Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-05
The Argus Daily Short Story
A Deception-By Sarah J. Atwater.
Copyrighted. 1910. by Associated Literary PrssA

The center Of art in Europe is Flor
ence. The town is always full of
Americans. and there are usually
American art students there. One day
an American girl, In rich apparel.
while gazing at the paintings hung in
the Pitt palace In that artistic city
stopped at the easel of a copyist-a
girl about her own age-who was copy
ing a Titan, admired her work and
entered into conversation with her.
The artist was Miss May Monroe Of
st. Louis, the other Miss Margaret De
Forest OF New York. The acquaint-
ance thus begun was continued. and
in time Miss De Forest engaged Miss
Monroe to paint her portrait
II am going to take you into my con-
fdence," said Miss De Forest to Miss
Monroe one day while sitting for the
picture, land ask you to do me favor.
l possess an immense fortune and
have come abroad for the purpose of
meeting q sutton who has never seen
me. Mutual friends have made an ar
rangement by which Count Desmond
de PAmoureux. descended from one
Of the oldest families in France. is to
visit me. and if we are both agreed
we are to marry. am not to be taken
In by any adventurer and have inves-
tigated the counts position thoroughly.
He possesses valuable estates which
with my fortune would enable US to
take q very prominent position in Eu-
ropean society.
But will marry no man who does
xxyfch Re that
shall impersonate me to the count.
Impersonating you. protegee of my
real self. If like him will endeavor
to win him away from you. In that
way / shall know that he loves me for
myself"
THAT would make a very pretty TO
NANCE" said Miss Monroe.
Unless you fall in love with him
yourself"
mo fear of that. I'm engaged to
be married"
Indeed"
Eyes: to young American, strug-
Cling artist like myself"
''That is fortunate. We can take
him into the secret and. forming
party of four. go about together, thus
CGaOAAAB lie W CdtAJ Oob 10y RAe$$~'
And enjoy ourselves as WELL
Count Desmond de rAmoureux ar
rived and was introduced to the two
girls, they occupying reversed posi-
tions. Bernard Wright was introduced
to the count as the fance of the real
Margaret De Forest. The four visited
together the galleries, the medieval
buildings and the environs of Florence,
enjoying every moment. The party
filed a carriage. and many were the
drives they took over the beautiful
hills and daIes about the city in the
delicieus Florentine sunshine
Young Wright, devoted to his art
and, with the usual artistic tempera-
ment, careless as to material posses
sions, entered upon bis part Of the de-
ceptton reluctantly and merely TO
please Miss Monroe. He paid his de-
voirs perfunctorily TO the heiress, but
was by no means bored at doing So
His real mistress was his brush. Miss
Monroe seemed to enjoy immensely
an heiress and was very
to the real Miss De Forest.
Count de PAmoureux was evidently
from the first very much pleased with
the girl whom he supposed to be Miss
De Forest, and Miss Monroe knew
with woman's quick intuition that
1t was not interest alone that moved
him.
Miss De Forest soon began to prac-
tice artful means to draw the noble
man away from her substitute Mar
zaret was an attractive girl and knew