Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-16
The Argus Daily Story
Unsealed Notes-By F "A. Mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1911 by Associated Litera ry Bureau

fight, would teach him that he Could
not play such game ON me with i'm
punity.
Nevertheless / knew that unless
could at my next meeting with him
throw up n dust as / had done with
Mrs. Gonagle would be beaten. What
was my CONSERVATION when Mrs. Con-
agile came into the room where was
writing. not ten minutes after my ar
rival, with note in her hand and tolol
me that must go right back with it
to Mr.. Constable She had telephoned
for an auto and it would be at the
door in a few minutes. II will trust
TO your high sense of honor" she said,
las Mr.. Constable has done, leaving
my note unsealed."
at doesn't matter about that, Mrs.
Gonagle," I said. 81 won't feel hurt
If you seal it"
But she didn't. and sealed It my
self before her eyes. l had no use for
what it contained. The plot was to
send me right back to Constable so
soon after my guilt-if indeed l was
guilty-that be might the better detect
carry out plan for his deception, GER
tainly not another breakdown. Two
such articles would be a dead give
away. resolved to march straight up
to him, driving all embarrassment out
of my head, acting with absolute APP
parent indifference. l made another
resolution. / resolved-but never mind
what resolved.
When l was ushered into the room
where / again found him sitting be-
hind his rosewood desk think could
have enacted any part-I could have
announced to him that he was TO be
decapitated in ten minutes without
showing the slightest trace of emotion.
The gray eyes were brought to bear on
me, but met them with an inquiring,
childlike wonder as to why he looked
so hard at me. Then. as If my modesty
had been touched by such gaze, call
ed up a faint blush and turned my
eyes away. l felt that had conquered.
My pantomine would have deceived
Satan himself.
Still pretending that Mr.. Constable
was another person than himself, the
secretary took the note out of the room
and returned with another. which he
handed me unsealed. He did not open
his lips to me during my brief stay,
but / knew that he was watching me.
l acted as though there was no one
present except myself, looking most Of
the time out of the window. The note
he gave me I dropped at once into my
bag without looking at 1t. pretending to
be at the moment hunting for either
my handkerchief or my purse
From this time forward l felt that
was mistress of the situation. The
only mention made of Mr.. Consta-
BILE was as 1.-THE old gentleman who
did so much for the poor" and this
was not to Mrs. Gonagle, but in her
hearing / think this took away any
suspicion she might have had that
knew of her plot. She did not send
me with any more notes to Mr.. Con-
stable, but did send me to him with
verbal messages. When l went with
the first of these Mr.. Constable's pre-
tended secretary waxed affable and
endeavored to engage me in CONVERSE
ton. ] showed no indisposition to
talk with him, though he never gave
me one of those gazes of his but that
l lowered my eyes. In one Of our
chats I asked him If he were Mr.. Con-
stables secretary, and he replied that
he was more than that-he was his
business manager.
''Mr Constable must be a splendid
old gentleman" 1 said, ito do so much
for the poor"
ole ho do
ey?" was the response. He can't
spend 1t all on himself"
Then the secretary began to come to
Mrs. Gonagle's on various pretexts.
and every time he came she would
manage to leave us in her Office room
together while she pretended to be at
, tending to the matter about which he
had called. | saw that he was bent
on wooing. and | permitted him to
WOO He took me out several times.
and one evening on our returning
from the opera on leaving me in the
vestihule he pressed my hand. There
was light enough for me to show him
that i was very much impressed by
! the performance.
, Time came when he proposed to me.
i laughed at MIN. Il uon care 10
marry a man." / said, who began his
courtship with the idea that he was
n match for q woman"
; "What do you mean" be asked.
=. astounded.
= "Why. you and Mrs. Gonagle form
) ed q plot to make me believe that you
are Mr.. Constable's secretary. knew
4 from the first that you were Mr.. Con
r stable himself
D How? You surely didn't read the
e first note sent by your
? "Of course ] did. Did you take me
/ for q ninny?"
: you played me-"
8 '"That was easy"
t "And all this encoura cement IS
:. pretended. | don't care to marry.
: I am much pleased with my work emo
have no intention of leaving 1t"
l. That was several weeks ago. Since
: then Mr. Constable has been pursuing
n me. and have at last consented TO
/. marry him. Mrs. Gonagie is to give
t us a splendid wedding. and we are to
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