Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-22
The Argus Daily Story
The End of the Thread-By Clarissa Mackie
Copyrighted. 1917. by Associated Literary Bureau

in his good tenor. and they both blush
ed and looked guilty when the bridge
players at the other end of the room
encored their effort,
After awhile Miss FELTON, went to
the piano and played some accompa-
niments for Phineas, who sang The
Soldiers Farewell and Mary Of Ar
gyll." Then. to Phineas' delight, he
learned that Miss FELTON, was a devot-
ed chess player, and the rest of the
evening was spent In a quiet corner OF
the room over the chess table.
At exactly $50 the next morning
Phineas Clods put on his hat and
macintosh and picked his umbrella
out OF the hall stand, for 1t was RAIN
ing again. As he accomplished this
apparently unimportant act Miss Eel
ton came slowly down the stairway.
while at the same moment there
emerged from the dining room. which!
he had Just left, Mrs. Bennett and
Miss Chase. the stenOgrapher.
When morning greetings had been
exchanged Mrs. Bennett called up to
Miss FELTON,, who had paused halfway
down the stairs.
did you find your lace. Miss Fell
toni"
mo, indeed; not q trace Of It"
"odd where It's" clipped Miss Chase
"RainingT she asked Phineas.
Eyes, I believe So" replied Phineas.
! giving his umbrella little shake as he
opened the front door.
Then that spool of thread few out
and rolled slowly down the breadth Of
red carpet
Phineas stared. Mrs. Bennett smiled
significantly at Miss Chase, who muir
INJURED, Search mer' Miss FELTON,
peered over the banister and looked at
the spool.
why. that looks like my thread,~
she cried. Where can it. have come
from, and where is my laceT
1T came out of Mr. Globes umbrel-
Ia" said Mrs. Bennett dryly as she
picked up the spool and handed It to
Miss FELTON,. Mrs. Bennett did not like
Mr.. Clode-that is, not since he had
given her plainly to understand that he
was quite satisfied with his state of
single blessedness. Mrs. Bennett was
a stout, blond widow.
$50 longw murmured Miss Chase.
taking herself and her stenographid
sentences from the house, and she was
Immediately followed by Mrs. Ben-
nett.
IT haven't the slightest idea how IL
happened, Miss Felton," stammered
Phineas, growing redder every moment
as Miss FELTON, looked oddly at him,
THAT is, thought 1 placed the spool
on the table last night. 1t must have
fallen into my umbrella"
But where did you find It. Mr.
Clode?" asked the little woman gently.
Then Phineas recollected all about
the kitten which had been playing with
a spool of thread in the front hall the
evening before and how he had rescued
the spool and carefully wound the loose
thread upon it and finally had fastened
the little loop in the end Of the thread
In the notch in the spool.
Miss FELTON, shook her head regret
fully. "Ah, Mr.. Clode, see what you
have done. 1t was you who unraveled
my knitted lace, the pattern Of mid
summer love. 1t was on the table be-
side me, and never saw 1t as 1t was
1 pulled to the floor. 1t is amusing too!'
She laughed a gay little laugh, and
: Phineas Clode felt desire to embrace
her then and there for her sweetness
3 in not being severe with him. He IN
derstood that ladies were very partc-
ular about their lace patterns and
l might become attached to some partic-
d ular ones, and he would not have blam-
l ed her If she had cut his acquaintance
then and there.
z | in, hfr 70 ha q
: late to business that morning. and he
. paid so little attention to his under
lings in the office that they put in an
D amazingly idle day. When the office
: was closed he put on his hat and paid
: q visit to an old friend of his mothers,
an aged lady who lived in Brooklyn
r and whom he remembered TO be al
e ways engaged in some sort OF fancy
work"
Midsummer love lace pattern" she
: murmured in response to his blushing
inquiry whats got into you, Phin-
y cas-? Not knitting lace, are your
mo, indeedr he FASTENED to assure
her 81 merely want 1t for n friend,
Well | haven't got such thing. but
| have got Il pattern you can take to
her. No one ever made 1t except my
{ self, but I'll send 1t to her because
! she's your friend, Phineas." And she
gave it to him in a sealed envelope. and
he went away happy as boy.
> After dinner he gave 1t to Miss Eel
ton, while the others wrangled over
bridge in the next room. 81 hope 1t
will in a small measure replace the
one destroyed" be said meekly as she
opened the envelope and drew out the
pattern.
1t was a dainty design Of wreaths
Of orange leaves and blossoms, and
pinned to it. was a bit of paper on
which was scrawled in an angular, old
> fashioned hand. Brides Wreath"
, They bent their heads over the love
u ly pattern, and faint color bloomed
y in each face.
81 hope-that-may be prophetic"
t. murmure1 Phineas softly, and Cynthia
FELTON, did not chide him for saving IL