Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-13


gest little devil in B. We were all /
young then and were inclined to be
frolicsome. was, so far as l know. /
the only serious one in the lot. sup
pose that this was the reason I fell
in love with Sue. Opposites take to
each other, and by good rights Sue
should have returned my proffered af
lection. but she did not, At any rate.
l couldn't be sure for more than half
an hour at q time that she did. She
would say something very sweet to
me, raising me to the pinnacle OF &c
stasy, then cast me down by cold treat
ment.
1t seemed to delight her to make me
miserable, and why 1 couldn't under
stand ! wondered why she didn't
play her pranks on the rest of the
boys. I couldn't see that they had
any especial advantages over me. Nor
was 1 considered stupid. Why, then,
had she picked me out to tormenti
Sue had kept me IN q chronic state
| of fret during the fall and winter, but
| when the season was about to close
! seemed inclined to let up somewhat in
| her endeavors to make me miserable.
| Our set agreed to end the winters
! festivities by a fancy dress ball. De-
| Gliding upon or getting up a costume
was entirely out Of my line, for had
no inventive faculty in such matters.
| In my dilemma Sue kindly came to
my assistance. Leave it to me-" she
said, land J. guarantee that you shall
J 90 ~ 81,
I at the ball"
This was not only a great relief to
me, but set me up with regard to her
preference for me. Had she not picked
me out among all the fellows for an
act of kindness? And when she told
me that she would make my costume
with her own hands 1 was proud as a
peacock. All she wanted was a few
measurements. As to material, she said
1t would cost little or nothing 1 asked
her what the costume was to be, but
she wouldn't tell me, assuring me that
1 would be much pleased with it I
really cared very little what 1 repre-
scented, whether it was Louis XIV,
Oliver Cromwell or George Washing
ton. I was quite content to leave the
whole matter to Sue, believing that she
would provide a costume in keeping
with my dignity.
The afternoon of the day on which
the ball was to take place Sue tele-
phoned me that had better come to
her house and try on my costume. I
did so and met with a surprise. There
was not the least doubt as to my caus-
ing a sensation in it or that it would
be considered the most striking cos
bird of paradise.
On a light framework was the body
of the bird, its feathers made Of tissue
paper Space was left In the center
. for my body. and stockings of prop
er color were provided for my legs.
The tail was wonder. Beautiful
streamers composed of many hues shot
out in the rear, resembling either the
tail of a bird OF paradise or a rainbow,
whichever the beholder chose.
confess l was very crestfallen. The
prospect Of disporting myself in this
gaudy apparel was especially dis
agreeable to me. l refused to use It.
Sue had two or three Of her girl
friends with her. who at once mani
tested great establishment that | did
not appreciate II, and Sue herself look
ed very much put out that all her trou-
bic should have been for nothing. Be
tween them they succeeded in per
suading me to put 1t on. / did so and
was no sooner decorated with 1t than
they all cried at once: Splendid!
Beautiful! 1t will be the finest thing
. in the room! What an original ideaw
n Well, simply yielded my consent to
. make fool Of myself because four
girls set themselves to the task Of
> forcing me to do so. Each one OF
I them promised to make 1t easy for me
by their support, giving me the most
of their time and dances at the ball
though how l was TO sweep that three
yards of tail around in a dance / did
J. not know, and they failed to explain.
r We are any OF us liable to do some
i thing and afterward cannot under
81 stand how we were silly enough tc
have done it. and this was a case In
le point with me. l knew all the while
e. that 1 should refuse to wear such &
q costume. but didn't have the stamins
'e in me to Withstand these girls. Be
sides. l feared that If failed to ap
pear in it after the pains Sue had tax
en- in designing and making 1t 1 would
n break the thread that bound her to me
IL On the night Of the ball l was oblig
ed to carry my costume to the building
n where 1t took place and put 1t on there
L Had gone through the streets with 1
I'd on l should have been mobbed. Tn
moment l entered the ballroom ever
eye was fixed upon me. The girls VIII
had persuaded me to wear the Dir
. stood by their promise TO support me
and all clustered about me, each claim
ing the honor of the first dance wit
I'd me. though they all at last gave way t
e Sue.
shall never forget that dance. Ha
/ been the kind of a fellow to make
guy Of myself in order to afford amus'
Is ment for others / would have consider
n ed myself to be covered with glorI
ID Being a quiet, serious. studious, dign
n fed person. ] was in an agony Ever
turn / made in the dance, sweeping n