Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-01

daughter on the 31st of December,
handing her a birthday present and
giving her kiss. don't you think thar
q girl of nineteen is old enough to set
tie down and take some thought for
the future?"
Il certainly do. papa"
To-day you begin a new year In
your life, and tomorrow you begin a
new year OF the calendar. Suppose
you do some thinking rs TO your ac-
tions during the past few years, make
up your mind rs TO what is necessary
In your case and form such resolutions
as may seem essential TO your future
happiness"
Tell me what you think necessary"
THE main thing ] have in mind is
this: The most important event in a
woman's life-So l consider its her
marriage-that is, If she is TO be
wife I have noticed in you an un-
fortunate propensity to regard those
things which are preliminaries-in this
country, where people usually marry
for love-to the union OF man and
woman. with the consequent rearing of
q family. very much as you would con
slider a game Of tennis.
This, my daughter, is all wrong
Love is nearer akin TO divinity than
any other part of our nature. 1t is
serious-very serious. I, your mother
your brothers and sisters. we who
form n group 50 closely cemented, are
held together by this one element in
the composition Of nfe-love"
"Oh. papa. how beautifully you ak"
a shadow passed over the fathers
face. realizing from this remark that
he had not produced the impression
he desired. He was turning away dis
appointed when his daughter caught
his hand
Really, papa, explain what You
mean, and l viii do what you wish me
to do"
"Wen. then, TO come down to plain
language stop flirting"
"Oh, that's what you are driving att
Yes Tomorrow morning when you
wake up refreshed after n good sleep
think over your treatment Of worthy
and worthless young men,. which IS
based merely on your fancy, and make
a resolution that il you have any en-
rOurag cement 10 bestow Upon any one
d
who should you marry him-and you
are now at n marriageable age-wiH
make you q worthy husband. one you
can be proud Of before the world"
Bella sat musing.
a penny for your thoughts said
her father.
'I was thinking that tomorrow morn
ng win be a better time 70 make such
resolutions than now"
why 500"
Wei. tonight l 20 10 the seymours
10 see the old year out and the new
in"
what has that to do with resoIu-
ionsf"
WHY. Jimmy Halliday win be there. !
md yesterday. just because l accepted /
/ rose from Tom Erslzine. he passed |
ne on the street. pretending be didn't /
zee ne"
"Wel2"
why. papa. you don't think I'm go.
ng TO stand that, DO youf"
DO you care especially for Halli- |
lay2"
Care for HIM OF course not"
Then why should you trouble your /
self bout himE"
oh, papa, how stupid you are, You
ion't understand such things at all. 1 /
win give Jimmy tonight as good rs
le has given me. Tomorrow morning
VIII make your resolutions
My resolutions
Il mean that I viii reform as you |
iesire."
Her father. who adored her, gave her
another kiss and left her, feeling that
ais words had been without effect. |
Not so Bella. She had really been i'm
pressed, but not for such general rea-
sons as had been mentioned by her /
father.
Far down in the bottom Of her
Ieart was q soft spot into which q
certain quiet, reserved young man. |
ldward Corwin by name, had settled /
himself without asking her permission.
She had treated him in accordance with /
Ter usual methods, with the result /
hat he had locked himself up-tO I
peak acknowledgement all her efforts I
q get at him had signaily failed
Miss Dudley passed the evening OF I
he 31st OF December at Seymours'. /
lanced the cotilIion with Tom Erskine. T.
allied TO favor Jimmy Halliday, smiled I
N Elliott Tracks and sat out q figure /
With Fred Swords when she made 4
p IA spat with him, throwing him into .
cstasies Then. when all were assem- |
lied about n round table feasting the
lew year in. she exchanged bonbons
With Bob Sparkles, reviving a hope
hat bad nearly died out. IS for Ed
yard Corwin. he was not present.
On New Years morning Bella awoke
nd. looking at tiny clock on Il bracl-
{, saw that II was II o'clock Then
h. remembered her New Years reso-
ltions. and troubled expression
assed over her young face New
ears morning was not so good a time
Or reform as she had supposed \
over lay on a table that she rad ac-
epted graciously from Erskine, and
he had agreed 10 go ont with him Tor
ride at 3 in the afternoon. Halliday
ad been brought 10 his seuses-so she