Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-04-08

/ tnNI worn W II Nht HiBhi b'i'''
election. and I'm standing i'm the from
window of the little room ON Mali
street where the boys can always fine
me. Down the street ] hear the snar
and rumble of bands. and pretty soor
! | see the yellow flicker of torches. like
the flicker of that candle. and the bob
bling of banners. And then-the boys
march by-all the boys. Pat Doberty
/ and Bob Larsen and Matt Sanders
| all the boys, And when they get tC
my window they wave their hats and
/ cheer Just fat old man in that win
| dow. but they'll go to the pavement
with any guy that knocks him. They
are loyal. They are for me. And SO
| they march by, cheering and singing
all the boys-Just for me to see and
\ hear Well, that-that's romance TO
me-
Power" translated Mr.. Magee.
ayes. sir" cried the mayor. 81 know
I've got them. All the reformers in
the world can't spoil my thrill then.
They're mine. / guess old Napoleon
knew that thrill. l guess he was the
greatest romancer the world ever
knew. When he marched over the
mountains with his starving bunch
and looked back and saw them in rags
and suffering-for him-well, / reckon
old Nap was as close to romance then
as any man ever gets"
"I wonder" answered Mr.. Magee 1t
came to him suddenly that in each
persons definition of this intangible
thing might lie exposed something of
both character and calling. At the far
end of the table Mrs. Norton's lined.
tired face met his gaze. To her he
put his question.
We'll" she answered, and her voice
seemed softer than its wont, 81 amt
thought much OF that word for a good
many years now. But when L do-say,
/ seem to see myself sitting on our
porch back home thirty years ago.
I've got on simple little muslin dress,
and I'm slender as Elsie Janis, and the
color in my cheeks is-well, it's the
sort that Norton likes. And'my hair
but I'm thinking of him. Of Norton.
He's told me he wants to make me
happy for life. and I've about decided
I'll let him try. l see him coming up
our front walk. coming to call on me.
Have I mentioned I've got figure. a
real sweet figure? That's about what
romance means to me-.
Youth. DEAR" asks Miss Norton
gently.
That's it. dearie,' answered the
older woman dreamiIy. Youth"
For time those about the table sat
in silence. picturing. no doubt, the
slender figure on the steps of that
porch long ago. Not without a hu-
morous sort of pity did they glance
occasionally toward the woman whom
Norton had begged TO make happy.
The professor Of comparative litera-
ture was the first TO break the silence.
THE dictionary" he remarked aca-
would define romance as
species of fictitious writing originally
composed in the romance dialects and
airy is prosaic-it has no soul. Shall /
tell You what romance means to me?
| will. l see a man toiling in a dim /
where there are strange |
fires and strange odors. Night and !
day he experiments. the love of his !
kind in his eyes. n desire TO help in |
his heart. And then-the golden mo- |
ment-the great moment in that quiet. /
dreary cell-the moment of the dis |
covery. A serum, n formula-what |
not. He gives it to the world and a |
few of the sick are well again and a !
few of the sorrowful are glad. Ro- |
nance means neither youth nor pow
ar TO me. 1t means-service.'
He bent his dim old eyes on his |
food. and Mr.. Magee gazed at him
. "a Cd
.hese from an old man who robbed
replaces. held up hermits and engag-
ID in midnight conferences by the an
lex door. More than ever Magee was
Iaffied. enthralled. amused. Now Mr.. |
Iax leered about the table and con-
ributed his unsavory bit.
Funny. amt IT." he remarked. 1.-The |
liferent things the same word means
o n bunch of folks. Say romance to
ne and I don't see no dim laboratory
don't see nothing dim. | see the
brightest lights in the world and the
'cst food and somebody. maybe.
ancing the latest freak dance in be
ween the tables. And an orchestra
laying in the distance-cIassy DANES
II about--a taxi clicking at the door
NpTu me cnau1- J
eur. Let her click till the milk carts
can pay Say, that sure Is
omance TO me-"
"Mr. Hayden remarked Magee.
are we to hear from you?''
Hayden hesitated and looked for a
loment into the black eyes of Myra
'hornhill.
My idea has often been contradict
IT, he said. keeping his gaze on the
irl; lit may he again. But to ME
he greatest romance in the world is
nc romance OF money making-dol-
Ir piling on dollar in the vaults of the
nan who started with shoestring
nd hope and nerve | see him fight
~ for the first thousand-and then |
ee his pile growing. slowly ut first
lster-faster- a motor
ar brings him to his office, and men
peak his name with awe in the
reefs"