Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-01

Louise Arden always flushed and stop |
ped when she reached this point in
her oft repeated remark In her own !
| mind the real conclusion of the SEN
| tence was when there is such a
young and beautiful girl as 1 am in
| the same house" OF course you can
| see that Louise was only sixteen and
very conceited or she never would
/ have been guilty of such a remark.
/ She was a sweet girl, though, and
| perhaps the years would broaden
what now was a very narrow outlook
| on life.
"why, Aunt Lou is thirty years old
| If she's a day." went on Louise.
Miss Lou Haysland was more than
/ thirty years old. She was thirty two
but nobody would have guessed 1t, be-
cause she retained all her girlish slim
ness of form and her graceful carriage
of shoulders and poise Of head. Miss
Haysland had a wealth of deep chest
nut hair that rippled from brow to
nape of her white neck, and she had
great violet eyes, with long, thick
| lashes and the most charming fea
lures in the world. Besides all this
personal beauty, she had sunny dis
position and was sweet and amiable
to the point of self sacrifice.
Her namesake, Louise, had watched
her pretty aunt vanish down the
snowy street tucked under the buffalo
robes in Roger Brisbin's sleigh, and 1t
was slight attack of jealousy that
was responsible for the younger Lou
ise's unkind remarks. She would have
been proud to be Rogers companion,
but 1t was Aunt Lou whom he chose
to invite on every occasion, and peo-
pie were beginning to say that Roger
Brisbin certainly meant business.
Louise dressed herself in a pretty
gray chinchilla coat, in which she
looked especially lovely, for she was a
dark. sparkling beauty, with black eyes
and brilliant color of cheek and lips.
On her head she pinned a saucy gray
hat with a scarlet wing, and. tucking
her hands in her muff. she Wet down
the street toward Homer Beckford' 8
stationery store.
In front of the window she waited
a long while, gazing at the handsome
windows. She intended to buy sew
eral to send anonymously to girl
friends, but her bright eyes could not
help but stray to the handsomest one
in the window.
1t was a large white satin affair
with hand painted cupids and hearts
upon it intwined with wreaths Of tiny
roses. Beneath all this was a sen
tence, "I have waited for thee"
Louise sighed. She would have beer
happy indeed If she had received thai
;, valentine and known that Roger Bris
bin had sent it to her. for-yes, mus
confess that Louise was almost in low
with her charming aunt's admirer.
She slipped inside the store to make
sure of something. Her romantic minC
harbored the idea that possibly, b!
some freak of circumstance, Roge
Brisbin really did prefer her TO he
Aunt Lou, only he could not at thi
, time break off with Miss Haysland. 1
this was the case and Roger was sc
cretly nourishing preference for Lou
Use instead of Lou, then-then, corclud
y ed Louise, what was more natura
than he should send her a beautiful
valentine? He would no doubt selec
IS the most beautiful and costly one il
Beckford's store, and that was tn
white satin beauty.
If she did receive the white satil
valentine Louise would know iron
whence 1t came unless there happenet
to be more than one of the white one
y anybody, for Louise Arden had seyera
n boyish admirers She would go in ant
inquire now.
The store was empty Of customer
as she entered Homer Beckford's sor
n young Homer, stood behind the coun
ter looking over tray of valentine
and rearranging them in order, for
y had been busy afternoon. When b
saw Louise coming In a little fus
Redeemed his ears, and his light blu
eyes sparkled. He was in love wit
pretty young Louise.
Good afternoon, Homer" said Lor
, Use carelessly as she came up to tn
counter. 81 want to inquire the pric
of that white satin beauty in the wiz
dow"
Five dollars, Louise" said Homel
-" "But you're too late-it's sold"
It. "Who bought it?' inquired Louis
saucily.
n You know can't tell that
'Not to me? l won't tell" urge
Louise.
IL II can't-dSn't ask me to. If it wa
10 anything except a valentine / migt
tell" Homer was looking much en-
barrassed and distressed over the ma
nc ter--suspiciously SO.
"Humph" commented the displease
Louise as she walked down the stor
tie toward the show window. 81 suppos
Is ] may look at it a moment. Any rul
against that:'
None at ALL" was Homer's cheerf,
nc reply, and he unlocked the white sa
in valentine from its place in the vii
low and gave it into Louises hands
9 She looked at it long and earnestl,
sc She had seen 1t before-in fact. eve
since it had been hung in the window.
and she had first cherished the boI
10 that after ALL Roger Brisbin might