Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-12

had met at tea in her own house, sine
had worn the severeSt of tailored
gowns, with short skirt and a coat
into whose pockets she was fond of
thrusting her hands. Tonight the ma
terial was lavender silk trimmed in
white. but the skirt had not heightened,
and over a white silk waist she wore
a kind of cutaway cut that matched
the skirt. An aiGret in her lovely
white hair contributed a piquant note
to the whole impression. As we pass
ed down the hall she talked with great
animation of The Hague tribunal, just
then holding a prominent place in the
newspapers for some reason that has
escaped me.
The whole thing is absurd, perfect
ly absurd. | know of nothing that
would contribute more to human enjoy
ment than a real war between Ger
many and England. The Hague idea
is pure sentimentalism-if sentimental
ism can ever he said to be pure. l will
go further and say that l consider it
positively immoral"
She had ordered dinner in the gun
room. but | thought this merely a turn
of her humor. and | was taken abaCk
when she led the way into low, heavi-
ly raftered room. where electric sconces
of an odd type were thrust at irregular
intervals along the walls, which were
otherwise hung with arms of many
sorts in orderly combinations. They
Il,
saw in a haSty glance, but rifles and
guns of the latest patterns, and beside
the sideboard stood a gun rack and a
cabinet which ! assumed contained still
other and perhaps deadlier weapons.
But for the presence of Miss Cecilia,
who was essentially typical Of our
twentieth century American woman, 1
think | might readily have yielded to
the illusion that | was the guest of
some eccentric chatelaine who had in
vited me to dine with her I'm a bastion
of her fortress before ordering me to
some chamber of horrors for execu-
ton.
No reference was made to the char
acter of the room. | felt, in fact, that
Cecilia rather pleaded with her eyes
that | should make no reference TO it.
And Miss HOLSTER remarked quite
casually as though in comment upon
my thoughts:
Consistency has buried its thou
sands and habit it's tens Of thousands.
We should live. Mr. Ames, for the
changes and chances of this troubled
life. Between an opera box and a
villa at Newport many of my best
friends have persisted"
Then with startling abruptness she
put down her fork and, bending her
wonderfully direct gaze upon me, ask
ed a question that caused me to stran-
gle on a bit of asparagus.
81 imagine. Mr.. Anas. that you are
a member of some Of the better clubs
in town. IF by any chance you belong
TO the Hare and Tortoise-the name OF
which has always pleased me-do you
by any chance happen to enjoy the &C
Quaintance of Hartley Wiggins?'
Cecilia lifted her head. I saw that
she had been as startled as /. 1t
crossed my mind that a denial Of any
acquaintance with Virgins might best
serve him in the circumstances. But
/ am not. | hope. without a sense of
shame, and responded promptly:
Yes, know him well. We are old
friends. I always see good deai'o
him during the winter His summers
are spent usually on his ranch in the
west. We dined together two days
ago at the Hare and Tortoise, just be
fore he left for the west
You will pardon me if ! say that It
is wholly to his credit that he has for
sworn the professions ard identified
himself with the honorable calling Of
the husbandman"
We met Mr.. Virgins while travel
ing abroad last summer interposed
Cecilia. NEE AIg my eyes quite frankly.
Met him! Did you say met him.
Cecilia: on the contrary, we found
him waiting for us at the dock the
HOLSTER, and we never lost him a
day i'll three months of rapid travel.
! had never met him before. but ! can
Tot deny that he made himself exceed
ingly agreeable. II. as ! SUSPECTED, be
had deliberately planned 10 travel on
the same steamer with my TWO nieces,
/ have only praise for his conduct.
for in these days. Mir. Ames, it warns
my heart to mud young men showing
something Of the old chiyalric ardOr IN
their affairs Of the heart
I'm sure Mr.. Virgins made himself