The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-05
The Daily Short Story

scrawny, forlorn. shy girl Of med
ium height; her dress, of coarse,
plaid material, was much too short;
her shoes, clumsy and hobnailed,
could be heard from the corridor,
dumping over the floor. Dull blue
eyes cast frightened glances from
under light eyelashes, and seemed
out of place in the thin, wan,
sharp-featured face. But one soon
forgot all these minor defects in the
shining glory that crowned her
head. Fiery red, g~listening with
gold. the silken tresses we're pulled
tightly back from her peaked face.
and hung in two thick1y- plated
braids, almost to her knees. Her
complexion was of that fine, white
texture which usually accompanies
red hair-velvety and very pale, its
only designation, freckles. across
the bridge of the nose and upper
cheeks. :
Kathleen watched Annabelle in
silence, until she was seated. Then
she approached and said in her
kindest tone: "You seem very
much frightened. May / help your"
Annabelle Victorious looked up
quickly. II am frightened" she
murmured in a musical voice, "but
l don't think you can help me. You
see, 1 am what / am, and nobody
can change me. That's the trouble.
If l were more like other people.
maybe the girls wouldn't look at
me SO queerly, and laugh when my
back it turned-and sometimes
when it isn't" She smiled wanly.
Anyway, you're the first civil per-
son who has spoken to me, and l
want to thank you. I'm so
! lonely"
Annabelle turned her face away
quickly, but not before Kathleen
had heard the sharp intake of her
breath and seen the tears in her
eyes. She caught Annabelle's cold,
little hand with her own, and
pressed it gently. .
"Oh, please let me help you." she
NJ AC0s WdlL W, oAp cS 1AS
and-let's be friends"
All the sincerity in Kathleen's
heart shone in her eyes as she put
her arms around her new friend.
"Oh, thank you, thank you,'
sobbed Annabelle. 81 thought Goo
had forgotten me, but I'm sure hi
hasn't now" She looked up into
kathleen's warm, blue eyes, an(
smiled her first, real, heartfelt
smile since she had entered school
Near the close of the spring tern
!, a prize-speaking contest was held
Annabelle entered, and chose, fol
her selection, a most difficult con
t densation of Shakespeare's MAC
: beth" When the girls heard o
l this, nothing but sheer force o
l will and Kathleen's. daily encour
agement kept Annabelle from with
drawing, so great was the girls
: scorn.
: When the time arrived, the plair
awkward Annabelle was transform
ed into 4 gloriously radiant maid
;, en-, budding into wOmanhoo(
whom nobody could scarcely recoe
t nize. Kathleen's mother had mad
: for her a dainty, pale green, organ
: die frock, and Kathleen had al
: ranged her hair becomingly. It fe,
8 loosely arotnd Annabelie's fac,
= forming red-gold ringlets. Tn
-Swinter had chased away freckleI
so, altogether, it was. a charming
e though somewhat frightened, gil
who faced the population Of Ed
e burton.
Il In the audience sat Mr.. Soutl
k ard, actor and playwright. Afte
t the people had gone. he sought Al
6 nabelle and they talked together q
1. hour.
'e Next day all Edgburton was in
l. frenzy of excitement. During Il
l. summer vacation Annabelle Veto
n ious Jones was to act the leadir
e role in Arthur Lexington Soutl
ID ards new tragedy, Joan Dare"
u.s. There are 175 different pieces
an average watch.