Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-13

/ had forgotten the episode when
one day 1 received an envelope con-
tanning a tbeater ticket. 1t was not
marked complimentary. 1t had evil
IDENTIFY been purchased at the box Of
fee. went there and asked the tick
ct seller IL he could remember who
bought it. He looked at it and said
that be could not. l went away won
dering who had favored me, but feel
ing sure that the person would turn
up in time.
went to the play hoping that l
would have my curiosity satisfied be-
fore the evening was over, but 1 did
not l saw no one whom l suspected
In the audience. and no one made
himself or herself known to me. i
had fancied that 1 might receive
pleasant surprise In seeing some old
friend take a seat beside me who
would turn out to be the donor OF the
ticket. The seat on either side Of me
was filed with persons I had never
seen before. A young man sat on my
right, a middle aged lady on my left.
Each was with another person, but
no one of either couple did l know or
had even paid any attention to me.
/ went home mystified.
One evening l was putting on even
ing dress to so out when. slipping my
hand into the right pocket Of my din
ner jacket, felt little oblong pack
age. Withdrawing 1t, l took off the
paper In which 1t was enrolled and
found a pasteboard box with a jewel
er's name and address on the cover.
no N 10 ~.
Of cotton, there on another layer glis-
tened a gold scarf ring.
How did the box get into my pocket?
! pondered over the matter with no
success. Then / remembered that
had last worn the dinner jacket at
the theater on the night l had used
the mysterious ticket. 1t occurred to
me that the young man sitting on my
right could have slipped it into my
pocket. But why should he have done
so? He was stranger to me and had
manifested no interest in me during
the evening. Indeed, he seemed to be
entirely absorbed with his companion.
q very pretty girl, 1 remembered
The scarf ring was a plain band Of
gold with a peculiar setting Of FIVE
Jewels. In the center of a square
was a diamond.
One day while visiting picture gal
lery, passing from one room to anoth-
er, / met the street car girl face to
face. / had my scarf ring on. and her
eyes fell upon it before they struck
my face. She raised them and at
once threw out the red signal. Bow
ing her head. she attempted to dive
past me- But / had had enough Of
this mystery and sprang directly in
front of her.
"You have returned the loan OF
Nickel / said, with a theater ticket,
and you placed this scarf ring
81 did not"
"I mean a young man who sat In
the next seat to me placed 1t there by
your request"
81 wished to repay an obligation"
"You repaid 1t tenfold."
Then like an electric shock another
inference struck me. l determined to
risk all on a hazard.
"But you have given me something
more delicious than these" said, look
ing her In the eye. when 1 was blind
folded
The blood in her cheeks that had
partly subsidized again famed up, and
she made another dive for freedom.
but headed her off. knew she was
the girl who had kissed me.
Well, It was all out. and ! told her
that nothing would satisfy me but
full statement of the case from the
time of the bursting of that gun at
hnf hod onannn1nd
consciousness within me and enabled
her to cGrry on this succession of sur
prises. She told me that l might call
upon her and she would satisfy my
curiosity. made the call without any
delay, and this is the story she gave
me:
1.-The house to which you were car
ried was and is occupied by my aunt
ind uncle. / went there shortly after
you were taken in and, seeing crowd
about the house, was in dread lest
something had happened to some one
of the family. My aunt told me Of the
explosion of the gun and your arrival.
A doctor was then with you, washing
out what had been blown into your
eyes, and when he left the room he
ItpOTtcu you WcIC AL lAioLc wv
ical condition than afterward turned
out to be the case.
81 volunteered to go In and look out
for your needs. and my aunt, who Is
a very nervous woman, was quite will
ing to accept my services in your be-
half. When I saw a young soldier ly
ing there grievously injured looking so
handsome
"Cut 1t out" I interrupted.
She continued her story. smiling-"I
felt pity In my heart. Then 1t &C.
CURED to me to puzzle you with that
kiss.
when I met you In the street car
I pretended I had no change that you |
might pay my fare. knew where you |
lived and sent the theater ticket as |
a return for your favor. The young |
man bho sat on your right was my |
brother and commissioned by me to |
drop the scarf ring into your pocket. |
There, you have my confession. The |
whole thing has been done for fun"
I concluded that girl who would |