Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-24
The Argus Daily Story
The Magic HORNY Clarissa Maclxie.
Copyrientec. 1919 oy Associated Literary Bureau

and you will find it at the corner Of
the Cliffden road, about a quarter OF
mile beyond here. Oh. may trouble
you for my music roll?' She pointed
to the thicket. where the forgotten mu-
sic roll was half hidden among the
weeds.
The stranger assisted her into the
path, piloted her beyond the bulk or
the machine and then returned to the
thicket for the music roll. As he ex-
tricated 1t he could not forbear seeing
the name engraved on a little silver
plate under the strap.
He gave 1t TO Rose and watched her
as she went along the path away from
the higRroad. In which direction he
must go. He did not know that the
shorter route to the Lewis home would
be to follow the directions she had CIV
en- him and return to the highway.
Rose wanted to be alone for awhile.
She wanted to still the beating or her
heart and TO feel the telltnle iush fade
from her hot cheeks before she went
home She turned around for an iu-
slant. and then something happened
that added to her confusion and EN-
barrassment.
When the stranger had thrown away
the bits of absorbent cotton they had
chung TO the blackberry bushes Ike
tufts of snow. Now. as Rose turned
she saw two birds-a yellow warbler
and his soberly attlred little mate
hover over the bushes and then dart
down and away with the bits OF cotton
in their beaks.
Rose fairly ran until she reached
quiet wood road that would take her
home. II had been the most exciting
day she had ever known. 1t seemed as
if every incident had borne some sig
pificance because of her foolish dreams
Of magic horns and princes.
The man, Neal Hayden. was not I'M
moved by what had happened. once
when he had been a little rad somebody
had sent him a valentine. 1t pictured
a little girls sweet face peeping from
a bower of wild roses. and the picture
chung to him all through his boyhood
and youth until he had come to believe
that when he found his ideal girl she
would have the face of his valentine,
and she was always wreathed with
roses.
The suddenness of seeing the lovely
face of Rose Lewis framed In the pink
bloom of wild roses had agitated hun
for the moment. and then to learn from
| the music roll that her name was Rose
set him to dreaming dreams OF his own
as he slowly sought the services OF the
! blacksmith. He, too, had Redeemed as
! the yellow birds had stolen the bits or
cotton from the bushes Every incl
dent had its significance for him also.
The next day there came a big box
| of pink roses addressed to Rose Lew
is. and inside was Hayden's card with
out an address. he expressed his
hope that Rose had sufHAred no III eff
fects from her encounter with the
thorns. Rose told the story to her
mother, and the roses occupied n place
of honor on the piano, where Rose
found herself softly playing the plain
tive minor chord that sounded from
the horn of Hayden's automobile.
Often after that Rose heard the
sound of the horn as the machine
|
months went by, and as she never saw
Neal Hayden again she forbade her
self to dream of fairy princes and
magic horns and tried to forget the
incident which at the time had seemed
so astonishing to her. But now. In
stead of dreaming of imaginary
princes. Rose found herself with n
real flesh and blood hero, who invaded
her dreams and refused to be ban
ished.
Then came a day when she went
with her cousins to the big county
fair. Here were gathered many fash
ionable folks from the country estates
near by. and here were many men
from the city. Neal Hayden was
there, too, and when he saw Rose
with the Drake Lewises. her cousins.
he fairly Jew across the intervening
space and claimed instant friendship
with Drake Lewis. who had been his
classmate at college.
After that it was only a question of
time before Neal Hayden dared con
fess his love for DrakesLewis' little
country cousin. All through that au-
tumn, when the lane road was turning
TO path of crimson and gold. Hay
den was seeking for words 10 which
10 tell his love. Then one day when
the wind was shaking the leaves down
in golden showers Rose walked in the
lane road and saw Neal Hayden com
ing toward her.
She waited. looking lovelIer than
ever in her white knitted ceat aud
white wool cap. Just before they met
the same breeze that sent her golden
hair in little wisps about her ears
shook a dogwood tree. and from the
branches there tumbled the cunningly
woven nest Of n yellow warbler
From it there futtered bits of white
cotton and shreds of the blue paIer
which Hayden had thrown away.
The empty nest fell to the ground
between them, and their eyes mel
above 1t. and Neal suddenly was
aware that he need not say anything
His eyes had asked the question. hers
had answered 1t. and their dream, hud
come true.