished to do, but even the usually
| placid Aunt Molly demurred when Amy
storiaed up and demanded that they
leave the ship ut once.
"But I've said goodby to the Brookes.
and Mrs. Brooke is going to send all
our mail in care Of the London agent.
| protested the little cid lady. 1--WE
can't go back home after telling the
Brookes that we were to be gone until
fall. She will tell all her friends and
''And that's just the trouble inter-
ruptcd Amy, with stamp of her little
faot Mrs. Brooke has been talking
already. She must have gone to the
telephone the moment we left last
night and told everybody she ever
knew"
Put what viii Dick think If you
start and then turn back;' reminded
: Aunt Molly, determined not to give up
spring in the south of France with
: out exhausting every argument.
That's just the trouble" explained
/, Amy. "That horrid Mrs. Brooke must
have called him up last night after
tpromising that she would not tell a
soul. He's on board. / just saw him
in the purser's Office buying his ticket
/ Il thought that they bought them at
, the dock, objected Aunt Molly, but
!, Amy shook her head.
, "You can buy tickets on board at the
, last moment suppose that Dick
t mean Mr.. Nesbit-had to wait until he
could settle about his practice being
looked after-not that there is so much
to the practice she added spitefully
Il don't believe that he's been in eour,
this month"
as he altogether to blame for that?'
asked Aunt Molly, fencing for time il
which to marshal other arguments.
"And suppose that l did let hin
waste a lot of time with me!' retortei
Amy. i've been telling him for thu
last month that was tired Of seeing
him about and that our engagement
was all mistake
"Then /, don't think that be is fol
lowing you" advanced Aunt Molly
.'Dick is not the sort of man to follow
when he is not wanted. If he is OF
board 1t is because he has t. EeAk;