Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-05

you FORGET THAT WE ARE JUST EN-
GAGGED"
to bring the affair to d crisis as soon
as possible, for spring is not far OF.
When the season closes L go for my
annual trip southwark and must send
Mabel home.
"Now, wish you two to help me in
a little scheme I have in my mind to
bring Tom and Mabel together. It Is
for me to get the four Of you here, and
you, John, l wish to be attentive to
Mabel, while you, Miss - Il mean
Phoebe), devote yourself to Tom. Each
of the two incipient lovers will be
frightened for fear of the loss of the
other, and the match will be assured.
OF course they are not to know that
you two are engaged
Both Phoebe and I received this
proposition with frown.
But, Mrs. Perkins," Phoebe began,
"you forget that we are just engaged,
and
Good gracious, Aunt Caroline, do
you suppose you can make a dummy
lover out of a man who has recently
become a real oneT
"Now, don't be silly" resumed my
aunt. sit is because you are engaged
that 1 have selected you for my pur-
pose You both know that what at
tention you give elsewhere Is simply
to please me- You understand that the
whole affair, so far as you are con-
a tin "
! q character on the stage. The con-
sequence is that there will be no jeal-
ousy on your part; you are simply to
excite it in the others"
Certainly not" said Phoebe. what
was going to say was that, just hav-
ing become engaged, why
Seeing that it was necessary for me
to help Phoebe out, l broke in,
What Phoebe means, Aunt Caroline,
| is that, having just become engaged,
we might forget our parts and mix the
| thing all up"
! Phoebe said nothing more. My aunt
looked annoyed. | must keep the
peace.
"Oh, we'll do what we can in the
premises, aunt" / said. won't We
/ Phoebe?" l gave Phoebe a look as
much as TO say, Leave it to me-" Sc
/ she said of course anything that my
aunt wished would be cheerfully &C
coded to by her.
Everybody being satisfied, my aunt
told us that she would expect US tc
dinner on the following Wednesday
when we would meet Miss Maryweath
er and Mr. Singleton, and the curtain
| was to rise on the play.
On that first meeting my aunt as
Agned me to take Miss Maryweathel
in to dinner. and Singleton was chosen
to escort Phoebe.
! was between two fires. IF I dix
not appear to be attracted by Mis-
Maryweather would displease M
aunt. If l did | would displeas,
Phoebe On one of these womel
hung a fortune which / had bee
brought up to consider my own Il
time. On the other hung my life
happineSs / concluded 10 please N
aunt III L Uspleased my fiancee poo
sibly the matter could be made up.
In order to feel free to act natural,
/ ceased to look at either my aunt 0
Phoebe, but gazed straight into tn
eyes Of Miss Maryweather. | wa
quite in my element. The girl wa
pretty and attractive, and | comics
that, as play actors have it, / began I
> feel the part. | talked a blue strea
! with my tongue upon ordinary topic!
meanwhiis saying tender things wit
; my eyes. One trait in my character
when l set out to do a thing to do
T for all it is worth. ! began by a
/ tempting TO make Singleton believe h
! was in danger Of losing his girl an
ended with the best job of lovemakip