Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-27
The Daily Story
eopyrlrns.a. .sls. ~ A..es,.,ea L.,.r.ry suleaa.

I hO1ota ~oV tCiAcAE payer IN tho -
and watched It turn to black ASH
why. out of all the men in the wo.,s
should be be the only one I care y.
and why should he be indiferen. j
me?'
| Thus poor Margaret Mordsunt vo,...
the wall OF unhappy women since Is.
world began. For long time she =.
/ there gazing into the fires hear ,b,-[
| ing of many things. At last her nal
came to dress her for the ball.
Margaret listlessIy gave herself a..
Pauline's skiilful hands. and presensv
when she emerged dressed an ~.
! Queen Of Hearts, no one would hs-s
suspected that her own heart was 49,.
and aching.
As she tied the little black MASK evs.
her eyes she said to Celeste:
Perhaps Miss BlakeIy would IN.
some assistance. Celeste"
81 have asked her, Miss Marv.-..
but she sent word that If you woa.
excuse her she would not come dow
She has a bad headache"
II am sorry" said Margaret but 81,
could not help the relief in her hssv.
She stopped at Roses door and urvad
her to come down later, but the gir,
looked so pale and unhappy that Mar.
garet closed the door gently and cam.
away.
Three hours later the rooms wars
a-glitter with lights and gay with the
varicolorcd costumes of The dancers
Mrs. Mordaunt. stately and handsome
as Queen Elizabeth. was unmasked
Once she beckoned the Queen Of
Hearts to her side.
Margaret" she said. Miss Blake,v
is feeling better. and she is upstairs in
the little brown study. l have urged
her to come down later, and she has
half promised. She will wear a little
red domino. Don't forget"
mo, mother, DEAR" said Margaret
with unaccustomed gentleness.
"Who is the tall man CARRIED as the
melancholy Dane? The one you have
danced with so often?" smiled Mrs.
Mordaunt.
"Oh, Hamlet?" laughed Margaret. T
suspect it's Mr.. Edmonds. It's so puz-
zling. and such fun" She danced
away, and Mrs. Mordaunt smiled be-
cause Margaret was so beautiful and
sighed because she knew the girl was
unhappy, which is way that mothers
have.
"Oh, prince" said Margaret sudden
~, II would have you do. me a favor"
Hamlet bowed gracefully. LAS your
majesty pleases."
please go upstairs" ordered Mar
garet with trembling haste, ito the
cczy room we call the brown study
t. a.. 81, - -
you will find very beautiful rose II
you can gain possession of it you may
bring it down here and wear it. wish
you success"
For an instant Jack Edmonds sur
veyed the girl through the narrow eye
holes of his mask. He recognized Mar
garet Mordaunt, as many of her guests
had done. but he wondered at her gay
mood with him.
Again he bowed and made his way
toward the door, many a charming eye
following the progress of his tall,
graceful form. 1t was not often that
Jack Edmonds ventured into society.
He was n busy man, and the urgency
of affairs called him away from home
very often. But in the last few months
the Mordaunts, and now he felt quite
at home in the hospitable mansion
He paused at the door of the brown
study. 81 wonder if shall find the
rose" he smiled as he turned the knob
The rose was there, but it was not
the dollhouse flower he had expected to
find.
1t was Rose Blakeiy, his rose. Rose
OF the golden heart.
She glanced up as he entered and
startled look came into her eyes. She
was in the act of fastening a crimson
domino over her little black frock and
the entrance of the masked man bad
surprised her.
Il was sent here to find rose" said
Hamlet softly.
At the sound of his well remembered
voice Rose Blakely trembled and ma
her face in her hands.
Margaret Mordaunt sent me here 70
find a rose" he went on, land II l
could win it 1 was to wear it against
my heart. Rose. Rose, my girl OF the
golden heart, haven't / waited long
enough for you?P
And then Rose came to him.
Later they went downstairs 10
gcther. the demure little form IN tne
domino and the black garoeo
prince of Denmark Their mask nan
their happy faces.
Margaret Mordaunt saw them con-
ing, and her lips whitened. One Je"ef
ed hand clutched her heart. agains'
which lay the golden satin valenuns
which was all she had left OF the oa,
Joy, all that remained to her save .Ds
that she had been Temps
and had resisted.
And. although Margaret Moraauu.
lid not know it then. at that moms.
when she met these two and siniis
oravely upon them. at that mo"e
Ter own heart became golden -
Ind the beauty of 1t lighted her W.
life and that OF the man who avs
ward won her love.