Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-02
The Argus Daily Short Story
BERTHE Courtenay-By Martha B. Monroe
Copyrighted. 1910. by Associated Literary PresA

| soon as wilkins noticed that the
dude" as he called Courtenay, had
found any favor whatever In Kath-
| crimes eyes he ceased his own atten-
lions. indicating to her that a girl who
could see anything interesting in
"chump like that" was OF no use to
him. AS for Courtenay himself. VII
kfns treated him with supreme con-
tempt.
Hes one Of these college men," said
wilkins. they make professors ola
great capacity for taking in knowledge
and never making any practical use
of It,"
But he's remarkable at tennis" sug-
gested one who had seen Courtenay
make fireworks of the balls over the
net
"Oh. that's a sort Of slight of hand,
ike billiards. There's nothing manly
u the game"
By this time nobody seemed to know
what to make of Mr.. Courtenay.' He
didn't seem to be fool. though he
sometimes acted like one. he wasn't
exactly effeminate. though he appear
ed so. What cough was left to him
was certainly affected. Some said he
kept it up to gain the sympathy due
an invalid. Then his dress was too
elegant for anything. his neckwear
now representing the blue field Of
heaven studded with bright stars, now
a snow squall. now the green wares of
the sea and finally the red flames OK
confiagration.
People began TO wonder who he was
and where he nailed from. They
pumped him. and he answered them In
Greek. He was sitting at a table In
J the club one day with FIVE men. They
fell to trying to get from him some
thing concerning his antecedents. each
asking him one or more questions. He
answered them in five different Ian
guages. With a bit of chalk he made
a caricature of Wilkins that set every
one who looked at it laughing. The
bluff baseball man against the versa
tile scholar was like a bread club
against a rapier of Damascus steel.
wilkins became furious at this un-
known creature who had crossed his
path and who returned his thrusts with
satire. Courtenay did not seem to
mind wilkins any more than he would
a gnat. never manifesting toward nim
the slightest hostility.
Kate Hathaway was no less at sea
with regard to Mr.. Courtenay than
were the others. He seemed to like
her society. but never made love to
her. nor did he tell her more about
himself than he told them. There was
certainly a fascination in the man she
could not account for. When listening
to what he said she felt lifted into
different atmosphere. At times he
would chat with her about the poll
tics of their native land, but no sooner
had he interested her in the subject
than he would skim away like bird
to ancient Greece, Rome or Egypt.
Meanwhile the competing clubs were
making up and practicing. Paddock
had selected the better team, and VIII
kins, who knew his enemy's strength
and the weakness of several of his
own men, was feeling very much dis
couraged. But during the term of
practice the Ringold team had streak
of bad luck. First their best infielder
was hit in the face by a ball and in
capacitated, then their next strongest
man fell and broke his leg, and lastly
their pitcher was taken down with ty-
phoid fever. Thus IN the space of
month the Ringolds were reduced from
the better to far inferior team.
why don't you try Courtenay?"
asked a man who was sympathizing
with Captain Paddock.
What! That Miss Nancy? What
could he do at baseball? He'd be all
right for tiddledewinks. but baseball
never"
You can at least try him in prac-
tice game
Yes: can do that. But what's the