Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-07
The Daily
Short Story
THE STORY'S END.
BY Genevieve Ulmer.

All the rOmances In the story books
end happily-every one of them.
wonder IL mine is only what the writ.
ers call an accident. or a circum.
stance"
Thus Leila Thorpe. medjtat,n,
dreamily over an event which had
quite taken her mentality out Of ~
everyday, humdrum beaten track. She
was simple country girl, with no IN.
cial ambitions outside of the little vii.
lage where she had always lived. on
course the few times she and 4 few
Of her friends had attended some sne.
cial parties up at the big summer re-
sort hotel had been pleasant and entie.
ing, but somehow, come to think II
over afterwards, there was little worth
remembering about the superficial
bellies of society and their shallow. in.
sincere escorts.
"He was SO courteous and hand.
some," sighed Leila, continuing her
fond reverie Probably won't ever
meet him again and don't even know
his name, but it's hard to forget him
For never had Leila been 20 near IA
q member of the opposite sex, never
had a pair of such admiring, magnetic
eyes fascinated her own. Why, she
had been quite in his arms, but that
was unavoidable under the circum-
stances, and he had released her the
moment he had pulled her and him.
self to safety.
For there had been danger. Leila
shuddered as she recognized how mar
rowly she had escaped serious injury,
perhaps death. 1t had happened all in
a moment-a misstep along familiar
path, sway over the edge, a scram-
bling hold of rail tree roots, with ter.
rifying depths yawning far below. She
had screamed once. Then a deadly
faintness was overcoming her as she
was conscious that a human form was
dangling beside her. A firm arm en-
circled her waist.
Don't think of conventionalities,"
gentle, but steady voice conjured her.
Put both arms around my neck and
hold on for your life"
He was not near when she recovered
consciousness, but babbling bevy Of
her girl friends were excitedly dis
cussing him.
Brave as a Iona true cavalier"
chimed a sentimental voice.
And so superbly cool! l think he
is a DOCTOR" Joined in a second voice.
"He looked like tragedian and has
the eyes of poet" asserted third
member of the group.
None of them had ever seen the mys-
| FERROUS young man. II they had fol-
lowed him they would have found thai
he was a new arrival at the town ho-
tel. He was registered simply as e.
liot Marvin.
Now, Eliot Marvin, when he risked
his life to rescue pretty Leila Thorpe.
had unknowingly dropped rolled-up
bundle of written sheets, which had
been blown by the breeze into nest
of wild brier bushes. There Lelias
little brother, wandering about, found
| it the next day. He proceeded home
| with his prize and Leila discovered
him. stringing the odd dozen sheets to-
gether, making kite.
"Why, it's a story" exclaimed Leila
glancing over the pages, supplied her
kite and became at once Interested in
a pretty idyl of romance. A keen
disappointment crossed her face as
the last page left the story unfinished.
One of Leila's friends located the
young man. He had gone for day or
two to a neighboring town. but was to
return. The next day Leila reread the
story. She was seized with the i'm.
pulse to complete it herself. She did
so and read it to her closest friend,
Minnie Lull.
"Why, Leila!" she cried, "you have
! Just made a most famous ending to
that sweet, pretty romance-'and 70
they were married and lived happy
ever afterward!
Greatly excited, Minnie burst In
upon her friend the next day. "Oh,
Leila" she fluttered, "waht do you
think? A notice is tackled up In the
postoffice asking the finder OF that
story to return it to its Owner-who
do you Think
| Il can't imagine" said Leila.
| "Mr. Elliot Marvin = at the hotel.
And he has returned. Let us take II
to him at once, just for lark
But Leila only left it. The hotel
keeper knew her. He reported ner
name to Mr.. Marvin. The next a.!
the latter quietly asked to be directed
to her home.
Leila fiuttered and her mother gave
warm welcome to the young man
who had saved her daughters lie.
She invited him to tea. When he ana
Leila were alone Elliot Marvin saio:
81 thank you doubly for your trouDle
with my poor story, Miss Thorpe
Leila looked unenlightened and IN
curing. "You brought the poor
scrawl back to me and brought
back finished"
Leila gasped. For the first moment
so realized that not only had she re-
turned the lost pages. but her own
last page. Leiia's face turned red -
| a rose. She could not meet the maj,
uuizzical, wholly admiring glance o.
her visitor.
"And so I have acted out your beau.
tiful ending to my story" said Eliio'
Marvin, the day he proposed to LeAa.
land we have found ourselves OF one
mind"
"And So" whispered Leila hiding
her face on his shoulder
"'They were married and lived nap
PLY ever afterwards
1