Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-15


awhile ago"
That was IL O'Clock yesterday. sir"
"Phew. Have l slept so long as
that:"
Yes. sir. There are two letters for
you. sir. They came last evening"
Two letters" exclaimed Billy. start
ing and recalling the complications OF
the day before Are you sure there
are two:"
Yes. sir
Bring them up at once"
He arose and put on evening dress.
then. seating himself in an easy chair
before an open fire. thought of the dan
gers of bachelorhood.
When the notes came he first opened
one addressed in the handwriting OF
Miss Edmonds. There was no gush in
it. Indeed. it was very brief. stating
that she had received a note addressed
TO Miss Kate Singleton. Surprising
that he had inadvertently written the
wrong name on the envelope, she bad
been tempted 10 open it. but had re-
Trained from doing what might turn
out to be dishonorable act. She had
therefore sent the note to its address
Billy opened the other note. which
he knew TO be from his cousin. with
fevcriSh haste. 1t ran thus:
My Dear BilIy--I did not take what you
said to me last night. though It was very
tender and sweet. for proposal but
am very happy on learning from you that
you meant 1t as such and am glad TO be
able 10 make you happy this New Years
day by confessinS that l have loved you
ever since we were children together. But
l have never thought you cared for me.
oh. Billy. what lovely new year present
you have given me! Your loving
KATE.
"Weil. I'll be jinged"
Billy sat up in bed with n note I'm
each hand. looking back and forth
from one to the other.
This is starting in for the new year
with vengeance-swore of propos-
ing. and here I am with two PROPOSE
tons on hand. neither of them intend
ed. Loved you ever since we were
children together l didn't know that.
/ never even suspected it"
Billy sat muslng over the revelation
for some time. Then suddenly he
pushed the button.
Bring me n cocktailr' he cried to
James when he entered. then. remem-
DeElHS HIS TeSoluIlOu. uuueu. Mdhe lI
a cup of coffee"
When Billy arose after his long rest
it was nearly noon. He telephoned to
his Office that he was under the
weather" and would not be ready for
business till the next day. then went
to his club. He was doing lot OF
thinking. He was not seriously con
cerned about his complication with
Miss Edmonds. for in the first place
be was inclined to think that she had
been disposed TO take an inch where
be had given her an ell. and in the
second place he was not sure that he
desired to get out of his unintended
proposition TO his cousin. Kate Single
ton was a fine girl. mighty fine girl.
He wondered why he had not thought
OF making love to her-serious love
not that habitual lovemaking that was
constantly bubbling up in his bosom.
but the kind of love fellow makes TO
the girl he wishes TO marry.
After ALL what better beginning
could he make for the new year than
settling himself down TO one real good.
sensible girl who would marry him
because she had loved him ever since
they were children together and not
for the $4,000 year. with expecta-
lions. he was known TO possess? With
his Cousin Kate for wife he wouldn't
need to make any resolutions. Wouldn't
that be fine. especially since he had no
confidence in his ability to keep them?
Then n happy thought came to him.
If he married Kate. no resolutions be
ing necessary. the resolutions he had
already made need not be kept.
waiter" he cried iInpatiently. bring
me n cocktail aud box OF cigarettes"
Braced by the refreshment, he wrote
a note to Miss Edmonds regretting ex-
ceedingly that he had been misunder-
stood by her. Nothing would give him
greater pleasure than 70 stand by any
thing he might have said to her. but
he was prevented from doing so by his
engagement with his cousin, Kate Sin
gleton.
81 fiatter myself" he said after read
ing the note over and dotting several
is and crossing some is. that's bang
up. manly statement that no reasonable
girl could find any fault with"
AS soon rs Billy bad sent the note he
felt easier. The same evening he went
10 see his cousin.
Billy, Sne Saln, "WndI maze yon
choose such "A time and place for so
serious a matter? Had | known what
boisterous party there would be |
wouldn't have gone, and I'll never go
there again"
why. the truth is" replied Billy.
looking ut her with his honest eyes.
I'D been putting it off so long, think
ing that 700 didn't care anything for
me as a-as n lover. that just couldn't
stand Il to - any longer"
poor boy she said softly. dropping
her head on his breast. while lie enc;r-
eled her waist and kissed her.