Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-04
The Argus Daily Story
The Pipe of Discord-By Clarissa Mackie.
Copyrighted 1911 by Associated Literary

Wits family to bring home news OF
this description.
why. they all promise not TO marry
any woman who gossips about her
neighbors."
what are we to talk about, then?"
demanded Mrs. Lemuel Skinner impa-
tiently. She was an arrant gossip.
"Oh. household matters and things
like thatr laughed Mrs Freeman Pike,
who was q widow.
And exchange cake recipes" shifted
Ariana.
And tell each other we've each got
the best and kindest husband in the
world" sneered the pretty girl near the
door
Ann Baker chided the girls moth
er. "What are you talking about hus-
bands for? You amt got anyr'
And not likely to haveT' retorted
Ann with sudden spirit. and, being near
the door. it was easy for her to slip
out into the hall and make her escape
from the house.
The remaining leaguers exchanged
glances, of commiseration with Mrs.
Blake. shell get over 1t. Mrs.
Blake" comforted Mrs. Freeman Pike.
"She wouldn't never be happy with
Benny Hall 50 long as he smoked CT
garettes. If he wouldn't give 'em up
for q sweet, pretty girl like Ann there
amt no hope for him"
Mrs. Blake moved uneasily In her
comfortable rocker. II don't know"
-. ell II rxx-tRA
| a nice boy and works industriously.
| He told Ann he just smoked 'em be-
cause they was sort OF stylish. He
said he'd stick to cigars or a pipe Il
she'd only marry him"
A murmur of disapproval went
through the room
! 1T says tobacco In any form."
quoted Mrs. Pike, referring to the pur-
pose Of the league.
Meantime Ariana had been thinking
hard.
"Its q great cause" she said meek
~, "and we ought to be willing to suf-
fer for 1t, only hope that deserving
the men In this way won't result in
their going right straight to the bad"
There was stunned silence In the
| room. linen.
81 never thought of thatr'
"a mans got to have q woman's
gentle influence"
"She can do more in a quiet way
than to desert him and keep him riled
up. Lemuers hardly spoken to me for
week"
"Mr. Blake has been so disagreeable
all the week that the children declared
there wasn't any peace at home any
more along with my belonging to the
Home Protective league and their pa
Joining the Anti-gossip society,"" COM
planned AIMS mother.
Seems to me IL we're going to have
Home Protective society It's poor
policy to begin by breaking up homes
and estranging families" ventured
Ariana timidly.
There's some truth In that. Ariana."
nodded Mrs. Pike. ''Of course men
! folks are hard to change. They're set
in their ways, but I've got some Ideas
, that might work out Suppose we get
our sons to promise not to begin to
smoke until they're twenty-one. Like
as not by that time some of 'em won't
want to. And we might spend our ef-
forts In having a social club to meet
around at different houses once week
and let men, women and children Join
in and have a good time. And l guess
! that'n promote good feeling all around
and kind of protect the homes
And shut off that Anti-gosslp socie-
: ty," put In Mrs. Lemuel Skinner 40
theoretically that everybody laughed
outright.
"Shall we do it?' asked Mrs. Free
man Pike. looking around at the inter-
: ested faces.
"Let'sP' was the unanimous decision.
Late that afternoon Ariana Willis
went home by the road that led past
Philo Standish's wheat field. In her
hand she carried a small parcel wrap
ped in white paper. Her face was first
: flushed and then pale with inner ex-
element
Philo saw her coming and happened
TO be near the fence. He was smoking
half heartedly at the clay pipe and
took pains to relight It as Ariana ap-
preached. To his surprise. she came
straight to the fence and called him.
"PhiloF" she called softly.
He turned instantly, and his hand
must have been shaking for the pipe
dropped clumsily from his fingers and
was shattered on the same stone that
had witnessed the breaking of another
one.
What is 1t, ArinnaY" he asked ig-
noring the incident
Ariana held out the little package.
. ''Tm glad you broke your clay pipe.
Philo. I've brought you a nice, newone."
Philo reached both hands and drew
Ariana close to the fence. He put the
, pipe in his pocket and spoke tenderly.
Thank you. dear. I've thought may
be you'd compromise on letting me
smoke once a day and
mo, nor cried Ariana.
I'D like to feel | was doing 1t for
rou, Ariana. DO you know that fool
. -sh league | organized has busted up"
a when" demanded Ariana.
This very instant" declared P.Iilo
a az he kissed her on the lips.