Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-21

bed. Mr.. Fitzmaurice Todd had long
since done so.
Oh, yes, there was Mr.. Fitz-
maurice Todd. But he didn't
amount to anything. All he did was
to pay the bills. He joyfully robbed
widows and orphans during the day
and came home at night to do pen
ance. He hated guests. He hated
house parties. But his wife had
| him licked In which he was like so
many of our big business men OF
America. In the marts of trade,
he was supreme; but when he got
home he made Nubian Lion look
like a pet guinea pig. So he had
dinner served in his rooms, looked
over a few reports, decided how
much he and his associates would
give to the campaign fund, and then
went to bed with insomnia, in all
its branches. But he was a good
sort at that, and ate pie for break
fast. He didn't realize that he was
robbing widows and orphans.
Starting out as Office boy in nest
Of financial pirates, he had drifted
into this fiscal second-story work
unconsciously, and had never had
time, sense nor inclination to figure
out how great a scoundrel he was.
. Always had he been too busy
70 dig out the fact that there is no
body so dead when he dies, as a
rich man who is merely rich. q.
Hetty Green, Russell Sage and Mi
das are completely, lastingly and
entirely defunct. Fitzmaurice Todd
is about to become So But he
doesn't know it, All he knows is
that he always feels rotten, can't
sleep, never has any fun, and
what's the use? He also knows
that everybody is always trying to
pass laws to keep him from rob-
bling them, and it amt right. Be
cause If his rObbing is restricted.
where's he going to get the money
with which his wife gives the house
parties he hates and to keep up the
sea-going yacht that he doesn't use
and the town house in which he is
so thoroughly miserable? Also to
pay the expensive specialists to
doctor him so that he can have the
strength to work himself sick again
and be doctored some more?
Following the regal retirement
of Mr.. Fitzmaurice Todd, who
didn't bother to say good night to
anybody, thoroughly despising
them all, fell a hiatus.
An Hawaiian band discoursed
Broadway music in a Greek per-
COLA. The leader hadn't been
here long but he had learned how
TO size up his audience
It was a wonderful night The
great round moon rode high in the
heavens. Came from hill and wood
and meadow the soft sweet breath
OF spring, tempered of the moist
whisper OF the sea. a glorious
night, II was, So some of the
older guests sat down 10 horn one
another at bridge; and some of
ten dollars corner.
Yet others thought they would
dance
Our hero slipping some. more ex-
tract Of caraway seeds sat and
watched them. 1.-the young
girls care-free and clOthes-free.
bare Of neck and back. light skirts
flirting with silk-clad knees.
Sometimes they came between our
hero and the light. How had
the fashions changed since the days
of his mother. who always had on
quite a lot in summer and more in
winter. Clearly no man was
marrying a pig in poke when he
Joined in the holy bands OF we'd
lock one of these, Mahree and
Gwendolyn had nothing on them -
or should've say nothing on
Held tight they We're by the car
bon-copy youths Of the period that
danced with them; tall and we'll
groomcd fellows with fiat stomdchs
and fiatter heads Whereon lay shin
ing hair. combed straight back, like
"A nun II was easy 10 tell these
Youths apart Some were blond
and some we're brunette.
Therese asked our hero II hA