Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-22

taking the pin from my scarf, put it
I'm head down. 1 knew the pearl
couldn't have cost less than $50. but
besides the bet | have mentioned
made several more to win about half
the cost of Il new pin. But girls were
not likely to take that into considera-
ton, and the owner Of the pin was
forced to see her jewel put In jeopardy
without knowing that If 1t were in
red she would get another. Never
theless she looked on with apparent
Indifference.
This is carrying a Joke too far
exclaimed one of the girls in a pro-
testing voice. Lou, you're silly to let
him ruin that beautiful pearl
'The moment the name was spoken
and the girl named Lou blushed | took
the pin out of the wInegIass. dropped
It in Il glass of water, then wiped it
with my handkerchief. 1t did not ap.
pear to have been IN the slightest de-
gree damaged. but it had not been in
the vinegar half a minute. Then
handed it across the table to the owner.
and every one except herself burst into
q laugh.
those who come out ahead enjoy them
immensely, but those who come out
behind don't see It in the same light.
Lou, with very sober face. tossed the
stickpin back to me. saying that she
had no use for pearl that had had
the gloss taken Off 1t by being STEPPED
in vinegar. l told her that an exact
duplicate would be furnished her and
she wGs also welcome &c the one
she claimed had been damaged. To
this she replied that the damaged
one had been given her by a very dear
friend and priced especially on that &C
count. No she added. you have
ruined my Keepsake and you can't re-
place it. All l ask of you is TO drop
the subject. I don't wish either the
old pin or a new one
"Here was a pretty Kettle Of fish. In
stead OF coming out Of the affair trl-
umphant 1 was in a hole.
"The rest of that New Years gather
ing was very hard on me. All the
girls treated ME coOlly, saying that
had spoiled the pleasure Of the party
by retaliating for harmless joke with
Il serious one. Some Of the men seem.
ed to think that the girls were assum.
ing all this common sense, that Lou
wasn't miffed at all and the whole
thing was q put up job to turn the
tables on me. These arguments didn't
make me feel any better. Lou would
scarcely speak to me, and every girl
gave me to understand that I had
treated her shamefully.
IF a girl wishes to make a young
man fall in love with her the quickest
way to accomplish her object is to
make him think he has injured her
and treat him accordingly. LOUIS con-
temptuous treatment Of me set me
wild. l couldn't eat I couldn't sleep.
Finally I went to her and told her
that if she wouldn't forgive me-for
something l hadn't done, mind you'll
would blow my stupid brains out. She
forgave me, and the effect was so
delicious that l blurted out that
loved her and couldn't live without
her. She tumbled 10 this at once.
THE most aggravating part of 1t all
was that before the party broke up /
overheard one Of the girls saying to the
other L knew Lou would get him; she
played the part beautifully"
I paused in my story and waited for
criticisms. | always like TO hear when
1 tell children stories what they are
going to say about them. 1 would
rather have the criticism Of a child
on any tale child can understand
than that Of the hest literary critic.
Papa" said Susie. isn't it funny
that LOUIS name was tine same as
mamma's?"
ut Is kind of queer" I replied. isn't
It? And they both had the same fac
ulty of getting ahead OF me in the
end. One Lou did it in the beginning
and the other has done II ever since Z"