The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-27
HE DAILY ARGUs.
DARKNESS INTO LIGHT.
From Goodey's Lady7Book.


What bleak wild night it was The
weird spirits of the storm marched up the |
valley bowling like angry demons, and
with giant strength wrestled with the
mighty oats upon the hillside, until they
bowed their trembling limbs to the earth |
in mute supplication. How the windows
of the old factory ratified in the driving
blast, and the young girl, Jessie Deane,
drew her shawl closer about her as the |
damp wind came moaning in through ev>
cry crevice and Granny.
The O'Clock bell had rang. the days |
work was done. but still she fingered in
the work room, and sitting on the win
dow ledge close up to the dirt begrimed
pane, her plain homely face, with its
framework of soft brown hair, was al
most hidden in the dull November twilight. |
With nervous restlessness her brown
hands tied and united the fringes of her
coarse blanket shawl, while in and out of
the winding passages of her brain the
busy thoughts came and went and went
and came.
"Only factory girlr So fairhaired
lady had said that day as she passed her
on the pavement, and gathered up her
silken garments daintily, least they
should be defied by the touch. She re-
membercd what the old pastor had said
last Sabbath day in the little church of
the neighboring village of Eilenthrope:
''Oh, ye rich men, all your wealth will
surely avail you nothing when you reach
the rivers brink She knew all this,
and yet it was hard to walk always
among the shadows
There came dull, heavy footstep
along the lower floor and up the creaking
stairs.
Are you ready to 60 home, Jessie?"
She knew just what he would say, for
he uttered precisely the same words ev-
cry night for the last six months, stand
ing in the same place, fumblng his fur
cap in awkward embarrassment.
mo! I'm not ready to go home with
you" and Jessie turned with a scornful
air from the sturdy country youth,
Here is my umbrella. You will need
it,"
1t was kindly voice, ard came from
manly heart, and looking at her for a
moment with questioning look, plain,
honest John Brace turned away and walk
ed slowly down and ont into the damp
street
Such an awkward specimen of hum
anity," the girl murmured eettishly; and
yet she knew the sunniest spots in her
life were the pleasant summer evening
walks with him home through the green
country lanes to the brown farmhouse
'1f he were only as handsome and
graceful as Harry Bell" and as she tied
her hat her gaze wandered wistfully over
the river to the brown stone villa upon
the hill, where, In stately magnifcence,
dwelt the owner of the mill property,
Garrison Bell. In her simplicity she had
looked with almost reverentlal awe upon
the portly gentleman, as with great pom>
posity he made his weekly visits to the
factory to give orders to his overseer OF
late the mustached young college gradu-
ted, Harry Bell, had performed these du
ties for his father, and she now consider
ed him the personlfcation of manly bea,..
ty and excellence.
And so Jessie dreamed on, and at last
with the night shadows folding them,
selves closely about her, went SLOWLY
down the cracking stairway, with hea'
Wy aching at her heart and weary, visit
full longing in her brown ewes.
But bark! Up through the windpas
sage, with the rush of the damp winC
from the street door, came a shrill cry o
mortal agony, and her blood ran COLI
while her heart almost stilled its beatin!
as she listened.
One, two, three horrid yells rent tn
air, mingled with the sound of falIin!
blows and fierce oaths. The sounds cam
from the overseer's office at the foot o
the stairs, and were heard with awfu
distinctness above the roar of the storm
Jessie knew that the last workmen ha
left fifteen before, and she was alone
perhaps with murderer and white
than the faces Of the sheeted dead wa
that of the young girl as she leaned flo
support against the smoky wall.
The cries had ceased, a door opene
and closed, but still she could bear tn
thud, thud of the wind lashed waves, an
up from the street came the sickenin
stencil of the rain soaked debris.
But she must act And with tn
thought came renewed strength, an
down the old stairs she went with flyin
feet. At that instant in from the STREE
came the same awkward form frol
which she had turned so scornfully fv
minutes before. How noble and mani
he looked in the hour of peril.
THANK God, you are here, job
Brace" and then they opened the offit
door and went IN together.
Only the empty room, vacant IN
blank, with the shadows weaving then
selves together in the dim and dusty CO
ners, and the wind moaning its well
anthems through the narrow passage.
But what is that thing lying in mai
gled heap upon the low lounge behir
the stove! Shadeless almost, and vet NJ
lifeless, for human hand is thrust OF
and on it is great govt of blood.
With pale face, but unshaking har
John Brace removed the covering al
disclosed the ghastly disfgured face
Thomas Morgan; the factory oversee
Three great gashes across the throat fro
which the life blood was fast ebbing, oil
the mark of heavy blows about the he,
were the sole traces of the murderer.
Poor little Jessie could endure no MOI
and when The crowd came hurrying
from the street, they found her lyil
PROSTATE upon the floor. honest Jol
Brace gazing in dumb horror upon t
scene.
Three weeks had passed, and thrOu!
the low kitchen window of the farmhou
under the hill, the afternoon sunlig
shone blithely in, and wove its fairy Ell
broideries in broad lines of gold upon t
white hair of the busy housewife, as s
passed with light footballs across t
floor, plying her daily tasks.
Upon the little white draped cot in
kitchen bed room lay Jessie, with b
poor face thinned almost to shadow
wasting fever. For long time. in XII
OF dumb. dreamy quiet she lay count
the crimson leaves upon the woodbi