Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-28


and hoped to learn to fly an aeroplane
Otherwise his was en- uneventfui his |
tory.
All the time I was listening mr. |
mind was occupied with trying to &C. |
count for the thrill which had jolted |
me when had taken Lucile's hands In
mine at the top Of the staircase. I |
decided to put my fortunes to the test. |
/ would sit up until Bopp went to bed
and then ask her to marry me.
Kent. the telephone man, retired nrst.
It think I'll sit up awhile" said.
stealing look at Lucille and HOPING
that she would comprehend my inten.
ton.
"If you're going to sit up I'll stick"
said Bopp, with MachiaNellian cordial
ity. "I'll split gallon OF water with
you.H
There we sat, and we drank glass
after glass Of water until IL o'clock.
Then Lucille decided to retire and spot.
ed the whole game.
II guess I'll turn In now, too" sug.
gested tentatively, hoping at least that
would get chance to speak TO her
On the stairs.
But, no. Bopp developed a sudden
| fondness for my society and accompa-
MED me to my room and sat on my bed
| for awhile talking about affairs the
| atrtcai, assuming that I was interested
/ In than rrJ9nn u,oc oo&
| When he finally departed the house
was dark and the wind OF the storm
made unearthly noises around the
caves. I was more tired than I re-
membered to have been for years, but
not sleepy. / don't know whether IL
was actual hunger or merely the idea
that | had not eaten anything for for
| ty-eight hours which haunted me. At
any rate, every time that closed my
eyes I'd have vision of those dog
biscuits. might just as well have
pictured chocolate cake or dough
nut to myself; but. mott was a dog
biscuit.
/ After an hour or so of that kind of
torture at last decided to satisfy nv
fool imagination by showing 1t a dog
biscuit In the life and proving that 1t
was not desirable at all. That was the
only reason that went downstairs.
1t was rather tick1ish business roam.
ing around strange house wearing no
other padding than suit of paiamas.
I banged my shins numerically
against several hundred pieces of fur
/ niture, but I toned my remarks there
at to pitch below the bowling of the
storm. An occasional fash of light.
ming helped me monentariIy from time
to time. but left me foundering In the
intervals.
i Finally In the kitchen. groped my
way to the shelf, and the box OF dog
!. biscuit was in my hands. Furtively
, took one out, fondIed 1t and shifted It.
], Being alone there with that unpro-
| tected dog biscuit was too much for
my moral courage. I decided to throw
honor to the winds. There was so
| much wind and so little honor that no
q one W0uiQ uouce IT.
set my teeth In the dog biscuit!
! Suddenly there was sound on the
} stairway. listened intently-the creak-
ing OF stair!
, Who could 1t be? Possibly 1t was
Kent, the ex-wire Taper His early
, training might have proved too much
for him and he had decided to loot
{ the place and make his escape. / made
t up my mind to behave valiantiy and
grasped a dog biscuit firmly in one
/ hand, determined to sell my life as
/ dearly as was consistent with the high
/ cost of living The box containing the
' rest of the biscuit I put back on the
/ shelf and crouched behind the stove
ready to spring at the intruder un
= awares as soon as he entered.
/ had one Of those flashes OF insane
+ bravery which ia nine-tenths fear whe,
I saw the light OF pocket Lantern
struggling along the wall at the foo
Of the stairs. jumped four fee
straight up In the air when something
! wet touched the sole ct my bare foo
!. which was extended behind me as
knelt behind the stove. Ny exclama
ton was drowned In a crash OF thun
der. Burglar or no burglar, / wa
. about to run to him for protection
from that elammy thing which hal
!. touched me when second fash 0
lightning showed mech, horrorsl /
was Tootles frisking around my feet
t