The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-24
THE HUNTED BACHELOR.
BY Florence A. French.

| Copyright, 1921, by Wheeler Syn
dictate, Inc)
The affair began on the beach =
Colorless stretches of barren sand
I make perfectly splendid back
grounds for sunshades, and when
the sunshade in question is a fam
ing cerise and the beach is other
, wise deserted, the effect produced
is startling. l might have known
l would be pursued by a woman
sooner or later, but l scarcely
thought the frivilous sex would
care to venture into the bleak and
barren neck of the woods.
l, Grey S. Payson, was anything
but pleased at the prospect, for it
looked as if this designing creature
were settled for a comfortable
morning in my favorite rocky re-
treat. OF course I could not risk
getting acquainted with her, and
remaining longer on the beach
would most certainly mean getting
acquainted. Not that l would be
guilty of bringing it about, but she
would probably faint or ask to Dor
row my fountain pen or need res
cuing from something or other.
'Tis the silly ways of all Daughters
of Eve.
A deep pity stirred my being.
The injustice of it ALL A ruined
vacation, and, the cause-a wom-
an! l had a swift vision of being
forced to accompany her on fire.
quent rambles, helping her by her
nervous, clinging hands over innu-
merable rocks and exerting my
manly strength in her behalf.
Eye gods!" l exclaimed wrath
fully, when is a bachelor safe?"
Generous fathers and beaming
mothers, bent on disposing of their
bon-bon daughters had haunted
me. Forward maidens had openly
proposed to me; yet, thus far, had
escaped the horrible clutches of
matrimony.
1 loved my wild, desolate bit of
northern coast, the barren fishing
village and it's simple fisher-folk.
And now a woman from another
world had invaded my paradise! I
spent a most miserable morning
avoiding her.
By so doing I acquired an aching
head and a 24-hour crouch, to saw
nothing of my splendidly blistered
feet. Flooding YEARLY home I re-
solved to meet the enemy and-ig-
more her. Having resolved upon
this procedure, l was eager to be-
gin it, and it was therefore with
much delight that I CHANGED to
come upon this annoying person.
calmly seated upon my golden
sands. gazing with vacant eyes
upon my foamy ocean, the cerise
parasol a most glazing evidence.
Seating myself at a safe distance,
l lit my pipe and turned my back
on her. I'd show her!
To my amazement, the enemy re-
oblivious to my presence.
1 chuckled- Her Indifference was
too good to be true. and l only hon
ed it would last all morning.
1t did.
1t was noon when she arose
and slowly made her
way down the beach toward the
l caught a full glimpse of
the intruder, for she lowered her
sunshade. In a fash II dawned
upon me that a snappier attire
would best become my manly 40
ure. had somewhat neglected nv
person during my solitary watch
by the sea.
II was therefore with great pride
that l made my appearance before
breakfast bedecked in cool white
iannels.
Then 1 resolved to be nice to her
After all. she was probably a very
ordinary person. I had made a
mountain out OF a mole hill. ana
~ lingo. she wasn't bad looking.
It was then ] discovered that the