Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-30
CHIC RDS a I'D
I'D I S G. O r ID S
BILLY1S LETTERS.

! Job In the candy store she would be
hunted by some of the chaps that
haven't anything to do but TO exercise
fathers machine while father is bend
| ing over his desk down at the old mill
She's one Of them girls that just can't
help attracting attention, Chas, and
since she's been jollied by the Johnnies
she's got Just little swelled on her
self, not that she has begun to thinking
herself too good for me. | don't mean
that, but she doesn't seem to warm up
over my plans for entertaining like she
did the first few times l was with her.
She said to me the other night why
didn't I get an automobile. When /
told her that I could get one like a
lot of other fellows got theirs, but If /
did / would have to leave the city and
wouldn't see her no more, she didn t
seem bit worried. / expected her to
lecture me against stealing, but she
didn't. I don't believe she would want
anything to happen to me, but / have
a sneaking suspicion that she knows
enough other fellows that have autos
who will keep her busy without me
taking up three nights every week.
accused her of slipping away from me,
but she came right out and said 1 ought
not to have such silly thoughts. She
said | had been nice to her and she
wanted me always as a friend. l feel
as Iwrite this letter to you that right
now l am about number six, when
week ago I was satisfied that she
thought more of me than any other
man in the world.
Tuesday night I dropped down to
the store to take her home, as l had
been doing. AS 1 neared the door 1
saw a big car standing outside. l
looked at the family monogram and
my fears were confirmed He was in
side, with two boxes of candy in his
arm. His first name is Francis. He
combs his hair back and wears his
trousers about an inch above his
ankles, displaying white socks. When
saw him on the inside ! didn't have
the heart to enter and ask Evalyn
when she was going home, because /
knOwed that she would introduce me
to him, and then he would say some
thing that would make me mad, and l
would just as not kick him in the
ankles. That would spill the candy
and would not be no nice way for a
gentleman TO act, but the only way I
can keep from striking one Of them
Lizzies is by keeping a safe distance
away from them. l hung around an
til closing time and then I saw Evalyn
and Francis come out arm in arm.
She was carrying one of the boxes of
candy and he had the other. They
drove away laughing. 1t sounded like
they were joining III giving me the
ha, ha
Just to make sure that he took Eva
Ign straight home 1 walked by her
house and there was the machine
outside sure enough. The
hard part OF this is that everybody
knows that [ am EvaIyn's steady com
pany and they know also that ] have
no automobile. OF course all of the |
neighbOrs saw that big car standing in |
front of her door. and now they will I
say that / have been cut. our by one OF /
them uinnies that can't yet dress him I
self in the morning without his mother I
helping him. The house was all lighted |
up and | saw Francis and Evalyn in /
The parlOr talking with Evalyn's moth /
er. Francis was passing the candy to /
Evalyn and her mother. and mother /
was making a great fuss over Francis !
Or course she will chime in with him |
because some day he'll fall into bun /
lie of money if his daddy doesn't slip /
between now and the time he checks /
n. l suppose he'll be sending up
American beauties to mother That's
what them guys always does. That's
10 fair competition for a fellow that
has to jump when he hears the Big Ben
n the morning.
Well, l decided to have an under
standing with Evalyn. So l called her
lp on the telephone the next day and
asked her why she did not go home
With me Tuesday night She said how
,ould she go home with me when l was
70 h.
waited at the store more than a half
lOur after the time she should have
eft and when | did not come she &C
epted the invitation ar Francis to
rive her home in his car She said
t was q new car and that Francis told
Ter she was the first girl. excepting
lis sister. that had been given a ride
n it. She said she told Francis that
he was looking for me 10 call for her
nd take her home. bat he told her
hat a girl couldn't depend on young
elbows nowadays. They would make
promise and would forget all about
when they met some other good look
ng girl. She said Francis father had
moved her folks for many years and
70 would he proud to have his son keen
with her. Francis told her
he could not afford to associate with
I 4
d to know IL he was hitting at me, and
Ivslyn said my no. for she would not
ave tolerated him another minute If
he believed he was trying to cast re- !
ections upon my character
That proved that she is the right
ind OF girl, all right. but | have no ,
ICED that she is getting so she knows
ow to say nice things when IL doesn't }
ost her nothing to say them. Per- ,
APPS that is part of her business in !
ne candy store. / asked her why she ;
'anted TO hang two boxes of candy on /;
rancis and she said that Francis lust :
lsisted that she sell them to him. ,
he said he bought one box for her ,
nd the other box was for his mother. !
|asnt that grand OF him, she said.
told her she ought not TO be having
oys buying her candy when she could .
ct all she wanted at the store with I
ut it costing her nothing. But she