Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-03


houses, every house exactly like every
other house. once lived in one of
these houses, and never went home
but ! ran a risk Of getting into the
wrong house.
In the fourth house was a young
lady whose appearance especially ad-
mtred. 1 considered her very pretty,
and she was certainly very stylish.
Now. that's just the girl 1 would
like for wife," / used to say when
saw her going into or coming out of
her home.
One afternoon I went home, and.
finding the front door ajar, ] walked
In. put my hat and overcoat in the hall
closet and went upstairs to a sitting
room on the second door. The room
was shut in by brick walls, and / sell
dom sat there without turning on the
light. Being tired, threw myself into
an easy chair and, closing my eyes, sat
thinking on matter Of business that
had occurred during the day. Present
~, hearing footstep and looking up.
I saw a woman's figure standing in the
doorway. There was not enough light
to distinguish who she was, but was
not long kept in ignorance. She press
ed q button beside the door. and a
bright electric light showed me the
girl who lived two doors from me.
How is this:' / stammered. Have
/ got into the wrong house?'
81 expect you have" replied the girl.
Pardon me. / assure you / had no
idea I'm very careless"
At that moment | heard the front
door close. The girl heard 1t, too. and
changed countenance.
Good gracious. my auntr' she ex-
claimed.
"Well?"
ut Is very unfortunate your being
here. She is a very suspicious wo-
man."
II see. 1t would grieve me terribly
to have her thing
Dear me. she's coming up herer'
"Can l get out without meeting
herT'
mo. Go in there"
She shut me up in a large closet. and
the next minute l heard the harsh
voice of an old woman in the adjoin-
ing room.
Lois" she said severely. that young
man you admire so much who lives in
this block is in this house. l was sit
ting in Mrs. Deacon's window. next
door. and saw him come up and walk
in at the front door. What are you
doing in this room with all this light
turned on?"
why. Aunt Jane, you must be mis-
taken"
Mistaken! Do you think 1 haven't
eyes? Oh. heavens. Lois, Can it be
possible that you are-are a wicked.
bad girl? Upon my word. l believe
you are hiding a lover. I'm going to
have look"
She made for the only place in the
room possible for concealment-the
closet-and had her hand on the door
knob when l heard slight scuff1e, and
the young lady said:
Aunt Jane, before you open that
door 1 wish to say something to you.
have been deceiving you. l have been
wooed and won clandestfnely by the
young man you have referred to. He
is in that closet"
l must hasten to protect the honor Of
one / had compromised by my stupid
ity. ] flung open the door. put my arm
around the girl who had been driven to
this falsehood, threw back my head
proudly and said dramatically:
No power on earth shall separate
me from my wife"
well. I declarer' exclaimed the old
lady.
My reputed wife buried her face in
her hands. whether because the seri-
BUSINESS Of the matter had occurred to
her or whether to conceal laughter at
its absurdity did not know.
do you mean to say" continued the
old lady to me. ''that you are married
to my niece?"
There would be no use in mincing
matters. 1 swore that was her niece's
husband.
And you, Lois" continued the aunt
fare you really married to him?"
A faint Eyes" came from under the
girls hands
We'll. well. well! How you two
young people could have done your
counting without my finding you out