Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-23
The Daily Story

| auO, IeSDluS MS uedu against tue iedlu-
er cushioned back of his chair, per
, mitted a smile TO trickle around his
straight cut, matter OF fact mouth.
Mystery" he shifted scornfully.
i've often wondered why the dictiou-
airy makers give that much abused
word any space in their dreary vol
| umes.. There is no such thing as a
| mystery, my dear Tanning. There is
perfectly good and entirely simple
explanation for every so called mys-
terry"
Egbert Tanning smiled in superior
manner, and. tossing the end of his
cigar into the waste paper basket, he
calmly proceeded TO light another.
II must so now he said, rising and
/ reaching for his hat. but let me tell
you, old man. that you may run across
a mystery within the next twenty-four
hours that even your cleverness can
not solve. This is not threat, but
plain, matter of fact prediction OF
what is likely TO happen to a scoffer
OF unknown forces"
Observation-Disclosures tommyrot"
| calculated David as the door closed
behind his smiling friend
Diminishing the discussion OF the las.
half hour thus lightly. Mr.. Tillotson
\ plunged into his afternoon mail with
a mind untrammeled by thoughts OF
1 perplexing questions. His pleasant
. voice dictated letter after letter, while
his quiet little stenographer took down
/ his words with flying pencil and the
! rustic of turning leaves as her note
book filed up.
THAT is all, Miss Dickson" said Da-
vfd at last. and he swung his chair
to the window as the girl passed into
| the small inner office that was her
! own especial sanctum. The inner Of
fee possessed one window. opening on
the courtyard ten stories below, and
! only one door, the one leading into
! David Tillotson's private office.
David swung idly in his chair for
/ awhile, debating whether he would go
1 for spin in his fast motorcar or
/ spend the remainder of the afternoon
/ at his club.
! While he pondered this important
! question he was soothed almost to SOM
/ noIence by the muffled clicking of Miss
| Dickson's typewriter behind the closed
/ door of her office. Some men would
| have objected to the noise of the ma
/ chine. but not David Tillotson. He
! boosted that he had not nerve in his
! big. strong body.
| At last he realized that the clicking
/ had ceased. and. having decided to
/ take a ride. he telephoned for his car
! to he brought around and then pressed
! the button for Miss Dickson.
/ She did not respond TO the summons.
| Again he pressed the button. and,
/ meeting no response from the usually
Z h,,ci il-n
an. David went to the door of her Of
/ fee and looked in.
The room was empty.
/ The neatly typed letters We're on her
desk awaiting his signature. Her hat
was on its accustomed hook. and one
of her dainty handkerchiefs was on
the floor.
But there was no sign of Elsie Dick
son.
David was disturbed. He had not
heard Miss Dickson pass through his
Office, as she necessarily must in order
to reach the outer door. he was I'M
usually keen of hearing. and even her
light football would have attracted his
attention. for it was fact that quite
unknown to himself David TilIotson
was deeply interested in the quiet
faithfully served him.
He did not realize that many OF his |
cleverest transactions had been inspir-
ed by Elsie Dickson. He would have
scoffed If any one. Tanning, for In |
stance. had limited that he was in love !
with his stenographer. but it was quite |
true that her presence always exerted |
a soothing influence upon her employ !
nr 10 oil
knew that she was in the next room. |
and the delicate fragrance that chung /
70 her little handkerchief was sweet |
incense to his critical nostrils.
AS David, unsuspecting bachelor |
that he was, did not have an inkling |
of the state of his hayward heart, he |
could not in the least account for the
violent humping of that organ when
he discovered that the window was
wide open and that Elsie Dickson had
disappeared.
In two strides he was at the window I
and peering fearfuIly down into the
courtyard. 1t was quite empty save
for the janitOr's boy. who was sweep
ing the cement pavement
He drew back and once more search
ed the room. but there was no sign Of
his missing secretary. With assumed
nonchalance he went into the outer Of
fee and spoke TO one of the clerks.
as Miss Dickson herc:" he asked
irTitably.
The man glanced a him in surprise.
why, no. sir. She IS In her office
believe I talked with her over the
phone n moment ago"
David returned to his own room
knowledge He glanced inside Miss
Dickson's Office. but she was not there.
Sitting down at his desk. he hesitated
with the telephone receiver in his
hnnd.
Practical person that he was. he
could not imagine what had become
OF the girl. All he knew was that
half hour ago she was in her Office.