Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-31
The Argus Daily Short Story
Miss Flittermouse-By Clarissa MacHe.
Copyrighted 1911. by Associated Literary PresA

7 All at once a very awkward thing
happened. Somebody entered the pew
where Ransom sat, and as the young
man bent down to pick up his hat and
move farther along in the seat the
brim OF the gray hat I'm front suddenly
bobbed back and, twftching his eye
glasses off his nose, sent them hurting
| upward, to fall with an ominous tin
king sound in the bookrack of her own
pew.
It was not until the service was con-
Guided and he was rising to go out
that he recollected the glasses. At the
same instant the girl turned and gave
them to him with a courteous little in
clination Of the head.
Thank you" murmured Ransom
And then he saw that the man who
had entered the pew and was really
the author of his lucky incident was
none other than the senior member of
the firm with whom he was reading
law
Mr. Laidlaw bowed genially, and
Ransom left him standing in the
crowded aisle, apparently waiting for
some one.
The next night there was driving
storm of wind and sleet. and as the
car lines were at a standstill owing to
some trouble at the power house Ran
som was obliged to walk the two
miles which marked the distance be-
tween his Office and Mrs. Beek's board
ing house.
Thus it was that he found himself
in a part of Lexington which he had
never before traversed. He had plan
ned a short cut home and had plunged
INTO the nrst cross street that prom
Used bee line for home and FIRE and
at some future time-a dinner.
1t was In the darkest. most forbid
ding part of a lonely, wind driven
street that he came upon a small form
struggling with a refractory umbrella.
The umbrella, acting as a sail. was
bearing its unfortunate owner in d.
rection opposite to the one in which
she wished to go, and Ransom came
upon her at a moment when she lost
hold of the handle, and the flying um-
brella drove straight at the young
man, and the ferrule punched a hole
in the covering of his own protector
before it wrenched itself from his
grasp and bowled down the street
Let it go. hope you're not hurt!"
gasped the small form, and then It
scurried on ahead of Ransom. as II
afraid of him. He FASTENED on to
offer her the protection of his umbrel-
la, for the voice had been that OF q
girl, and Ransom was quite sure that
he could get home without much dam
age to his rough tweed cap, but a
girls hat was usually a most delicate
and destructible creation.
Ransom hurried after the girl, not
ing something familiar In the way she
hitted along the wet paVements ahead
of him. She turned into the very
street in which he had decided to
turn, and he followed after. As ne
drew nearer he could see that she was
almost running, and IT suddenly dawn
ed upon him that she was afraid OF
him and that she was running away
from him.
With one or two quick, silent bounds
he reached her side and at the same
instant recognized the little gray fit
ting figure be had SO often seen at
twilight.
Miss ElittermouseE' he exclaimed
involuntariiy. do take my umbrella
You'll spoil your hat" He thrust his
umbrella into her hand and strobe on
ahead TO reassure her
"Oh. thank you" painted the girl.
And she said nothing more. Ransom
could hear her psttering along behind
him, and now and then he turned for
a glimpse of her. An he could see
was a small form in Iong gray cloak
with gray veil tied about q small hat
At the foot o. tie steps leading to