Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-21

er inert in a big chair drawn up near
the clerks desk. only you and I in
all the world awake"
Pretty lonesome. isn't it?'' Mr. Ma
gee glanced over his shoulder at the
shadows that crept in on them.
u was finding 1t very busy when
you came" she answered You see
I have known the inn when it was
gay with summer people. and as 1 sat
here by the fire pretended / saw the
ghosts of lot Of the people 1 knew
fitting about in the dusk. The rock
ing chair feet sailed BY
"The whatT"
BLACK flag flying, decks cleared for
action-I saw the rocking chair fleet
go by" She smiled family. I'VE al
ways called them that. Bitter, I'M
kind old women who sat hour after
hour on the veranda and rocked and
gossiped and gossiped and rocked
And 1 saw some poor little ghosts
weeping in a corner" she went on:
"a few that the feet had run down
and sunk in the sea of gossip. A little
ghost, whose mother had not been all
she should have been. and the feet
found it out and rocked and whispered
and she went away. And a few who
were poor-the most terrible of sins
to them the fleet showed no mercy.
And a fine proud girl, Myra Thornhill,
who was engaged to man named
Kendrick, and who never dared come
here again after Kendrick suddenly dis
appeared because Of the whispered dis
hcnors the feet heaped upon his head"
what wicked womenw said Magee.
1.-The wickedeSt women in the world"
answered the girl. But every sum-
mer resort must have its feet. i doubt
if any other ever had its admiral.
though. and that makes Baldpate su-
preme"
Its admiral?"
Eyes. He isn't really that. imagine
sort of vice or an assistant or
whatever it is. long ago retired from
the navy Every summer he comes
here and the place revolves about him.
It's all so funny, wonder If any
other crowd attains such heights of
snoDbishness as that at a summer re-
sort? It's the admiral this. and the
admiral that. from the moment he en-
ters the door. Nearly every day the
manager of Baldpate has new pic
ture of the admiral taken. and hangs
ii here in the hotel. III show them to
you when it's light. There's one over
there by the desk of the admiral and
the manager together. and the man.
ager has thrown his arm carelessly
over the admira's shoulder with See
how well 1 know him written all over
his stupid face. Oh, what snobs they
are"
And the feet:" asked Mr.. Magee.
"WorShips him. They fish all day
for smile from him. They keep track
of his goings and comings. and when
he is in the card room playing his silly
old game of solitaire they run down
their victims in subdued tones so as
not TO disturb him.
What an interesting place" said Mr..
Magee. II must visit Baldpate next
summer Shall-shall you be here:"
Its so amusing" she smiled. ignor-
ing the question. You'll enjoy it.
And it isn't all feet and admiral
There's happiness and romance and
Whispering on the stairs, At night.
when the lights are all blazing and the |
band is playing waltzes in the Casino /!
and somebody is giving dinner in the |
grill room and the girls hit about in |
the shadows, looking too sweet for |
Baldpate inn is a rather |
spot. | remember those |
nights very often now"
Many men have loved YOU he said. |
Are you reading my PALM" she |
lsked. laughing.
"No-Jour face" answered Mr.. Ma
zee. MANY men have loved you, for
fery few men are blind. l am sorry |
was not the man on the stair or on
ne mountain In the moonlight. Who
'nows? might have been the favor
ii one for my single summer OF ioy."