Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-22
The Argus Daily Short Story
New Year House Party-By John G. Gassoway
Conx.lghtea. Associated Lltera Eress.

I 1 slipped out of bed and CROPPED in the
/ dark for n bath robe. which / put on
and trod noiseIessly IN my bare feet to
the door
I'VE were not used to locking our
doors; ut least didn't lock mine. 1
only shut it. Finding it ajar. l was
sure some girl or girls were outside
listening to enjoy my wrath at not
being able 10 get my legs down be
tween the sheets Suddenly throwing
the door wide open, I ran right into
fig Ire which I knew by her apparel
was q girl. Both my arms went around
her neck, and I rained kisses all over
her face. She struggled hard and sud
denly gave vent to an Ouch"
Thinking that l had hurt her. re
leased my hold. and I heard her run
ming along the hall and down TO the floor
below where the girls slept. we young
fellows all occupying rooms above
Going into my room. 7 lighted the gas
In order to fix my bed so that I could
sleep in II. I noticed a drop Of blood
on my bath robe. Presently I went
to the door again, and on the floor
just beyond the sill something gilt
/ tered Reaching for If. I picked up
stickDin with n pearl for 81 head. l in
/ ferred that It had prcled the girl
had held in my arms and drawn drop
| or two of blood.
! THE next morning at breakfast what
was my surprise to see six girls. each
with n bit of court plaster on her neck
Just below the ear.
"'Aha. my beauties" I exclaimed to
/ al n rr1jn in,
order TO prevent my knowing which
one Of you scotched my sheets ard got
kissed ard scratched Tor the trouble
The stickpin evidently left fits mark
on the culprit and. like the girl in the
Arabian Nights Entertainments who.
seeing a door chalked and suspectinG
some viIainy, chalked all the other
doors, you have all put on court plas-
ter Well, have the sticllpin. and
now the battle turns on which one of
you owns it
After breakfast I showed the pin to
each one OF the men, asking him If he
had noticed il the evening before on
any of the girls. But men are awfully
stupid about womens dress, and not
one of them could give me any infor-
nation. There We're none Of the girls
who did not know the ownership. but
1 might as we'll have applied at gov
eminent circumlocutiOn Office for the
settlement Of a claim as ask any one
of them. I should have been sent
round the circle indefinitely.
THAT evening at dinner I wore the
stickpin in my scarf. 1t was great fun
to watch the girls as they caught
sight of it. Not a girl betrayed any
thing more than slight change in ex-
preston; but. since they an showed
that, was no wiser as to the owner
/ ship.
I'VE fellows had carefully examined
the jewel at the head Of the pin and
agreed that it was n real pearl of con-
siderable value. 1 thought of way
to force the owner to declare herself.
During the dinner l asked the party,
who in history dissolved in vinegar
pearl of great value?
CLEOPATRA cried one of the girls.
"I don't believe the story said one
of the fellows who was in the secret
OF what 1 was about to do.
why not?' l asked of him.
"'No one would do such a thing
"I wouldn't mind doing it myself
I replied.
I'D like to bet you won't
GLOW much?
"TlI go you tenner you don't dis
solve the pearl you wear in your
scarf
'''I take the bet
"Half the men at the table made
side bets, and, pouring some vinegar
a