Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-04
The Argus Daily Short Story
Eleanor Trimble-By F. A. Nit chel.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Press

Treadwell was sent by the firm he
was with to B. to make some negoda
tons for it. He was obliged to
wait to see the parties he was to do
the business with and after he had
seen them and reported to the home
Office he must wait for further in
structions. The result was that he
was seldom occupied more than half
an hour day and usually not that. =
B. is a beautiful place. rather fitted
for literary or artistic persons than
for those devoted to business. There is
a public library there, and to Tread
well, passing the place, 1t appeared
so inviting that he concluded to go in
and look for something to read. 1t
was quiet place, the light subdued,
and as he entered the librarian, a
young woman, arose from desk where
she was writing on some cards and
stood at the counter over which the
books are passed. Treadwen asked
for something to read, saying that he
was a stranger and would be obliged
If she would recommend a book.
The girl handed him a novel There
were alcoves In the building, and she
told him he would be welcome to sit
down in one of them and read.
For one subject to the influence of
books there can be nothing pleasanter
than to lean back in a big leather
chair in one of these quiet alcoves,
where he may occasionally glance at
foliage and fecked sunlight on the
grass without. Treadwell stretched
his legs and rested his head on the
cushion and opened the book. On the
fyleaf was a name written in ink,
Eleanor Trimble." Whether she had
given the book to the library or it
had been purchased secondhand
Treadwell did not know. But under
the quieting influence Of the place he
fell to wondering about her before
beginning to read. The date on the
title page was an old one, but some
how he could not but look upon Ele-
amor Trimble as young person
There was something about the sto-
y-Treadwen could not tell what
that attracted him And what put a
finishing touch upon his interest was
that some one had marked in light
pencil certain passages that especially
fancy had lighted on Eleanor Trim
bic. and it would not be satisfied with
any other marker of these thoughts.
About some of the passages-indeed,
most Of them-there were two of these
marks, and to a number there were
three.
There was another fancy-excitant-
Why had Miss Trimble, who by this
ryxalT ,, tNSaer 70
as a very pretty girl Of an intellectual
type, chosen to make sometimes one,
sometimes two, sometimes three marks
about these ideas that had pleased
her? Treadwell had come TO the libra
~ to Kill time by reading, and he was
not only killing it by building up an
imaginary girl, but he experienced a
singular pleasure in doing so. He
drifted into the feeling that this Flea
nor Trimble had written the story or
was at least in some way identified
with It
at any rate. she was to him the
heroine. It is questionable IL the her
Dine would have been heroine at
all IL she had not been Eleanor Trim
bic. She, the heroine. Miss Trimble,
was walking about through the story
doing all sorts Of attractive things.
exciting Treadwell's admiration and,
like the leading lady of play, sur
rounded by the other characters in the
story as her satellites. She was Mar
ella Collar, but TO Treadwen this was
a fictitious name for Eleanor Trimble.
as TreadHel1 read on he noticed
that certain thoughts or acts of the
heroine were differently marked
Some OF them had one. some two.