Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-04-04

II. a
bench backed by bushes on which
| they often sat together. Miss with
ers and by taking a circuitous course
found IT possible without being OBJ
served to conceal ourselves in these
bushes and hear all they said. 1t was
eavesdropping, but I considered that
the end justified the means. These
loving interviews would in my play
touch the hearts of many persons. 1
considered Miss Withers also justified
since she was my assistant.
Two persons wrapped in common
work are very liable to become wrap
ped In each other And the more alb
sorbed they are in the former the
more unconscious they are liable to be
with regard to the latter. Miss With
ers was called away for a few days.
during which period I was surprised
that I was una BILE to do any work. In
deed, I discovered that she was at
least a thief even II this was her only
iniquity, for she had stolen my heart.
But was by no means ready to yield
to such enthrallment and when she
returned went on with my play with
out showing any signs-at least any
Intentional signs-of my own heart
interest"
One day when Miss withers and 1
were passing the barn on the Powell
farm she expressed desire to go up
in the hayloft. We entered the barn,
mounted to the upper portion by
means of ladder, lifted q trapdoor
sufficiently to let us on to the second
floor and found ourselves In with the
sweet smelling hay. Cupid delights in
odd places for forcing avowals. The
hay was very inviting to sit on. Re
clining on the fragrant lounge. yield
ed to the influence of both the subdued
light and the delicious resting place
and poured forth, like the bird In the
poem, my ''unpremeditated lay"
had scarcely finished when we
heard a smoker Immediately under the
trapdoor and persons scurrying down
the ladder.
We looked at each other with GRIM
son faces.
Then, springing up. rushed to the
trapdoor and attempted to raise 1t. 1t
had been bolted beneath.
Another play than the one was at
work on was being enacted. The lovers
we had spied upon had detected US and
turned the tables on US. We were
locked in hayloft and could not get
out until we were let out. Here was a
pretty how-de-do. When some one
came In to feed the stock we could at
tract attention, the door would be I'M
bolted and we could go free. But how
would we be thereafter looked upon?
Bribery and corruption could not avail
US, even If practiced by one so adept
in chicapery as my heavy woman"
What was to be done? Nothing. We
awaited the inevitable. and surmised
what that inevitable would be.
Within half an hour we heard per-
| sons below The two lovers were there
and several others. We heard them
rummaging about, and presently some
one said, Let's 60 up and sit on the
hay" All agreed and began to ascend
| the ladder. Then the bolt in the trap
was shot, the door was lifted and the
| head of Emily Powell appeared. See
| ing us, she put on pretended look OF
surprise. exclaimed, "Oh, excuse me"
and disappeared. In few moments
we heard the party leaving the barn.
and there was nothing left for us but
to do the same.
II was fortunate that had offered
myself to my companion, for 1t ena-
bIed me TO do the only thing to save
| us from obloquy II not from ridicuie.
which latter nothing could save us
from. The eavesdroppers said moth
ing Of what they had heard, but l
boldly avowed that Miss Withers and
I were engaged. She neither affirmed
nor denied my statement to me or any
one else and looked as though love
was the furthest thing from her heart.
However, before we parted she had so
far recovered from the misadventure
as to give an undemonstrative con-
sent.
On returning to the city I completed
my play and had no difficulty in put
ting 1t on the boards. / took my fan
Gee and others of her family TO the
theater when the piece was put on for
the first time and. leaving them in
their seats. went behind the curtain.
It was soon evident that the produc-
ton would be a great success. The
interest was accumulative till the eli
max in the third act, and at the fall of
the curtain l was called on for a
speech. While making It I glanced
uOWu 10 "DeTS HdO ltiI AiiSS w itu-
ers. expecting a congratulatory smile
I was astonished to find her seat va
cant As soon as possible I went TO
the orchestra chairs and asked Mrs
Withers what had become of her
daughter.
What was my horror to learn that
she had recognized herself as the fe-
male villain of the play and had gone
out during the third act I'm high dudg
con.
I followed her. but was not admitted
to see her. I called the next day and
the next with no better success. But
I did not give her up until I heard
that she had gone away. no one knew
where. cursed my folly In taking
the woman I loved for a model. espe-
CHILLY of female villain.
I never succeeded in modifying her,
and am still n bachelor.