Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-04

player, the best horseback rider. the
best swimmer
Ibid you tumble out of the boat
when he was here that he might swim
ashore with you:"
"How ridiculous" She pouted Tom
linson asked her to go on with the cat
alogue of Mieklejohn's accomplish
ments, but she turned away from him
as from one who had slapped the face
OF her idol and. pulling on the port
rudder rope. headed the boat for the
bungalow.
After dinner Alice sat at the table in
the living room with her mother. her
brother and Tomlinson-that is to say.
she was going to sit there, but the
guest spoiled 1t all and drove her away
by asking if Mr. Mieklejohn read poet
~ to her by the dim light of the kero-
sene lamp. At this reference to the
dear departed Mieklejohn Mrs. Stetson
! cast frightened glance at her daugh-
ter. Roy was reading a book on the
! game Of football and was obliviouS to
| the shock to his sisters senSibilities.
| Alice arose and, with her eyes bent to
| the floor, left the room. Tomlinson
| could have bitten OF his tongue, for
| long evening was before him with no
other companions Than an elderly lady
| and a boy, the room In which they
were being lighted by a dim lamp.
Mrs. Stetson retired at 8 and Roy half
an hour later. Tomlinson vowed that
If the period of this seclusion ever ex-
pired-it seemed to him that it never
would-he would not get into such a
trap again. Besides, he was much
piqued after having been sought by
| finer girls to be completely ignored,
| considered a parsonage Of no impor-
lance whatever compared with the i'm
maculate Mieklejohn. A desire came
to him to supplant Mr.. Mieklejohn and
when he had done so leave Lake Was
sapogie with his nose in the air.
The next morning Mrs. Stetson, evil
IDENTIFY still concerned about her daugh-
| ter's sorrow. suggested another boat
ride. Alice didn't seem to care what
she did so long as Mr.. AIieklejOhn was
absent. She yielded possibly to her
mothers wish. The boat was taken
out, and the guest of the house. with
the listless girl, again left the bunga-
low.
Tomlinson bore the references to
MieRlejohn, gritting his teeth, but
making no reply. His object was
rather to draw Alice's attention away
from this remarkable man to other
subjects from which he might the
| more easily direct it to himself. he
exerted whatever lady killing faculties
he possessed for an hour at the end Of
which time his companion seemed
really to have plucked up some inter
est in her surroundings. Then for an
hour she failed to mention the lost one.
Tomlinson was encouraged.
Two weeks passed, each day being a
gradual drawing away Of Alice Stet-
| son from q man who was absent to a
man who was present. All the deli
cious little hooks which bordered on
| the lake were visited again and again,
and at last TomlinSon chuckled to
| himself:
"Now bring on your Mieklejohn."
One bright morning they were drift
! ing idly through some rushes. There's
nothing like some rushes. some smooth
water, a little brush and few over
hanging trees, with a man and girl
in a boat, to make a picture of young
love. Tomlinson was making an effort
to complete the shattering of the sa-
| cred imAge-A1ieklejohn He overshot
the mark and made use of the word
"1ove." Had Miss Stetson been sitting
at the other end of the boat from him,
possibly what happened might not
have happened, at least not then. But
they were sitting side by side. Alice's
head fell on Tomlinson's shoulder.
What could he do? He completed the
transition. The burden was removed
from the shoulders OF the dear de-
parted and placed upon those Of the
newcomer.
This is n letter written by Alice Stet-
son to her bosom friend Molly Bawn
announcing her engagement:
You see. dearest, mamma knew
from Mrs. Tomlinson that Ned was be-
set by q lot of society girls OF that
class which is trying to live in swell
| dom without having the means to do
so. Mrs. Tomlinson was afraid some
Of them would get him and, knowing
what plain. modest, unassuming girl
I am, without bit of deception in my
nature. she asked mamma to invite
Ned here, hoping he and I might make
a match. Mamma said he wouldn't
look at me after all the fine ladies be
had met. This set me TO thinking. and
determined to be as unlike them as
possible. When he came / pretended
to have Just parted with somebody
elsa Mr.. Mieklejohn. called him
talking about what a fine fellow he
was. how I missed him. and all that.
till Ned got SO mad every time I men
toned his name that l thought he
would murder me. Now I'm afraid
he'll murder me when he finds out that
Mr.. Mieklejohn is a myth.
"We're going to be married during
the holidays. and 1 wish you TO be my
first bridesmaid We're not going TO
have a splurge wedding but quite gay
enough to warrant the prettiest gown
you can invent"