Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-20

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his luck. These reckless fellows all
seem to be protected by the ghosts Of
their mammies or some other guard
ian. We must count Abercrombie out"
Eyes, papa"
81 hope you haven't pledged yourself
to him in any way"
mot any more than the Others"
HIN! Not any more! Have you
given him as much encouragement as
the others?'
"Just about"
The colonel knit his brows.
well, my daughter" he said after
the matter I wish / could choose for
you. but that is impossible. Consult
your own heart and
"An right. papa Til find some way
out of IT. Don't worry"
She kissed him affectionately and de-
parted.
Anita consulted her own heart and
found that there was leaning toward
the only one Of her suitors to whom
her father objected. Mad Dick" Aber-
crombie unfortunately held first place
on the list She would have taken
some means to eliminate the others
and get out Of the muddle by accepting
him had it not been for her fathers
disapproval. But her father would
disappro of her not keeping faith
with him as well as the others. There
fore she decided that, whatever the
plan she chose to settle the matter.
she would give him an equal chance.
Miss LIE Grand's plan for a decision
was a stroke of genius. At least so
she considered it herself. She wrote
each one of the applicants for her
hand a note stating that she had be-
come somewhat involved with several
of them and had concluded to marry
the man who loved her best This
point she would determine by the en-
ergy displayed in endeavoring to Sc
cure her hand. The first man who
proposed to her in person after the re-
ceipt Of her note she would accept
Miss LIE Grand, having written the
notes. gave them to Anna, her maid,
to deliver the next morning and the
same evening disappeared.
The LIE Grand plantation was stu
ated about ten miles from the Missts-
sippi river Miss LIE Grand arranged
with Uncle Bob, the master Of the
horse, to get out the carriage and
have it standing outside the gate at
II o'clock on the night of her disap-
pearance. Accompanied by Anna,
who was in her confidence and car
ried a portmanteau, Anita stole out
of the house and made her way to the
carriage. Sending Anna back with a
last Injunction to deliver the notes,
Uncle Bob was instructed to drive to
a little town on the bank of the Mis-
sissippi river. There the next morn
ing about 10 o'clock a steamboat COM
ing down stream stopped at the wharf
Miss LIE Grand went aboard, the steam
err drifted of, and our traveller regis
tered as bound for Baton Rouge,
where she intended to visit rela-
tive
Some ten miles of the journey had
been traversed when a man on the
eastern shore. about two miles below
the boat. plunged into the yellow wa
tiers of the Mississippi and swan for
the channel. When the steamer neared
the point where he was swimming he
was observed by the captain and some
OF the passengers. The forward
guards soon became crowded. On
reaching the swimmer he was seen
to be struggling to keep afioat, for he
had made a long swim in dangerous
waters. A plank was thrown to him,
and q yawl usually lowed at the stern
of such boats was pulled for him. He
was taken aboard the yawl and rowed
to the steamer In an exhausted condi-
ton.
Miss LIE Grand, who had not slept
the night before. was doing in the
ladies' cabin. She was awakened by
a babble of voices and saw standing
before her. foremost in a crowd OF pas
sengers. water soaked and painting.
none other than Mad Dick" AbeFerom-
bic
I've come to ask you to marry me-"
was his greeting.
There was a burst of laughter from
the crowd, in which Miss LIE Grand
joined.
Accept him." shouted one. ANY
man who has the energy and pluck In
wooing a woman to commit himself to
this eddying and whirling river de-
serves her"
Miss lie Grand extended her hand.
and Abercrombie. kneeling. kissed 1t.
When Colonel LIE Grand heard Of the
remarkable method by which his
daughter had unraveled her matri-
moniaI tangle and how Mad Dick
Abercrombie had won he exclaimed,
1.-The rascal is worth a dozen OF the
others" And when he asked Dick how
he got wind of the direction Anita had
taken he received the following evasive
reply:
az fatter myself. colonel. there IS not
one Of your servants that would not
give me a lift in the chief event of my
life"
And he was right.