Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-25

ing some piQOe Inc tacC Cnat she nau
not shown pique impressed him that
she might be Indifferent to him. This
troubled him.
The best way to discover her feelings
would he to assume something OF the
lover, dropping an equal amount of the
friend. The next time he was with her
he tried TO do SO, bat was surprised to
find II difficult. The fact that he had
declined to marry her rose as barrier
between them. He said something low
er-llke. and 1t came back to him like
hooking echo.
She might have helped him, but she
did not. Nor did she discourage or en-
courage him. She remained neutral.
This led him to make another trial.
The result was the same. though he
was conscious that the fault was his.
So long as he was friendly he was in
his element; the moment he undertook
to play the lover that refusal to marry
her came up again between them. and
every time it did SO II seemed more In
surmountabe. II was no longer a
hedge, a fence. but a stone wall reach
ing TO the skies
rolling far down on one side. then on
the other Signorina Lita was kind.
friendly, appreciative. but while he was
racing madly on in love she remained
the same. Yet there came time when
she seemed to change. Occasionally
when she met his gaze she would drop
her eyes. This encouraged him, but no
sooner did he begin TO act the part Of
a lover than she drew back within
herself and left him to act his role
alone.
But why try to follow the mad course
of man in love who has not yet won
the race? At times Baltrani would
wonder why he had changed his views
concerning Signorina Lita from the
time he had declined TO marry her.
/ Then he would doubt IL he had changed
/ them. This craving for her was all
nonsense. He would Danish it.
! For how long? Sometimes for few
hours, sometimes few minutes. Some-
times he would fall from his indiffer-
! ence into the depths OF dependency.
man in this condition is apt to ap-
| pear to be looking for the most foolish
thing he can do and finding one foolish
beyond his fondest hopes Baltrani,
when he discovered that he could not
| propose as a lover concluded to be-
gin oveAagain as matter Of business.
He argued that he should place the
young lady in position where she
would have an opportunity to treat him
as he had treated her. He went to his
broker and instructed him to go TO the
TVS 70 md rnoIra annfhQF
proposition for her hand
The broker refrained from comment
on such a course. He went to Signor
Girandola and made the proposition.
The gentleman was surprised. but made
| no comment except to remark. since
the parties had met, there would be
no need of an introduction He would
confer with his wife and return an an
! swer after having done so. He said
nothing about his daughter. for 1t was
supposed that marriage for her was
in the hands of her parents. Never
theless he knew full well that SignOri-
ma Lita would decide the matter.
Luigi expected an answer within at
least a few days. A week passed, and
he received none. Every day he called
on his broker and asked him If he had
any word for him. Every day the bro
ker shrugged his shoulders and replied,
No signor" At last Luigi could stand
the suspense no longer, or thought he
couldn't. and begged the broker to go
to Signor Girandola and ask for re-
ply. The broker did as desired and re-
turned with the answer that Signor
Baltrani's proposition was still under
consideration
The lover now began to suspect that
he was on the gridiron and was being
broied for the delectatioIf of the lady
he loved Indeed, he had feared from
the first that he would meet with a re-
fusal. but when one had not been re-
turned in due time he had hoped. Now
all hope was gone. and he knew the
worst-no; the worst was not yet come.
Every day the fever within him burn
ed fercer Every day he suffered more
intensely. The only relief that might
come to him was that he would re-
ceive refusal from the girl he bad re-
fused 1t would be preferable to this
intolerable contempt
One day he saw SiGnorina Girandola
| approaching dS ne Nilheu OH the street
She came on as though she did not
see him and shortly before meeting
him turned down a cross street without
nothing him. She did not look dis
, pleased with him or reveDgeful or con-
temptuous. She simply acted as though
! she had never seen him before. was
, not interested in him and was think
. | ing about something else
From that day to- this the proposer
has not received an answer to his prop
; osition. He is growing old and has
never married II seems a severe pun
J ishment for an otfense which. coming
from woman TO a man. would only
} cause him 70 love her the more. But
men cannot look at things through wo-
mans eyes She Is. has always been
and will ever he to him an enigma.