Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-06
The Argus Daily Short Story
A Love Story-By F. A. Mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1910. by Associated Literary PresA

am an Old maid l have never had
love affair and never expect to have
one. Perhaps this is why l take an in
terest in the loves of other people.
Nothing is so attractive 10 me as to
watch q young couple drifting into
that current which at first moves so
imperceptibly that they are not aware
they are in il. Indeed. so unconscious
are they of being incipient lovers that
it does not occur to them TO conceal
the fact from any one else.
l remember one day sitting at my
window sewing when Il boy and girl
passed on the other side of the road.
The boys straw hat was dingy, and
there was plenty of ventilation in its
crown His only other clothing was
shirt and trousers. No shoes or stock
ings. nothing around his throat. his
collar being open and displaying the
tanned skin. The girls clothing was
neither better nor worse. and there
was about as much of it.
The two were evidently absorbed in
each other What they were talking
about / was too far from them to hear
bat it was of vital Importance. 1t
may be that the boy had been kept
in" after school aud they were indig
nant over time thus lost to play. II
may be that some urchin had smashed
the china head OF the girls doll.
Whatever il was it was being discuss
ed with animation.
And | maintain that these childish
interests are of more real Importance
for the time being than those which
come later. No addition to an adults
stock of wealth gives the same test as
a new toy to one of these little peo-
pie.
Often aftcrward saw these two,
and always together in this they
were different from other children
who play. boys with boys and girls
with girls. | learned thar they We're
Henry Morse and Lila Bunker. farm
er's boy and farmers girl. Indeed.
we were all farmer folk. all knew one
another. everybody being interested in
some degree at least in every one else:
simple community and more than
usually free from the petty jealousies
common TO mankind
llNutN MOE X - I iltl " dS tCbCA-
mined that his son should have a good
education. and the boy was sent away
to school. After this used to see Lila
going by our house. but no companion
supplied Henry's place. She was al
ways alone. and | fancied her think
ing of her other self. But this was
simply fancy on my part. As | have
said in the beginning. not having had
any love affairs of my own. conjure
up love affairs for others. In this
case of Henry ard Lila l knew
nothing of what was passing between
them except from observation, so l
may be excused for filing in occasion
ally that the story may not seem too
disconnected. At the last | was pres
ent and shall not have TO draw on
my imag ination.
When Henry came back from school
there was 4 more modiSh appearance
TO his clothes and on his manners.
Poor Lila. who had remained on the
farm. had only an unadorned beauty.
freshened by pure air and sunshine.
They were now about sixteen years
old. though Henry was half a head
taller. and I could not see that their
interest in each other had waned.
though the childish Inconsistencies
that they were of different sex had
disappeared. l used 70 see them go
by the house together as formerly. but
the prattle of childhood had given
place to the more sober conversation
of youth. | often wished 1 could hear
what they were saying TO each other.
Henry did so well al school that his
father decided to send him TO college.
| wondered what effect his four years
association with young men and wom-
en- of the world would have on my pct
love AFFAIR. / feared that Henry. hav-
ing become used TO the polished girls
he would meet. would return TO see in
Lila country girl lacking the airs
and graces of Der sisters of the city.
Would this ALLEVIATE him? 1t was TO
be expected that II would And though
conaIry born and bred myself. | don't
know that those of US who go TO the