Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-15

wished to do more. but she couldn't get
any worsted
Worsted. What kind OF a girl was
this who supposed that hemsdtching
was done with worsted? Then 1t
flashed upon me that Johnnys girl was
man. Some young fellow was anus
ing himself ar Johnny's expense. While
would be reluctant to play a part in
the case OF a woman. had no qualms
of conscience in fighting this man
with his own weapons. Johnny was
my friend. and l didn't propose TO see
him fooled
81 thought" was my next move,
that hemsutching was done with
thread"
rs that so? On what materially"
ooh, some white stun. Linen, l sup
pose. Being Il man l don't know
much about such things"
And l, though n woman. have never
been taught them. All my time has
been given to Geographic work"
This rejoinder didn't serve to change
my opinion that JohuHy's ladylove
WAS a man, and l was not unwilling
that he should be duped instead Of
.
ally stopping to attend to such official
work as came up. and the further he
proceeded the more convinced l was
that he was masculine. l. who was
supposed TO be the man in the case.
made the effort OF my life to make
. love after the manner Of a man.
"Eulalie." | Said-this was the name
/ given-"I do hope that | shall he able
TO see you when you come. Though
we have never met my heart has gone
/ out to this girlish creature with whom
have been corresponding. SO different
from us men. If the tenderness you
: expressed over the wire has so affect
ed me when | see you, hear your sweet
voice, look into your gentle eyes, l
shall love you just too much for any
thing"
! please repeat those last words"
1 came over the wire.
1t occurred to me that lust too
much for anything" was not mascu-
line expression. l bit my lip. Then,
instead OF repeating the words. i said,
~ shall love you thousandfold."
noticed after this that for awhile he
was very cautious in what he said and
that several of his questions seemed TO
be framed with view of drawing out
| evidence of whether | was feminine or
masculine. / must have parted them
successfully, for he resumed chatting
with me in the former vein and making
love very nicely. Occasionally he
would forget his cue and do it as n
man would make love to a woman. AT
al
pleased with him. | defy any woman
to be Indifferent TO n virile yet delicate
expression of love. even Dy one she
doesn't see and over wire, and
found myself listening to the song of
the siren quite rapturously. Moreover
l was well satisfied that / had lulled
completely his suspicious.
| occupied johnny Brayton's place al
the station at intervals for week and
fortunately made no blunders in Oil
cial work. One day | told Eulalie that
Johnny had so far recovered that
expected to be in constant attendance
at my Office ana asked when she (he
would make her proposed visit to l.
He appointed a day ut II noon when
he would appear at the station.
asked her to describe herself so ]
would know her, and she said she
would wear a bit of blue ribbon in her
cOrsage. | kept the whole matter q
secret from Johnny that | might enjoy
the scene between the two when they
should meet. But at the appointed day
and hour / asked Johnny to go on an
errand and took his place in the ticket
Office. At II noon eXactly nice look
ing young man. with blue ribbon In
his buttonhole, entered the station and
came up TO the window. On seeing a
woman rise to meet him his counte-
nance fell. AS soon as he recovered
himself he improyised a question as 10
when the next train would pass going
west Controlling my features. l re
piled and asked him If he wished n
ticket He said he was expecting
friend on the train. Then he started
to leave the station. He was passing
out of the door when with "a pencil
raped Johnny's call for his sweet
heart on the board on which tickets
were passed He turned quickly and
saw me laughing at him.
Are you
"Oh. yes. I'm Johnny, or. rather, his
substitute. | presume you are Eula-
) lie"
You vixen"
He came up to the window with an
expression Of shamefaced. pleased sur
prise.
johnny was Ill lately" | said. land I
took his place in the Office He asked
me not to give him away II you called
me up and | didn't | discovered that
d you were footing him and turned the
. tables on you"
. Thank you very much / am the
gamer by your having done 80"
: There was admiration IN every fea-
: ture Of his face as he said this. and
q did the proper thing for a woman to
+ do under the circumstances lowered
r my eyes
% The rest - the incident is love
story 90 Ike all other love stories that
. its telling would be mere repetition.
: Besides. il would not be considered be.
. rOming In an elderly woman whose
: eldest son 81 twenty-five years old
I