The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-21
TRUE IN SPITE OF ALL.

CaCk ESenSnaW never knew now TaSi
he was going down hill until he was
black-balled when he sought admission
to the Upper Crust Club. That stune
him to the quick, but he had still too
much money left from the ample patri-
! mony which he had been reeklessly
squandering these past three years. for
the lesson to take full saIutary effect.
He had only to appear behind his sorrel
team on the river road to obtain grac-
ious recognition from the fashionable
habatues of the drive.
To be sure they might whisper that
he was sadly dissipated fellow. that he
couldn't last long at the gait he was go
ing, and similar hintsaof a fall from fav-
or, of which Jack, poor fellow! was just
getting foretaste.
One morning when he was even more
haggard in his looks, and more reckless
in his driving than usual, he met pair
of soft compassionate blue eyes lifted to
his, and for the first time in his life OBJ
served how dehcately pure and fair was
the face to which they belonged.
'sThere goes girl who pities' me" he
said to himself. IF anything on earth
can save me. it is the influence of just
such gentle-hearted creature as that. -
The idea, having come into his mind,
stayed there. Somehow the thought of
those eyes kept him away from tempta-
ton, and drew him very often within the
circle they shone on, until, rather alb
ruptly, and very quietly. Crystal Armit-
age became Mrs. Jack Renshaw. Jack
really had great hopes of himself, and
as to thinking he might be doing any
great wrong to Crystal by taking her
destiny in his hands before trying him.
self, he complacently fancied that he
conferred a benefit, since she had been
dependent upon relatives, and had no
stipend of her own.
But habit is stern master. A year
after his marriage, Jack was as deep as
ever in his old course, fast wrecking
physically and mentally. as well as ruin
ing himself financially, but of this latter
fact, having always been careless re-
garding money matters, he was scarce
" aware Crystal never complained;
she was unchanged, except that at times
a look of dreary suffering came into her
face. The. social edict which had threat
ened Jack had gradually gathered force,
until the young couple were shut out
from such sympathy as former friends
might have given them; but now in his
time of need, one who had scarcely been
friend in his old days, took an interest
HI JACK WHICH -tIie idlIGl fboltAOAGCA
wholly to his own good fellowship.
you've stood by me like brother,
DR. Luke, but I wonder that you and
everyone else don't give me up as gone
case. There's no use trying, no use be-
ieving in me; / can't control myself.
Jack was in bed, divided between the
agonies of remorse and wretched sick
ness which We're consequent upon his
last three DAYS spree. DR.. Luke was
attending him, as he had done upon
more than one occasion before.
81 don't know why you should stick
by me- repeated jack weakly.
ssThen II tell you," said the doctor,
aroused from his usual professional
calm. II loved Crystal Armitage, and
had / been anything but a struggling
physician with my own way to make, |
believe / might have won her. As it
was, / never tried; but when tie time
came that her h;;: ,1j..ess depended on
you, made an effort to serve her il the
only way left to me- She has never
suspected this bat It is beyond my
strength To sec the brokcn-hearted lock
You have brought to her face, and keep
silence. You viii not heed my warning
of the danger YOU iiIy:Esp, though / tell
YOU that another Excess on the heels of
| ills enc will see E,ot, Il dead man. It
could be no such great loss 10 either the
world or yourself, perhaps, but why
can't / make you feel your responsible
ty to herP''
The doctor was walking the floor,
moved by deeper emotion than Jack
could witness calmly.
II couldn't do a better thing than to
step out of life and leave her to YOU
he exclaimed bitterly.
IF you take me up in that spirit, |
have simply failed TO do any good by
speaking replied DR.. Luke shortly .ssnd
he appeared to be going without anoth-
er word; but turned back with his hand
on the door i want you to believe
that If she were not utterly unconscious
of my feelings. ] should never have set
foot within your house
Unconscious heretofore, but something
almost like sob from the next room
reached Jacks ear Crystal he
called. and after moments delay
CRYSTAL came, to battle lis hot head and
sit by him in the darkened room, and to
hide her heartbreak rs she had always
done from the eyes that should have
seen it first.
1T really seems my duty to go ON one
more grand tear, and SO end my misera-
BILE existence he reelected, and the
same thought followed him when he
went on a. tramp as soon as his strength
returned, hunting and recruiting among
the .sbreaks'' of Kentucky. But the
game of that wild desolate region suffer-
ed little at his hands. He had passed
two days without seeing a human face,
and after going into camp the third
night, was seized with such a renewal
of sshorrors' the mental agony of a
man whose misspent life had held boun-
tiful possibilities of good, reacting on the
broken nervous system-that he left his
campfire burning and started out on
the tramp again, to get rid of his haunt
ing thoughts. Climbing abrupt rocky
ridges, dipping down intoravines where
giant trees chung to every available foot
hold and tangled their branches over
head, making a black depth of darkness
which no power of the eye could pene-
trate, skirting preeipitous cuts where
misstep would have sent him straight to
eternity, but guided safely by that fate
or that mercy, as YOU viii, which SO of
ten accompanies the desperate and des-
pairing through the most imminent
perils, and almost against their viii.
preserves them A light shone out be-