Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-15


Lets have drink on the strength
Of your engagement anyway" l said.
starting toward the kitchen.
. Water queried Bopp, hoping
against hope.
why, yes
no, thanks. My tummle is looking
for Mount Ararat now" He sank dis
consolately into seat. In a moment
he rose YEARLY, I've got TO start out
again. / promised Lucille / would
search while she rested"
Hardly had he left the house when
the telephone rang again. l answer
ed it,
Hello"
Hello. Is that you, Mr.. Blainey?
VIII you call Lucille to the telephone?
| want to-
The voice ceased abruptly.
Hello" called, hello, hello"
There was no answer.
The voice l had Just been listening
to was that Of Mrs. Green.
After awhile got centraTs attention
and demanded to be told why I had
been cut off.
THAT party called up from a private
telephone" said central sweetly. "She
had no right to use it. 1t Is a summer
telephone only, and the instrument Is
TO he taken out next week"
But It was Mrs, Green who was
talking"
1T couldn't be" central was posi-
tive you are speaking from Mrs
Green's residence yourself"
1T was Mrs, Green. I recognized
her voice
Just minute" There was a pause,
then; Hello! That party called up
from Huntingdon's What could Mrs.
Greer be doing there on a stormy day
Ike this?"
( could not explain to gossipy tele-
phone operator what had really hap
( pened TO Mrs. Green. l did not know
much about 1t myself. and the few
( facts of her disappearance that / was
cognizant Of would hardly sound well
/ II repeated.
Mrs. Green l hazarded, went out
J walking, and suppose she stopped in
| 1t Mr. Huntingdon
DO you know" asked central, that
Huntingdon's is on ii small island three
miles south OF where you are and three
miles from the mainland? The walk
ing is not very good"
felt as If ! had stepped off into
space from high platform. "Proba
hly-that is. the chances are"-I tlouu-
dered-"the chances are that she de-
cided to row, and the wind may have
carried her ont OF her way"
finally persuaded central to call M
Huntingdon's. I think it was curiosi
ty that made her relent. | could be
sure that she would be listening to
whatever might be said by Mrs. Green
and myself.
Hello
! Hello, Mrs. Green, This is Mr.
Blainey.'
Hello, Mr.. Blaineyr' There was a
ring Of ladylike indignation in her
/, voice. Can you explain to me. Mr..
Blainey, how l. happened to find my
self in rowboat out in the middle OF
, the lake. wearing my red silk dress
and a nightcap tied under one earl"
Wait minute, Mrs. Green, central
is listening"
Il don't care. She always does. sht
probably wants to know just as nucf
as l do. What happened? Was there
an earthquake? remember the island
= was sort OF wobbly and hard t.
! walk on"
NO, there wasn't any earthquake.
i answered. We were fasting, you re
: member?"
Yes. / remember that, but I'm no
any more. The first thing / did wher
l landed was to break into this hous,
and cook myself can Of baked beans
It's funny If there wasn't any earth
quake. remember the floor of tn
house all running in funny nttI,
waves
Tn afraid our time must be nesrl,
up | suggested in the hope Of turn
ing the conversation. Central viii
cut US of"
mo, l WON'T" interposed a thirt
voice. the sweetly professional one o
the operator. Talk all you want ia
There amt anybody waiting for tn,
line"
Il suppose l must have got into til,
boat when the earthquake commenced.
; persisted Mrs. Green, "but how did
get on the decollete red dress? Ant
where did l get the nightcap? / hav,
not worn that dress for ten years"
l told her that we would have I,
wait until she got home to explain ,
number OF things. Lucille win b,
very glad TO know that you are safe.
| added casually as IL she had Jus
gone over TO a neighbours, hoping {,
deceive central. she was afraid vol
might get wet"
Did Lucille know / was going?" In
duired the startled Mrs. Green, VIII,
apparently did not catch on to m,
acting