The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-04
WHAT SHE FOUND OUT.
By Nettie Il. Tanning,
Copyright, 1922, by Wheeler Syn
dictate, Incl

by NeElle Is. AnnInSs
| Copyright, 1922, by Wheeler Syn
dictate, Inc.)
| Two days before the midwinter
! banquet of the Greenville literary
society, Mrs. Fleming was finishing
| the decollete gown which she had
planned to wear on that occasion.
| It was before the time of backless
bodices and she was afraid she had
been almost too daring in planning
| that kind of a gown when most of
| the ladies would wear a '-V" neck,
and their long-sleeved "undies"
would probably show through their
chiffon or crepe-de-chine sleeves.
Although not fashionable as to
clothes, the club was very exclu-
| sive, and so old that it's charter
, members had grown white-haired
or bald-headed, according to their
respective sex. 1t was composed Of
doctors, lawyers, ministers and
their wives, school teachers of
varying ages and few others. Mrs.
| Fleming was one of the others.
| There were two bachelors, Mr..
Black, an admirer of Shakespeare,
who considered himself literary be-
cause he could repeat THE Mer-
| chant of Venice" in Is minutes, and
Mr.. Tilden, the always immaculate
principal of the grammar school,
35, pink checked and feet 2. It
was said that the hearts of all the
teachers thumped to the tune of the
wedding march whenever he enter
ed their school rooms.
Young Mrs Fleming sighed as
she sewed She wished she could
do something to wake up the club.
They were too SNUG and compla-
cent. They had had the same pres
ident for Is years. She remember
I ed the few black locks that once
wandered over his ivory dome.
They had grown thinner as years
passed, until the wisps of hair had
, become veritable will-o-the-wisps
to be sought for but not found.
A telephone call interrupted Mrs.
Fleming's musings. 1t was the
chairman OF the banquet committee,
who said that Mrs. Worden would
be unable to be at the banquet and
would Mrs. Fleming please fill in
her place on the program. The
time was short, but perhaps she
could find humorous selection to
read.
Mrs. Fleming promised to see
what she could do, put on her
things and started for the library.
On her way she met Miss Davids,
a club member, and stopped to chat
with her. AS they parted. few
torn scraps of paper slipped unno-
ticed from Miss David's notebook
and fell at Mrs. Jennings feet. She
looked down at them, then picked
them up, tucked them into her
purse and hastily turned towards
home, where she spent some time
in neatly patching the pieces to-
gether,. picture puzzle fashion.
Two nights later the banquet pro-
crossed from fruit cocktail to demi-
tasse. Then the tables were cleared
and speeches were made in order.
Mrs. F1eming's pink cheeks might
have carried simply a reflection of
her rose pink gown, or possibly
they glowed because Judge Gray,
her color blind partner at table.
had admiringly told her that red
was becoming to her. Perhaps it
was only because she was next on
the program and was little ner-
vous. She listened to the president
as he, as usual, Landed the club for
maintaining high ideals in litera-
ture and art, as well as for it's So
cial and moral influence in the
community
When Mrs Fleming was called
on, she arose, looked steadily at
Mr.. Tilden until she blushed. then
unfoldedfa disreputable looking pa
per, laid 1t on the table face down
and began gravely:.
Two days ago 1 started for the
library to search for something to
read tonight, little thinking that l
would be unraveling a battling
mystery concerning three OF our