The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-22
The Daily Short Story
you for your mirror a minute, the
one in the pretty brown bag?"

you Tor your mirror minute, the
one in the pretty brown bag?
Kora promptly reached under the
counter, produced the brown bag,
opened it and held it SO that her
manager could retouch her sal
lowness. while the other clerks
watched, as il there were no wait
ing patrons on the planet.
Don't bother to hold it for me"
begged Miss Cross in honeyed
tones.
Couldn't think OF letting this
bag out my hands. There's value
in it." smiled Kora Myle Excuse
me. I'll take it with me. l have
customer"
In three minutes the case had
been reported at the store office,
and in six minutes the store de-
tective sauntered into the jewelry
department, asked for Miss Myle
and the most expensive pearls he
had been looking at, and was told
that they had been sold. Where
upon Detective Browne set a watch
and went directly to his innermost
! private ONCE, closed the doors and
did the hardest thinking he had done
since he had made his probationary
reputation as an operative on q
! certain Landers case. and decided
to live in blessed singleness for
ever because one girl could be as
disappointing as that girl had been.
By the time the closing gongs
clanked. Madison Browne had
reached his decision.
He waited until kora Myle left
the store. She was later than
usual. In sll the evenings he had
spent with her since she had work
ed at the store she had never let
him know where she lived. They
had always met at the Corner Inn
He had imagined her home was SC
humble she was sensitive about his
seeing 1t. Her people would be
embarrassed. perhaps. II she had
any. Verify. logic was likely tc
desert Madison Browne where Kora
Myle WAS concerned. But he owed
his loyalty to the store. Tonight
he'd follow her home and have II
out with her at once.
Curious shivers chased up and
down his spine as he stolidly
sneaked on. walking briskly. dash
ing onto the Elevated. getting of
with the aristocracy (queer. that!)
hiding behind a policeman while
Kora took-a limousine at the
third corner. Then. taxi bearing
Madison in hot pursuit. and a mar
BILE front apartment that smashed
all visions of humble home Il
atoms! Kora Myle living here!
! The name sang itself through
Madisonb brain-kora Myle. Il
was provokingly like some othel
name he recalled seeing somewher,
l-Kora Myle Dora Syle. No, thai
wasn't it. Stupid he couldn't ge'
it!
i Five minutes after the arrival o.
Miss Kora in her rose and gray
apartment, the maid announced
Madison Browne. For an instant
the color left the girls face. hui
when she met the man she carried
her head high and placed twa colo
little hands in his in the old ges
ture that didn't belong exactly tt
the tailor-ccated waists and tn,
cherub face.
4 Then Madison Browne did tn,
thing that was farthest from hi!
professional intentions. He stoop
ed as q peasant might bend before
J his queen. Il want you to know
Kora girl. I believe in you. / dom
know anything about this apart
ment or 4 lot Of other things. Blu
know you didn't take the pearls
even though you'll show no salel
slip for them and carry that bag
on your arm. I believe you're o
K. and I love you"
i Kora Myle was trembling. Hell
eyes, were frankly misty. Silentl,