The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-09
ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. 1888
His Temptation.

1t lay there just within reach, the pref
] glittering thing, dropped -carelessly
IN the velvet lining of the jewelers. 5
indow-tray, just as it had fallen from
.he case when some hasty hand had
moved it, and the man standi ~ outside
dnew that he could slip in and snatch it,
unnoticed, at almost any moment when
the door opened; and what beautiful
thing it would be for his Janey to wear
IN her dainty white neck
His Janeyi The Jewels in their vel
vet cases faded out of sight, the gold
neck-chain with its engraved heart
shaped locket, vanished, and there stood
before him little slender child, with
the light of Heaven in her eyes, with
soft, falling locks of blight hair, with
pale lips, and the weary, wasted look
which suffering brings ovcrshadowing
herlike the clouding of an angel s WINS.
ALL an ANGEL And he wanted the gold
en-, glittering bauble for her-he would
sell his soul that his child might have
the paltry, perishable thing!
He went on his way then, erimy, un-
washed-a laboring man who had no
work to do nothing to live on bait
promises and the little his good wife
could earn by days labor when she
could leave Janey, the sick child. He
went home to the one poor room they
occupied, and was cautioned not to wake
the little one. She was very sick-the
doctor had been there, and said it was
crisis; she must be kept very quiet. The
man strobe to the bed and looked at her,
his one wee lamb. There she lay, sunk
deep in the poor pillow scarcely alive,
scarcely breathing, her cheeks pale and
sunken, her small hands crossed on her
bosom. Should she wake she would
ask with the pretty caprice of baby hood
what '.pappie'' had brought her, and
he had not earned penny that whole
week.
When the supper of bread and tea
was eaten he said he would go out and
take stroll while his wife cleared up
the dishes, and he took his hat and
walked down the street in the direction
OF the jewelers. store. He half hoped
that it would be closed. but it was not.
He looked in the window the gold
chain lay there yet. Some purchaser
hurried in, leaving the door open. He
did not think Of Janey; he did not think
at all. The only thing he knew was
that he was walking away, and clasped
ia the palm of his grimy, closed hand
was the bauble he had coveted. 1t was
the first fruits of dishonor that hand had
ever clasped-
Stop thief! Stop thiefr' He ran
when he heard that cry. not in the di-
rection of home, but towards the river;
he sped on with the words ringing a
knell in his ears. Then he found that
he was not followed; they must have
lost track of him, or-lt coul Int be that
they meant him; his sin had not surely
found him out SO soon. He turned and
went home,
There all was confusion-lights, hur-
ryiRg feet, and a clergyman coming out
with bowed head. What did it all
mean? He went in and saw his wife
crying, and a strange woman regarding
her with compassion-Janey-Oh, my
God-Janey was dead! He had made
himself thief for nothing.
Hugh, Hugh, wake upi What's the
matter, man? Here's Mr.. Gardiner
waiting TO see you; he wants TO engage
you for reg lar work, and Janey's bet
i n Il