Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-28
The Argus Daily Short Story
He Who Waits-By Clarissa Macke.
Copyrighted. 1910. by Associated Literary Press.

dignified method of obtaining an edu-
cation shifted Mrs. Livingston.
Didn't uncle keep a chophouse"
asked Stella. with sudden clearness Of
tone.
Hush Mrs. Livingston's face
crimsoned argrily. How dare you,
Stella"
I'm sure be told me that once be
kept a choPhouse and an oyster par
Tor He said he waited on the Gus
toners himself persisted Stella wick
eddy.
Just then the diminutive Mr.. Schnei
der arrived with the dinner. which be
served most deftly and with an ele-
ment of respect that must have-beeu
divided between the lovelrlesS OF the
Young woman he served and the recol-
lection of the Livingston dollars as
represented by young Fred his class
mate.
The conversation shifted to less dan
gerous ground. and the meal passed
pleasantly. Fred strove TO make him
self agreeab bic TO his Indifferent cousin,
| while his mother aided with infinite
tact to smooth the girls ruffied COM
posture.
Their stay at another mountain re-
| sort had been rather disastrous from
Fred's point of view. Their first meal
at the Pines had been marked by an
accident A candle had fallen over,
and the fame had leapcd to Stella's
delicate lace sleeve and would have
speedily enveloped her flmy gown had
not the tall waiter who. unnoticed. had
served them stripped of his coat and
wrapped it about the girl, extinguish-
ing the fire.
He had scorned Fred's generously
| proffered reward, received with urban
ity Mrs. Livingston's patronizing COM
mendation and thrilled at the gratitude
in StelIa's dark eyes. He had pretend
ed not to see the soft little hand she
graciously extended and. slipping on
his coat had rearranged the table,
served the dessert and sent the hotel
physician to see them.
The week that followed was
strange one for Stella Hewitt. Proud
and high spirited, resenting the love
making Of her cousin. abetted by his
mot her, who was Ste!a'S guardian as
| well as aunt. the girl found herself
deeply interested In the individuality
of the man who waited on the table.
He had never presumed by so much
as a glance upon the incident in the
dining room, and Stella liked him the
better for it. One day she had met
him on one Of the mountain paths,
and she had stopped and thanked him
prettily for the service.
Pm going to let you thank me some
other time" he had said gravely.
Just at that moment Fred had APP
peared, and he had uttered some sharp
words that divulged the fact that he
knew who the waiter was.
The next day the waiter disappeared,
and two days afterward Mrs. Living
ston found it convenient to move on to
another resort. Stella understood and
smiled a bitter little smile.
| Now she felt little throb of exulta-
ton that her instinct had not been
wrong. She had recognized in the
man who had saved her life some
claim to distinction. She admired him
for his pluck and perseverance. She
felt that he was more to be respected
than Fred, who lazily accepted what
the gods (and his industrious father
had provided and was without ambi-
tion of any sort, if one excepted his
desire to wed Stella.
Dessert was served, and Stella, play
ing idly with her spoon, looked across
the large room and saw Jim Forrest
looming large in the distance. bearing
tray carefully poised on one palm.
Their eyes met across the intervening
space, and Stella smiled. Forrest did
not return the greeting.
"Who were you smiling at, Stella? 2"
demanded Fred hastily.
She did not reply.
Mrs. Livingston had seen, however,
and so it was the very next day they
gave up the rooms Fred had engaged
| and went back to town where there
would be no doubt as to who would
serve the soup and where there were
no dangerous candelabra on the table.
September came. and Fred went back
to college, a rejected sutton Stella