Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-16

Alice and had for some time been
excellent friends. but it never occurred
to me TO look upon her as anything
more than a friend. She was a great
fiirt aud practiced her wiles on most
any man who came along, but not on
me. One day she surprised me by
saying:
John. why have you never made
love to me?"
You mean why have 1 never Joined
the innumerable caravan of those who
bow down to you and whom you send
on their way. sadder. but wiser?"
"NonSense!'
ION the contrary, its the truth You
don't consider that If made love to
you and you sent me on like the others
our companionship would be spoiled"
why should that be necessary"
81 don't know. It's the invariable re-
suit in such cases"
How do you know l would send you
on?"
"I don't. but I'd bet ten to one you
would"
cue ludue uO reply W NIllS. we "tic
sitting on a rustic bench in the gar
den. She was toying with rose. one
of the last Of the summer, tumbling it
against her lips directly under her
nose. l knew very well she was doing
1t because there was something in it
suggestive of kiss. the lips and the
| rose being very much alike.
Don't try to fool me. Alice. We've
been mighty good friends, and I've felt
| complimented that you've thought so
much Of me you don't care to inter-
/ fere with our friendly relationship. I'm
| going away tomorrow, and l don't
know whether I'll come back or not. If
1 do 1 want to find my old chum here
/ Just as she's always been"
! Suppose you find me married?"
in that case you'll still be my friend
Alice, and 1 your friend Tom. And
doubtless your husband and 1 will
come to be good friends too"
l said this in a half hearted way. /
knew very well that marriage makes
lot OF difference In friendships. Sew
eral of my men chums had married.
and had come to consider such friend
ships as destroyed by wedlock. At any
rate none of them were ever the same
afterward. Alice didn't say she hoped
so too. She kept fumbling the rose
against her lips in tantalizing fashion
and didn't say anything. 1t was plain
she had broken through the hedge that
divides the realms of friendship from
those Of love and was looking about
her in the new domain.
1t Is said that love begets love- A;
any rate there was that in her action
to inoculate me. And yet l knew heI
so well that l didn't dare trust her.
had seen men hang about her for few
months, sometimes only for a few
weeks, then suddenly drop Off and new
er again be seen in her company. Dur
ing the buzzing of the bee about the
flower l had called the bee a fool
Should 1 now make a fool of myself?
What is the pleasure you take IN
leading man TO make love to you. en-
cOuraGing him to propose to you anC
then sending him off about his bust
ness"
II deny that have ever done such {
thing"
This was pretty definite statement
l wondered if after all there wasn't
some truth In 1t. Did these fellows
conjure up encouragement when II
was not intended? Was there some
thing in Alice's treatment of them that
looked like flirting. but was not fiirt
ing, or was she flirting and yet uncon
sciOus of doing SO? Far be it from
me, man, TO analyZe wOman's mo
tives in such matters. l have some
times believed they don't always know
themselves.
Alice had never acted in this way
toward me before, and | was at a loss
to attribute to her a motive for hel
doing so. l could not believe that she
had suddenly made up her mind thai
she wanted me or that she was willing
to destroy our friendship to satisfy &
whim. If there was a middle course
between these two / had not the pow
er to discern it. My surmises ended
Just as all of mans surmises with re
gard to wOman's intentions must ever
end-in uncertainty. And yet should
i analyZe nyselI IN tne matter WOMB
! come out any better? l am now in
clined to think that | had always fell
for Alice a desire for her possession
that had not realized. At least this
is the only explanation I can give fol
my action on this occasion. Possibly
there may have been a bit of curiosity
mOdicum of the hunters instinct
both REINFORCED by a feeling that q
lifetime passed with her would be al
agreeable one.
We'll" ! said at last, 81 will give
you an opportunity to show whether
you are in earnest or whether this Is
Just such a case as you have beer
through often before. l love you
d VIII you be my wfeT"
: Looking back at this proposal won
der how ! could have supposed tina
any girl who was interested in a maj
purely for love could have been salts
r fed with It, There was no NOR,
warmth in the tone with which spokt
} the words than In the words them
selves ! might as we'll have spoken
declaration into q photograph and thel
Ia ;,