Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-10

staggering young dog Of sixty, anc
Mr.. Thomas, his son, was as old al
/ twenty-eigft.
The colonel had proposed just eigh
times to Miss Edwina Lincoln. his de
| lightful little scampergrace or
wealthy ward. whereas Mr.. Thomas
being all OF twenty eight and extreme
| " serious, would never have dreamed
Of the thing.
The colonel began the business when
Miss Edwina began to stick up her
chestnut hair, as do young ladies when
they attain delectable sixteen. The
colonel. though ifty-five at the time,
had nothing to his credit in the way
of discovery, invention or production
but, then, the colonel did not stop for
little thing like that
At know I'm old explained Colo
mel John Andrew, and Miss Edwina in
terrupted:
You're not-you're not DID," she
cried in heated denial, for they were
comrades of years and had enjoyed
gether.
Then" said the colonel, optimistic
as Old King Cole, "you will have me,
Edwina, when you are a couple Of
years olderT
Edwina laughed and half cried, in
formed the colonel that he was dear
old classmate of Methuselah and end
ed up by kissing him, while he patted
the newly heaped lady hair. After
that Edwina sought out Master Thorn
as, pottering about his maze of
mathematical theory.
How old are you, Tom?" she asked,
though she knew like A B G.
"Twenty-three," answered Tom So
berly as he went on figuring. Tween
ty-three,' he repeated, with a solemn
look at Edwina, perched upon table
of messed formulate. Getting older
every day, Edwina, and nothing to
show for the years" He gloomed at
her like Jupiter displeased, and she
went out and dimmed her big brown
eyes with tears.
The colonel continued to entertain
the fondest, rose tinted hopes, which
he carefully announced as often as
possible. Miss Edwina persisted in be-
coming more entrancingiy lovely day
by day. Tom went on working over
stupid figures. And when Edwina, "a
diant and beaming with the glory of
another year cast behind with the de-
spised gildings Of childhood, came to
announce her seventeenth birthday the
colonel proposed again. He couldn't
help it-dear soul. Edwina tweaked
his nose, pulled him an ethereal little
kiss and scampered from the room,
laughing.
by the eternalr' murmured Colonel
John Andrew when she left him with
his hands still In the attitude OF dra-
matte pleading. "Now, wouldn't she
and 1 make a pair of high steppers
in the beauty show on the avenue of
an old trunk and looked for a long
while at the picture of a kindly, faded
lady in a locket.
Edwina had gone to the library,
where she lolled upon a desk covered
with gay equations in algebra.
Tom" she asked softly, did you |
know 1 was seventeen
Tom nodded. Yes, I know, Ed !
wilma. I'm keeping track of these |
bings."
''Tom"-she persisted, and he ceased
lis calculations and turned his dark,
solemn eyes on her.
''Tom," she asked, ARE you ever
10 you expect ever to get married."
Tom blushed and turned away to his
,apers. Il am twenty four. Edwina,"
lie declared in slightly trembling tones,
and 1 have achieved nothing. How
ould think Of
He stopped at that, and Edwina slip
led up to her pinkish boudoir and
yept softly for perhaps five minutes
When Edwina ripened into charm
ng eighteen and after the coloners
bird fervent proposal the light in her
'rown eyes. the gold brown CLINT Of
Ter hair and the note of her clear
Dung voice became topic here and
here, and wooers could no longer be
cid back from the threshold.
The colonel eyed them balefully. then
Tapped them on their young backs
nd adjured the best man TO win.
faster Tom, with the tragedy of TWEEN
y-five. six and seven bowling his hand
ONE curly head, worked with his
oNious mathematics and worried over
he respective merits of Edwina's
rmy OF signing Romeo chaps
And Edwina coQuetted, mercifully
5 possible. with the whole idolatrous
and, refusing Colonel John Andrew
s often as twenty times month and |
delicious sympathy to Mas |
n Tom in his struggle with Old Time, ! t
lie scythe man.
or course the time had come when I
dwina became all OF twenty one and /
mistress of n really re-
1ectable fortune. The event was sig I
allied by masterful proposal on the 8
art OF the colonel and by little spit a
rat of an interview between Edwina {
Id Tom In the dull library Master a
ON was twenty observation-disclosures
ind you, he had declared. with
gh. and Edwina. slamming the door.
that he acted as II he were
hundred and twenty-eicht And |