Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-10
The Daily Story
An Anonymou Letter-By Everett 2. Clarke
Copyrighted 1914. by Associated Literary Bureau

! Mrs. CbelteDham must have the DOW
er of diviping the human female mind
for he was not only far from discov.
ing the writer OF the letter. but among
so many 1T would be impossible to PICK
out the culprit.
The graduating exercises Of the won.
ems college were approaching. and
BorIand considered the expediency Of
going there to look for n needle I'm a
haystack. He called upon the Iady
who had put him on the track and tod
her that he now believed the letter IN
| be a college prank and In that event
! he would take no further interest In IL
| His counselor replied that the age OF
! the writer, IL given correctly, rather
/ indicated that she belonged to one OF
the lower classes or was not college
| girl at all. since girls did not usually
enter college before they were eight
cen. Mrs. Cheltenbam was rather in.
| clined to believe that the writer of the
letter was a visitor to the college. be-
cause she would not be likely to put
him in possession of her location.
Borland attended the commencement
exercises of the women's college. bot
he might as we'll have gone to Green
lana IOE I'LL Tue DeDGDL us WISH was 10
his search. and when he returned to his
home he felt that If he ever found the
letter writer it would be because she
would give him an additional clew.
His adviser told him that the girl had
doubtless been at the college CON-
mencement and had seen him there.
She therefore knew that he was hunt
ing her. Better drop the matter. The
-. ~
If she saw that he had given up the
chase she would very likely do some
thing to urge him on.
Borland adopted the Fabian policy;
but, as for not thinking about the mat
ter, that was impossible. Toward the
end of August be went into the coun-
try with his friend Carter to spend
his vacation canoeing. One evening he
went with Carter to summer hotel
for supper. While passing through the
hall to the dining room they passed
several young ladies. When they were
seated at the table Carter said
"Walter, I've found your girlp'
(Which? When? Where" was the
hurried response.
Coming through the hall. One Of
the girls we met, the moment she saw
you, started. Then the color all went
out of her face and came back red as
jack rose"
Pretty or homely?"
"a peach"
Good! I must go and find her"
He was rising from his seat, but
Carter held him down.
'Sit still. Do you want to spoil your
romance? Eat your supper and keep
cool Your game is to pretend not TO
recognize the girl as the writer of the
letter. Make her acquaintance, get
spoons with her and at the proper time
tell her you're going TO turn turtle in
your canoe because you're dying of love
for her and have no hope of winning
her"
as that the way it's done?"
''Of course it Is. If you ever let her
know that you are on TO her secret
she'll fee from you as from the wrath
to come"
''By Jove. Bob. where did you learn
so much about women"
ANY fool would know that"
1--WE no doubt you're right. In due
time get an introduction to her and in
troduce me-"
"It won't do to hurry"
But are you sure she's the girl?"
"She must be. No girl at meeting
man would start and go red and
white by turns unless there was some
important tie between her and him.
But we must make her think right of
that we're ignorant Of her secret or
she'll leave for parts unknown"
After the young men had finished
their SupperS they looked in the draw
ing room and on the piazza for the
girl in question, but it was not till late
n the evening that she showed her
self. The men were on the piazza In
he dark. while she was in a lighted
Dom. so that Carter had no difficulty
n pointing her out without her being
lware that she was under observation.
The rest of the story is one Of ordi-
larry cOurtship, except that the suitor
Knew all the while that he had won.
rhe young lady was not student and
lad not played a college prank. She
vas an innocent girl who had relieved
Ter mind by sending the man TO whom
he had given her heart on sight an
letter. telling him OF her
owe. After their engagement she
ounded her betrothed as to the letter
he had written him. He told her that
lie had received such n letter, but.
linking it to be joke of some Of bis
nen friends, had torn it up. he dared
ot let her know even that he bsd
onsidered it sincere. He expects some
lay to atone for the lie by telling
er the truth, but thus far every tine
e has started to do so he has been
frightened of. Possibly some day
Then they have been a long while
larried and the romance OF love has
iven place TO the reality of love ae J
hay venture to tell her that he knew
rom the time he met her that shs
wed him. Quien sabe?