Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-04

was in q New York apartment
house for a call on some old friends
of mine. The elevator boy handed my
card to the telephone boy, who an
nounced to the Eflnghams that Mr..
Townsend had called.
"An right" said the latter after re
ceiving a reply. You're to go up
/ stepped on the elevator and was
soon ushered by a maid in a black
dress and a white ruffled apron into
the drawing room Of an apartment on
the sixth floor. There was no one in
the room, which surprised me, for l
was very intimate with the Emnghams
and supposed that at the announce
ment of my name the whole family
would be waiting to greet me.
It was fully ten minutes that sat
waiting when 1 noticed that the light
shining through keyhoIe in a door
opening into an adjoining room sud
denly gave place to darkness.
zone OF the girls" / said to myself.
"is spying on me. That's game two
can play at"
I got up from my seat, strolled
about the room, looking at the pic
lures on the wall as if to kill time
while waiting, and when 1 reached the
door in question quickly turned the
knob and threw the door open.
There, kneeling so as to bring an eye
opposite the keyhole. was young lady
/ had never seen. Her face was Grim
son. and after looking at me for mo
Oh with hnT
hands.
/ saw at a glance that not only one
mistake bad been made. but several.
There might be fifty families in the
building. and there were probably
more than one named bingham. ]
had doubtless got into the wrong fat
But why was the girl peering at me
Through the keyhole? Perhaps there
had been a double coincidence of
names, she knowing some one by the
name Of Townsend, or she did not
know any one by that name and was
anxious to reconnoiter the visitor be
fore appearing. My curiosity being
aroused, I resolved not to spoil my
chance of enlightenment by giving
anything away. 1 proposed to listen,
not to talk. g.
! The girl arose and. still blushing to
the roots of her hair. came forward.
81 am mortified beyond measure"
she said, Eat being caught in such
position. but you must admit that be
fore receiving a call from the man ]
am to marry I would naturally desire
ito see him unobserved myself"
I thino IN ha
world" replied, depressing a start on
learning that 1 was to be the girls
husband.
/ II received your note" she contin-
ued, Saying you would call yesterday,
and later your telegram that you had
suddenly been called away. Then
when you were announced just now
was taken quite by surprise, having
Expected that our meeting would not
take place for some time yet"
| 81 decided not to 60"
my act is certainly not calculated to
give you q favorable impression of
me. / admit. Just think of a man call
ing for the first time on girl he is to
marry, whom he has never seen. and
finding her peeping through a keyhole.
It's simply dreadful
But becoming. To my taste. a girl
never looks so well as when blushing"
But there is no necessity for US to
stand. Be seated" She sank on a sofa.
on an easy chair. IT have fought
against such marriage, but my guard
ian. who has certain views for my
property, has finally worn me out. Be
sides. he tells me that you are as much
interested from that point OF view as
L. Nevertheless have told him that
after seeing you If you were repulsive
to me the matter should not go any
further. And that is the reason why
i was endeavoring to get peep at you
before meeting you. intended If you
were disagreeable to me even in ap-
pearance that I would after all decline
to receive you"
knowing this. I'm sorry I didn't
leave you free to make q decision
IT should have decided to meet you"
she replied to this, casting down her
eyes.
Thank heavenw
"You mean that you are pleased that
these schemes for the development of
OuF properties are 10 De CdIIleO OuLy
she said archly.
81 assure you,'' 1 replied. with an
injured look, that these property
schemes have nothing to do with my
satisfaction at finding you in every
way so much more attractive than l
had hoped for"
There was a blush at this, not OF
modification, but of pleasure.
Now. 1 beg OF you," I continued.
mot to speak further of this matter of
property interest that has brought Us
together. Let us consider our pro-
jected union one Of inclination alone.
Yet before doing so I would like TO |
get one matter out of the way so that
1t may not influence US. Please write |
on BIT of paper what you consider,
the amount of your possessions. and ]
Will do the same We will exchange
these papers and will both know what
we are to expect primarily from each
other"