Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-24
The Argus Daily Story
Agatha's Borrowed Tenant-By Clarissa Macde.
Copyrighted. AssO..a1sd Literary

twice and had never spoken to him in
her life. Indeed. so casual mad been
her glances Mt him that she hardly
knew just how he looked Now she
felt terror stricken to think that she
had involved a perfectly harmless and
strange man in some OF Cousin Phoe-
be's gossip. OF course II was Agatha's
fault She had no business to try to
jest with Mrs. West. Phoebe had no
sense of humor.
1t was not until after supper that
Agatha decided TO run over to Phoebe's
and confess that she had been joking
about the new tenant for the west
wing and thus nip in the bud any Cos
sip that Phoebe's busy tongue might
propagate.
Alas, it was too late, The mischief
had already been done. On her way TO
Phoebe Vests Agatha met several
neighbors. and each one was thorough.
~ informed concerning the new ten
ant who was coming to occupy the
west wing OF Agatha's big house.
where's he going to get his meals?"
asked one.
Cook 'em himself. for all know"
snapped Agatha impatiently as she
faced about home. and thus she added
another bit of fuel to the fame of Cos
sip.
Il wonder what I ought 10 do" mus
/ ed Agatha three days later as she
wandered dtstractedly around her lit
| tie garden. 1t lacked two days Of the
| first Of the month. and her molehill OF
! a joke had developed into a mountain
| of incontrovertible fact.
People Watched daily TO see if Aga
tha's new tenant had arrived to take
possession Of the west wing, and Phoe-
be West had made last and desper-
ate effort to induce Agatha TO take old
| Mrs. Peterson into her house as a
chaperon.
"A woman of my age doesn't need n
chaperon," retorted Agatha. Fastening
away. She avoided Phoebe nowadays.
/ On the day before the first Agatha
found courage born of desperation and
wrote a little note to Simeon Fenlow.
She asked him to call ION important
business" explained her prim little
note
That evening the eve OF the first,
Simeon FenlOw called upon Agatha
Moore Agatha almost swooned with
agitation as she unfolded her iniquity
to the big, broad shouldered man
whose voice doomed like the waves on
the beach whenever he spoke. Simeon
Fenlow watched her keenly as she re-
lated the story of her innocent joke
upon gossiping Phoebe West and how
the joke had become a boomerang of
retribution.
Agatha was too much excited to
notice how interested he was or to
realize that he was a very handsome
man with keen hazel eyes and iron
gray hair and that the hazel eyes
grew very humorous and tender as the
penitent little woman shed tears over
her recital and rrffled her brown hair
with her little hands and grew pinker
and pinker with modification at her
own folly.
When she Fad ended Simeon Fenlow
threw back his head and laughed such
a hear$y roar that Agatha was fain to
join in after awhile. and in her tears
Of mirth the bitterness of the last few
Gays was washed away.
Now tell me what l can do, Miss
Moore he said after awhile.
81 was wondering If you wouldn't
come and be my tenant for a few
days. just to carry out the idea. You
needn't pay anything, you know. and
II you would just say that you didn't
like it or something of that sort people
would understand. l don't suppose L
ought to ask such a thing of you,
though"
: 81 don't know why" bristled Mr..
FenIow. "Why can't l have the west
wing really and truly. Miss Moore?
There's my dear old mother plning
away for me at home. while I'm nailed
down here on this job 1t would be
mighty nice for us to have your west
wing for few months. What do you
say? I'd rather be your real tenant
than a borrowed one"
One evening the gossips OF the town
were startled at the report that Mr..
, FenlOw had been seen 20 drive up in
a carriage to Agatha's house and hand
out white haired old lady. who went
in, and little later an express wagon
followed with some trunks that were
carried upstairs.
And just before the occupant OF the
I west wing vacated it there WIS an
/ other report more startling still It
> was that Mr.. FenOw and Agatha were
engaged. And it was true.
When Agatha Moore and Simeon
! Fenlow were married the following
spring Dame Gossip was still alert.
First time | ever suspected Agatha
| Of being after a husband" commented
Phoebe West to Jabez the night OF ~.
wedding. was when she refused TO
| rent her west wing to your mothers
sister. Maria Peterson. and turned
around and rented it to that handsome
, Fenlow man and his mother. II was a
sly trick"
. But we who know how the whole
thing happened understand that Aga.
tha's Joke was not premeditated The
joke really belonged 10 little Dan Gu
, pid who had planned to bring about
, this very result.