Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-25

hurried lou must De thirty years
old"
81 shall not be married. Ethel, dear.
II 1 were to have a husband l would
have had one a dozen years ago"
"A romance! Why, aunty, l never
knew you had one. You are such
precise, prim little body. Was he as
gentle a man as you are a woman?"
Not at all. Persons of opposite
makeup are more apt to mate than
those who are similar. My lover was
a young giant in strength. He once
carried me over a stream OF water
deep enough to cover him to his waist
and with a current 50 swift that few
men could have kept their feet in 1t
unburdened. / repaid him by coaching
him for an examination"
You coached him. Why, aunty, u
didn't know you went to college"
II didn't take the college course, but
lived here in this college town and
followed Arthur through his studies"
ION purpose to help him?"
Yes. but l enjoyed it"
Tell me all about your romance.
Did he jilt you?"
No; he died But wouldn't like to
tell you about It. because there was a
mystery concerning his death-some-
thing uncanny. Though it was twelve
years ago. can't to this day talk
about it without being appalled, as
was then"
There was a brief silence, after
which the lady continued:
Nevertheless there is one person,
and only one. for whom l shall make
the effort. | shall give you, my dearest
niece, the story or all | know Of 1t,
and when l have told it to you shall
never speak of 1t again"
"Oh. aunty" The girl put her arm
! about the speaker.
Arthur and I attended the high
school together" the lady began. and
! it was the oppositeness of our makeup
that drew US together. Arthur was not
! dull scholar, but was born with a spe-
| ciaI leaning to athletic sports. He knew
| all the ways of making a baseball do
what he wished it to do, was a splendid
tennis player and had won a cham
pionship at golf.
| But it was on the football field that
he won his most brilliant triumphs.
He so distinguished himself at this
while in the high school that repre-
sentatives from different colleges came
to see him play, and the year before
he went to the university athletic man
ayers from Harvard. Yale. Princeton
and other colleges bid against one
another to get him for their respective
colleges that he might become a mem
Der of the university team. some OF
them offering to pay his way through
college If he would join them.
These big. strong fellows are apt tC
have some weakness. Arthur's weak
point was an inability to decide small
things. In this he relied upon me. He
asked me which. If any, of the prop
ositions he should accept. and |. wish
ing to keep him near me. told him
thought he'd better enter our own col
lege here. Besides. my father was s
professor here. and was interested il
the college. | didn't wish him to &C
, cept any pecuniary assistance for play
ing athletic games, and our univer
could pay nothing.
so Arthur stayed with u.s. and 1
was well he did. for | was enabled t.
help him through He had the great
est admiration for my ability to solve
some mathematical problem or compre
bend a logical sequence. whileI loved
and admired him for his manly
strength. What drew me to him mos
was his Inconsistencies of the value
of that strength which priced so high
ly. But 1t is natural for weak woman
to admire physical strength in man.
Having Arthur here. we took an in
interest In athletics that we had neve
taken before. and. since he was devote,
to football and would add greatly Il
the chances of any team he played
with. our boys became Interested IL
entering the field in the annual game
with the big colleges. While Arthur
was in college John SpangIer was her,
and was made captain Of the football
team. Having a tower Of strength II
Arthur. Spangler succeeded in making
up a fine team. especially the one tina
entered for the annual game agains
the other colleges. for the autumn pre-
vious TO Arthur's graduation.
ARTHUR ordinarily was lazy 1t re
quired something very exciting I,
cause him to use his strength. bu
when thoroughly aroused he was lik,
a charging elephant Captain Spangle
was constantly coming to me bewail
ing the fact that he couldn't get hi
main man to be regular at practice
and when he did practice It seemed i'm
possible to wake him up to his work
Many a time was Obliged to get sew
eral girls together and 20 out on to tn
practice field In order that by my pres
ence I might inspire Arthur to do goot
work
Zone thing OF great Importance wa
kept from me. Spangler knew II AM
should have told me. but he felt sur
that II he did tell me the team woul,
be deprived Of Arthur's assistance II
the game. And without Arthur tn,
team would have no chance for win
ming the annual game. What the,