Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-25

Drive me to the ThorDdale House,
be said. "but frst''-handing the driver
a baggage check-"get my trunk"
The gentleman seated himself In the
cab while the cabman went for the
trunk. The latter was new to the
| place and, not knowing any such hote
as the Therndale House, made inquiries
| of the station agent
] HE must mean Thornedale, the resi-
dence of Mr.. Edward Thorne. 1t Is up
the road about a mile. You'll know II
when you come to it, for 1t Is a fine
place between the road and the river :
The cabman lugged the trunk to the
auto, deposited it therein, then started
| for Thornedale. On reaching 1t he
| pulled up under a porte-cochere, near
which on the veranda sat a young
lady reading a novel. The gentleman
stepped out of the auto. The cabman
| dumped the trunk on the veranda and
drove away. The stranger walked
past the young lady through the open
front door into the house. Seeing no
such place as a hotel Office or any one
to receive him, he went back on to the
veranda, raised his hat deferentially
to the young lady and said:
BEG pardon. Can you tell me where
I'll find the landlord"
1.-THE landlordf'
Yes, or the clerk or anybody to re-
ceive me- This is the Thorndale hotel.
is it not?"
THE Thornedale? Oh, yes, this is
Thornedale."
1T was recommended to come here by
a lady. She is here, Is she not-Mrs.
Overaker?"
Mrs. Overaker is expected. She has
not yet arrived. You are
"Mr. Wingate-John Wingate."
"Oh, Mr.. Wingate. I've heard Mrs.
Overaker speak OF you. Be seated,
Mr. Wingate. There's no one about
just now but myself. I'll get some one
to show you to your room and take
up your trunk"
please don't incommode yourself. i
am in no hurry"
The young lady, who had half risen,
reseated herself.
fishing for the young lady's name, 81
aker."
i am Luelid humphrey.
Humphrey meditatively. 81 don't
know that 1 have heard her mention
any one of that name"
"Have you known Mrs. Overaker
long?"
"Only a few months. She came east
last spring and visited some friends
of mine-the Grosvenors."
'T was quite surprised to hear that
Mrs. Overaker was coming back this
season. It's long journey for her to
take"
Its an equally long journey from
here to her home"
An imperceptible smile fitted across
the young lady's lips. She knew why
Mr.. Wingate was there and why Mrs.
Overaker was coming there. The for
mer was a bachelor, the latter a wild
ow A courtship between them had
been made easy by the lady, and an
engagement was to be expected But,
since it was difficult for Mr.. Win
gate to go to the widow, the widow
had made an excuse to go to Mr.. Win
gate She had written him that she
would be at Thornedale early in Octo-
ber The lady wrote an illegible
hand. and Mr.. Wingate read "the
Thorndale." Supposing the place to be
a hotel, he had gone there to make
her proposal.
Mr.. Wingate was a good catch. The
widow was ten years older than he and
had set her cap for him. Miss Hum
phrey was a niece of Mr.. and Mrs.
Thorne and of an age when young
1od hn
husbands. Here was an opportunity
an opportunity that had been enhanced
by the widows bad handwriting in an
other way than in leading Mr.. Wingate
to think she was to stay at a hotel.
She had written him and the Thornes
as well that she would arrive on ths
10th of October. He had read it the 1st-
Miss Humphrey, if she played her
cards well, might have ten days to get
a matrimonial hook into Mr.. Wingate's
mouth.
After Mr.. Wingate's remark that II
was an equally long journey to the
widows home Miss Humphrey sat
listening to what he said further, but
intent on what immediate action she
would take. Presently she excused her
self, and a maid came and showed Mr..
Wingate to his room. His trunk fol-
lowed later. While he was making his
toilet an automobile pulled up under
the porte-cochere and a gentleman and
lady alighted. They Were Mr.. and Mrs.
Thorne. Miss Humphrey told them OF
the guest who had arrived and the
mistake he had made, suggesting that
1t would be amusing to permit him to
continue to be deceived. Thorne, who
was ready for anything whereby to
make his stay in the country endura-
be, fell in with the plan enthusiast
cally.
When the guest came down just be-
fore luncheon he was received BIZ Mr..
Thorne. who said to him cheerily:
Sorry not to have been here to ne
ceive you, sir. Fact is, we have room
for very few guests at any time. and
now those who have been here are all
80 ha Co dome Trouble