The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-06
The Daily Short S tory

! beach to the cottage. Lloyd, left
alone. gave surprised whistle and
then joined the rest of the party,
who were digging clans at the
waters edge.
A plan of action had already
she went down to the piazza, bent
on conquest, only to find the object
of her search seated in the couch
hammock.
Not bad looking object, either,
was Carl Houghton, arrayed in the
sportiest of white flannels, and
but his eyes were what Alice no.
ticed. What admiration she read
in them as she knew he was taking
in every detail of her dress. She
raised her hand quickly to hide the
place where she had had to mend
the lace in front, and she hoped he
wouldn't know that she really
should have worn white pumps with
| so light a frock, but if he did know
his greeting to her gave no sign of
disapprovel.
"Oho, my sweet Alice of the Alice
blue gown. why dost thou waste
thy fair beauty here alone? Sit
you here by me and regard the lab
oring classes, toiling for our sup
pers in you clam bed. Methinks it
suiteth not my disposition nor my
tout ensemble-my wardrobe, so to
speak, to pursue such filthy occu-
patton"
Twould give me greater pleas
ure than all other joys combined to
while away the hours for thee" re-
piled Alice. laughingly. glad to find
that the purpose was so easily to be
accomplished. She had no doubt
that the time would pass quickly
with such a gay companion. Surely
it was pleasant to be made to real
ize by his every look and gesture
that she was classy" that he fully
appreciated the fact that he sleeves
were of the latest style.
/ Yet somehow her eyes kept wan
dering down to the shore. where she
could see that Lloyd was keeping
rather near Vera, and that he was
enjoying the afternoon more than
she was, she felt sure, as the sound
of their merry laughter came to her
ears.
WELL" she thought, 81 guess he'll
see now that her sport satin is
prettier than my dress"
Soon the group passed from sight
behind the boathouse, and Alice felt
her spirits sinking lower as she
saw that Lloyd and Vera were earn
estly engaged in conversation.
After that the afternoon seemed
long indeed. 1t was hard for her
to pay attention to Carts ready flow
OF conversation, and after while
he seemed to lose interest in her. II
was not until the crowd came back
to supper that she enjoyed herself
again. At the table he exerted him.
self to make it pleasant for her, and
she might have been quite happy
if it had not been so Obvious that
Lloyd was making an equal effort
in Vera's behalf.
The girls had drawn lots to learn
what two were to help Mrs. Garter
with the supper work. Oddly enough
1t had fallen to Vera and Alice, but
when 1T was time for the work to
be done Vera was not to be found
and as the others had gone for a
walk. Alice and Mrs. Carter had to
do it all.
+; Alice was carrying things into the
pantry when she stopped suddenly
BY the window. Someone outside
was speaking and che overheard hel
own name. She paused to listen
and recognized Carts voice.
But. Vera" he was saying, 81
didn't say that Alice looked better
than you do. I only said che had on
. very neat dress, one much more
appropriate to an outing like this
tnan yours. My own whole day ha:
been spoiled because I wore these
pesky white f1annels to suit you and
that was what I was trying to tel
you. but you got angry and though,
! meant you had spoiled my GOOD
time. OF course I didn't mean tina,
about Alice. because you AWAY,
! look nice. to me-