Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-14

forget her pleading eyes. NelInel
could he forget how pretty she look
ed, with just the faintest flush on
her dark olive skin, and said can
you?"
"Oh, sir" she asked in her sweet,
gentle voice, do you think that
father
He'll be here before long" broke
In the officer, in a kindly tone, look
ing into her eyes.
Just at this moment the heavy step
of her father was heard, and he came
into the room smiling and saying;
"Gooda cop. he no maka too much
trub"-but Cassidy quickly said
goodby and left.
His mother knew by his preoccu-
pied air that evening that something
was wrong with her darling boy. So
to avoid her questions, he went to
bed. Mrs. Cassidy sat near the fire
mending, when a knock came at the
door.
Good evenin, Mrs. Mccarthy"
was her CHEEKY welcome as neigh
Dor entered, "how's all belongin' to
ye."
ooh, they are all very well, thank
ye kindly, except the baby, he has
the measles. Dinnis whit to the
meetin,' so I thought I'd come over.
How is Tommy"
He don't feel very well this even
in so he went to bed"
Cassidy listened impatiently to the
talk, but soon he began to listen more
intently to what his mother was say
ing.
Yes" pursued that lady, 81 would
be the happiest woman alive if Tom
my would marry Mary Rooney. She
is such a nate housekeeper. She is
just the one to keep his socks and
shirts as ! keep them and besides her
father is captain of the district and
he could help Tommy get promoted.
Why did this plan become suddenly
hateful to Tommy? He had often
heard his mother talk of this pet
scheme and he thought 1t only nat
ural for him to marry the girl his
mother had chosen. But two pic
lures came to his mind-big strong
Mary Rooney, with her red hair and
blue eyes, and sweet, gentle Rosa
with her shining dark hair and eyes,
whose beauty defied his power of
description or comparison.
Il believe" he unused, I'm in love
with that little Italian. wonder
what mother would say if she knew?
But a man has his own choice in such
matters" he concluded with firm de-
termination.
The next evening he called at
Rosa's home and he called frequently
thereafter. the attraction be cominf
greater and greater. Soon Rosa be-
gan to look forward to his coming
and to feel the evening dull if he
failed to appear. One day he asked
her to marry him and she said blush
ingIy:
You must ask father"
He did ask her father and her
father consented willingly, saying:
You BETA youa life, Me lika
you. YOua gooda man. lika me
sal marry Irisha man. You getta
me a gooda joba. For me no mora
organ. Rosa a gooda girl"
But how different were affairs al
the Cassidy home,
4 wouldn't mind" said Mrs. cas-
sidy TO a kindhearted neighbor. Mrs.
O'BTien, who came in to sympathize
with her. but he wants to marry a
dago and no one belongin' to him
ever married one. Now, there's Mary
Rooney, her father and me came
from the same part of Ireland /
know if he marries her he will b,
as happy as the day is long. III
never darken his door if he marries
a N-Op'' Sbp pycIair,p,
Rosa soon learned of Mrs. Cas-
sidy's attitude.
Tom" she said, as he came one
evening, Il think we had better part
tonight. I'm too proud to marry you
against your mothers wishes and
she's too stubborn to give in"
So they kissed and parted for the
last time as each thought.
Il believe I'm going to pay heavily
for my last day" Rosa soliloquized. |
IF it was not my last day father /
would never have stayed out later /
than 9 o'clock and then never would |
have met Tom. and all this pain and
trouble would be avoided. | wonder /
how it is all going to end?"
Tom, who had earned the sobri- |
IutL VI the STUDENT cop, began TO Z
devote himself more and more to /
his books. Thus the winter passed |
Mrs. Cassidy was in the habit of do |
ing her marketing downtown. One |
morning she awoke filed with the |
dea of getting something dainty for |
Toms supper that night. She hur-
ried on her wraps, and with her lit
lie basket on her arm, started She
was so occupied with her thoughts |
hat she did not see a big automo-
bile coming down on her till it was
90 late. When she opened her eyes
she was looking up into the sweetest
ACE she had ever seen. A young
girl was bending over her and say
ng in the softest of voices:
Are you hurt lady?"
NO, I'm not hurt very much, only
/ little pain"
Just then an ambulance hurried