Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-18
The Daily Story
JACK AND THE HAT-BY CLARISSA MACKIE!
Copyrighted. by Associated Literary

NE 10 inquire AFTER tue luJuEeu IOOt-
I feel in a great measure responsible
for the accident" he said. with an
anxious frown knitting his handsome
brow You see. / thought l recog-
nized the hat and believed it belong
ed to Miss Hazen. That is my only
excuse for addressing you" He spoke
peadinGly and did not understand the
laughter that came into her eyes and
the pink flush that returned to her
cheek
The hat did belong to Laura Ha-
zen" she laughed. so did the gown.
So you cannot he blamed for recogniz-
ing them. can you? Laura Hazen is
my cousin. and-well. I'm the country
cousin. you see, and Laura is perfectly
dear about giving me things to wear.
and as l live in a little country town
nobody knows that my clothes are not
new ones"
Jack Delafield was aSsailed with
multitude of strange emotions That
this girl to whom he felt strangely at
tracted should be Laura Hazen's cous-
in was merely another one of those
complications that life is always pre-
more OF this girl, would her relation
ship to his former sweetheart make
any difference? Would It make any
difference to Laura-to the girl her
self? But he was not sorry he had met
her
You wish to so TO the HazensT' He
leaned forward.
Eyes, please"
81 may call and inquire after the in
Jury?" he asked.
Certainly" she said cordially. ut
is much better already"
He stepped back. lifted his hat and
watched her depart with n little sink
ing at the heart This feeling was DIFF
ferent from any he had ever expert
enced before. He told himself that his
engagement to Laura Hazen had been
a mere farce. Why, they had quarrel
ed every time they met. and their en-
gagement had merely been the outcome
of n desperate Irritation. This was very
different. So he assured himself while
he waited for the return Of the taxi
cab. He paid the man, dismissed him
and then went to his club for dinner.
After dinner he was chagrined to dis
cover that he could not send a box of
roses to the girl he had met in the cor
ridor because he didn't even know her
name As a matter Of fact he found
himself thinking entirely too much of
his new acquaintance. The next day
as the time drew near when he might
call at the HaZen home and make in
Qury for the sprained foot he was
filed with a sense of unfulfilled obllga-
ton toward Laura Hazen.
When he had met her fair cousin in
the corridor he had had it on the tip
OF his tongue to seek a reconciliation
with Laura; now he felt It his duty to
seek that reconciliation, and If Laura
really cared for him in spite Of her pro-
tests TO the contrary then their broken
/ engagement must be renewed. If. on
! the contrary, she refused to see him,
: then-then he must. he would. become
| better acquainted with her cousin.
| Miss Hazen is out, sir" said the
servant when Jack called at the hand.
! some residence.
rs her cousin in2" asked Jack hope
fully.
Miss Tyson7 I Will inquire, sir"
| Jack sat in the reception room and
/ twiddled his hat on the end of his stick
! I'm more trepidation that he had ever
/ felt before. When he heard the slow,
/ dignlfed approach of the servant his
/ heart thumpcd noisily.
Miss Tyson will see you, sir. She IL
in the library"
Jack found her in the familiar room
where he had once interviewed Laura's
! father on a matter, of great Importance
then. She was sitting in a big chair
near the table, and a magazine lay
open before her. II she was lovely in
street clothes she was beautiful in the
soft white house frock she wore with a
string Of coral beads around her throat.
81 am confined to my chair, you see,"
she said. with gay little laugh. "The
foot is much better, but | must not
step upon it until tomorrow"
Jack sat and talked to Miss Tyson to
the very limit Of time allowed a polite
call, and then he arose reluctantly Be
fore he called again he must have "A
final understanding with Laura. He
owed that to his own conscience. II
was Laura herself who solved this vex.
ing question.
lust as he arose to 20 the door opened
and she entered, her hand tucked IA
miliarly in the arm OF Lester Blake,
one time Jacks dangerous rival and
now evidently a successful one A big
diamond blazed on the third finger Of
Laura's unG!Oved hand. and the sight
OF it loosened something that was tight
ening Jacks throat.
Laura stood there an instant. taking
in the scene. her cousin sitting by the
table, Jacks gaze fixed on the girls
unconscious loneliness. and then the
light that leaped TO his eyes when he
saw the engagement ring on Laura's
finger. II she felt a panG OF wounded
vanity Laura's present happiness was
sufficient to Danish H.
81 ask your congratulations, Jack"
she said saucily. And you may have
mine some dav."
| March 1S in American