Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-04-10
The Daily Story
The Kiss Stealer-By r. A. Mitchell
COPYRIGHTED by Associated Literary bureau

the Mowers and especiaIlr tha
were In bloom, young man ~ ',ses
been invited to spend weeL - 'iao
the country place of friend san -. y !
out on the veranda in negligee su.s.
costume, plucked rose. spifad I. N
IT In the buttonhoIe Of his fianDsl ~ ~
descended the steps and strolIed 'er
the grounds. Having examines =
tennis court, the sta bles and o+hs- -s
lures OF the place, he sauntered tov...
a hedge. which was just the be,1s..a
enable him to look over IT, In ,b- y
joining grounds was pagoda q -
pagoda hammock and in tba -.
mock feminine figure. But uha..N
the lady was old, middle aged nv
he could not see. He thought no ,r,.',s
Ike to satisfy himself on this na,.
Walking back and forth along -.
hedge, he looked for an opening :.
length, finding place where the bsS~.
was thinner than at others and stoor
ing, he wormed his way through thor.s
when he reached the other side 81.
costume was somewhat disarranged
Brushing off the dirt and straigbten.
Ing the hang Of his clothing. he sarr
tered toward the pagoda. There va,
no movement Of the figure in the han.
mock. and, the morning being warm h.
fancfed the occupant might be aslaen
He had no business in the grounds
but he was venturesome fellow ,rt,,
no end of resource and assurance ana
a N -,
any one. Drawing gradually nearer 10
the pagoda. he finally reached no,n,
near enough for him to see a ladr
asleep in the hammock.
She was young-about twentv-ana
fair to look upon. She seemed to ba
sleeping so soundly that the ynnn,
man drew nearer, even to the steps on
the pagoda. There was something In
the face of the sleeper that seemed
familiar to him. He thought that ba
had seen her before, then that he had
not, vibrating between these two opin-
ions, at last deciding that he had not
One feature especially charmed him
the lady had very kissabIe mouth.
For young man to stand looking 81
y
mouth is dangerous-not so dangerous
to the young lady as the young MAJ.
for there is certainly no harm In one
being kissed who doesn't know Of tie
fact. But the young man taking that
which does not belong to him is Liable
to the consequences Of his rash act
Then suppose the lady is awakened b.
the process! Such contingency wouli
naturally strike terror into any sensi-
tive man.
The watcher drew nearer and nearer
on tiptoe till he reached the hammock,
then. bending over the sleeper, In one
of the alternate risings and bendings
finally lightly touched the lips with his
The sleeper slumbered on. Not a mus
Gle twitched. The young man was
tempted TO take another. hut suddenly
the abyss on which he stood occurred
TO him, and. turning. he tiptoed away
TO the opening OF the hedge and passed
Then he began 10 wonder at
the recklessness, the folly, the awful
ness of what he had done.
When he united his scarf at Dressing
for dinner that same evening he missed
n stickpin surmounted with a horse
shoe that he had worn during the day
He wondered how and where he had
lost it. Then he remembered working
his way through the hedge. He mus
have dropped it there He was tempt
ed to go out and look for it. but be had z
barely time TO dress for dinner, so he D
must needs put off the search till morn
Ing.
When he went down 70 dinner whom
should he see but the girl he had kissed
IN the hammock. He was seized with
I terrible fright, but on being present
ed to her she gave no evidence what
aver of ever having seen. met or heard
IF him before. He was assigned TO hef
for dinner companion. and by the
lime they were seated at table he nad
enough of his equanimity 70
remark that it had been a very NOT
lay. that he hoped it would be cooler
tomorrow and that be feared the SUM
ner would be an oppressive one III
However. the lady made it easy lo'
him by being agreeable. and he gradu-
lily forgot that if she knew how De
lad robbed her she would despise Mn
After dinner the company stroiled OUT
IN TO the veranda and spent the ever
ng under the moonlight amid the IN III
france of roses. The thief of the Klss H
luite recovered from any qualns Oh
and was glad he had done
I. especially since the girl had n0'
Weakened. n
On Monday the young man tooA
ariy train 10 the city. When the post
nan arrived during the afternoon A
'rought a small package addresses
thomas Arnold. Esq. Opening H. "
ecipient took out Handkerchief,
ne corner OF which were his niuas
nd a stickpin with horseshoe noun
ng
Arnold sank down in a chair WIN
loan. II
He saw II all. When he had Kisse
he girl in the tunnel she had snatenee
is handkerchief from his pocket sD
adj since grown 10 be a Young isu
nd after re had kissed her a seS,.s
me she had found his stbkp'n UNIV
he hedge.
Aor;I IN IN American u