Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-30
The Argus Daily Story
The Spider Web-By Clarissa Mackie.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau

there! But he was there and much in
evidence.
Which road do you take. Jack2" he
repeated.
l looked st the two openings. The
inner one appeared TO lead to the goal
and vet might traitorousIy land ME
without the web. The outer one might
lead me by devious ways to Molly.
Something drew my eyes to the
ground. and there in the narrow way
between the box rows I saw white
rose petals scattered They drifted
here and there along the ground Ike
vagrant fakes of snow. and they led
TO the outer opening. My vein of senti-
ment prompted ne to choose to follow
the rose petals and abide by whatever
fate they dealt out to me.
I'll take the outer way" I said and
stepped past him INTO a path where
more petals fiecked the way.
stephen chose the inner opening that
circled nearer to Molly and apparently
led directly to her side. My heart al
most stopped beating at the sight OF
Stephen drawing so close TO Molly
my Molly, cried IN my heart.
Jack" Molly called out-was there
a note of anxiety in her sweet voice
you are standing stillr'
Coming I called Justify. and start
ed anew on my race over the white
petals.
1t was singular that they should lead
80 persistently along the path. My
heart beat faster, I was drawing
nearer the goal!
Stephen was ahead OF me. though.
All at once l heard a grOan OF dis
gust from his direction and saw him
bearing away on an ever widening
circle.
Going homer called out
Looks like it." he grunted. What
would happen If I jumped over these
hedges and landed beside you, MollyT'
You'd be out Of the game" declared
Molly.
mot fairr' I called.
"It's tedious Journey" complained
Stephen as his path drew him away
from US. I've worn out pair OK
shoes already, and If 1 had measured
the distance-why, have walked miles
tonight
Isn't it worth the goal?" challenged
Molly.
Eyes, indeed Coming back now,
Molly,' he called out more cheerfully.
There was plodding away. follow
ing those rose petals along the mar
row paths of the maze. Sometimes
! they led away in a wide circuit from
the center and quite discouraged me
from ever reaching Molly. Again they
| brought me so close to Molly that 1
could smell the sheaf of white rose she
| held in her arms.
| compared the maze to Molly her
self-sometimes approachable, some
times distant and puzzling-and had
been for months striving to thread the
maze of her moods and reach her
heart Even now l did not dare think
what the outcome of my daring ques-
| ton would be.
! All at once stephen gave a whoop OF
! delight
I'm on the right track now" he bel
lowed joyfully. This is a cinch.
Watch mer
l paused to watch him. was not
far from Molly. 1t would not take
many more turnings for me to reach
her provided the rose petals still point
ed the way. Who had lost them-Mol-
| ly, purposely?
Stephen was fastening through the
aisles of the maze with astonishing
speed. 1t certainly looked as though
he had solved the secret. From the
house came the sound of piano. Mol
ly's sister, Sylvia was playing Chopin
waltZes.
I'm coming, Molly" painted Stephen
as he approached.
Then Mollys voice, low and anxious,
drifted across the intervening rows Of
lockwood hedge.
Hurry, jack" she breathed softly.
l hurried; nay. l fairly galloped
around the circle, following those
spider web.
An agonized howl came from Stephen
Drake His treacherous path had sud
denly gone astray and led him out into
the midst of the herb garden.
Good night, greedy spider"' he cali
ed back to Molly. I'm going to soothe
myself with music"
Good night, happy fly" leased Mol
~. But her sweet voice trembled, for
now that Stephen had gone to Sylvia
she and / were alone in the garden
alone I'm the spider web!
Only few rows Of lockwood sep
arated us, and the white rose petals
were scattered along the path I was
20 follow.
1t led me straight 90 the slim white
figure standing there among the bride
! roses. and when / took her into my
arms and my face was crushed against
hers and the fragrant white petals
knew that she had been waiting for
me all along in the maze Of circum-
stances-and she herself had drifted
white petals Of hope along my path,
just as this June night she had drop
Jed white rose petals to guide me to
Ter place In the center Of the web.
1t was not yet midnight. and yet,
true to Molly's prophecy, everything
and everybody vanished from my hap