Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-05

amt there to put NE to bed. He don't
know no good songs like Roll, Jordan.
Roll or Hot Times or Twinkle
go to sleep quick cause he makes me
feel tired with his slow tune what's
only good for bugs. Git a hairpin for
me to poke him with. Molly, quickr'
found the hairpin, and don't know
why my hand tremhled as handed it
to Billy. AS soon as he got it he
climbed out the window, glass, bug
and all, and l saw him and the red set
ter go down the garden walk together
IN pursuit of the desired lizard, l sup
pose. closed the blinds and drew the
curtains again and flung myself on my
pillow. Something warm and sweet
seemed to be sweeping over me in
great waves, and l felt young and
close up to some sort of big world
good. 1t was delicious, and l don't
know how long would have stayed
there just feeling IT If Judy hadn't
brought In my letter.
He had written from London, and it
was many pages of wonderful things
all favored with me. He told me about
Miss Chester and what good friends
they were and how much he hoped
she would be in Hillsboro when he got
here. He said that great many of her
dainty ways reminded him of his
Gown slip of girl" especially the turn
Of her head Ike flower on its STEM"
At that l got right out of bed like a
jack jumping out of box and looked
at myself in the mirror.
There is one exercise here on page
twenty that ] hate worst of all. You
screw up your face tight until you look
like a Christmas mask to get your
neck muscles taut and then wobble
your head around like a newborn baby
until it swims. ! did that one twenty
extra times and all the others in pro-
portion to make up for those two hours
in bed. Hereafter I'll get up at the
time directed on page three or maybe
earlier. 1t frightens me to think that
I've got only a few weeks more to turn
from q cabbage rose into a lily.
won't let myself even think luscious
I peach" and string bean" If l do
get warm and happy all over and let
up on myself. 1 try when l get hun
cry to think of myself in that blue
muslin dress.
] haven't been really willing before to
| write down in this torture volume that
/ l took that garment to the city with
! me and what Nine. Rene did to it
/ made it over into the loveliest thing
/ ever saw. only l wouldn't let her alter
/ the size one single inch. I'm honor
/ able as all women are. at peculiar
times. | think she understood. but she
/ seemed not to and worked q miracle on
! it with ribbon and lace. I've put il
away on the top shelf of closet, for
it is torment to look at it
You can just take any old recipe for
a party and mix up a debut for a girl
but it takes more time to concoct one
for a widow. especially if it is fol-
yourself. ! spent all the rest of the
day doing almost nothing ard thinking
until felt lightheaded. Finally ! had
Just about given up any idea of a blaze
| and had decided to leak out in general
society as quietly as my clothes would
let me when a real conhagration was
lighted inside me.
i If Tom Pollard wasn't my own FIRST
cousin | would have loved him desper
ately even if | am a week Older thar
he. He was about the only oasis ii
my marriage mirage, though | dom
think anybody would think of calling
him at all green. He never stopped
coming to see me occasionally, and Mr.
Carter liked him. He was the frs
man to notice the white ruche l seweC
in the neck of my old black t&ffeta foul
or FIVE months ago. and he let me SCI
that be noticed it out of the corner O.
his eyes even right there in churcl
under Aunt Adeline's very elbow. H,
makes love unconscIously, and b,
firts with his own mother. AS sooI
as I've made this widowhood hurdle
well. I'm going to spend a lot of tim
buying tobacco with him in his ru-
about, which sounds as if it was nance
for himself