The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-27
A HIDDEN HERO.


them when he chancel to meet with Marcus
Oxford
Marcus Oxford was laughing as Lord
Archie approached him, ana he felt his
own face expanding into broad smile in
SANITY.
"What are you laughing afr he de-
manded.
81 found yesterday" the other answered,
shat Arnitt was down with a severe at
tack of congestion of the lungs-a very
serious case. his wife told ME the doctor had
pronounced it. l sent him a basket Of
things down this morning-ice and grapes
and jelly, and SO on, you know
for, poor devil, it must be
harl lines to be i'll in such
a hole as that"-jerking his stick over his
shoulder to indicate q row Of squalid littlo
houses behind him-"and Moore brought
back word that he was very bad-as bad as
he could be. So | thought I'd come round
and hear how he is to-day. IT'S tidy little
place, but terribly bare and comfortles',
and found half a dozen youngsters all squat
ting about the doorstep, and evidently ex-
pecting every minute to hear that the end
had come 'Hollo, my man, said l to the
oASSt1b 10y a ishA Va Va " aiV y Ou o'iO IA
Arnitt's boysr Yes, sir, we're all his'n,
he piped out oh are your | said, think.
ing Arnitt may well look as hungry as he
generally does And how is your father
this afternoonF Very bad, sir-mortal
bad-aS bad's he can be- the youngster
pired out in reply. An the dorctor . says
if father lives till morning, there'll be some
'opes; but il he don't live till morning. he
won't have no 'opes at all"
Lord Archie laughed outright, and Mar,
Gus Oxford continued: But | don't be-
lieve Arnitt will live till morning, poor
chap; and if not, what dis wife will do with
all those youngsters is rather hard qus;-
tom
Yes; decent fellow, Arnitt; l had him
with my horses for a time. Pity ne married
without waiting for leave, its such drag
on man, unless the wife happens to have
some business of her own. She was d
circu'-rider, and ripping smart girl, too.
| remember seeing ner the year joinel /.
She had a pretty little face aui pretty
| little figure too, and a lot of light crinkiing
fair hair that seemed to wave all over her
head in shining tiscki of light never saw
| such jolly hair.
"She'i pretty little woman now" Mar.
Gus Oxford remarked, "WeHI'
ave were all more or les, gone on her,
Lord Archie continued "fhe little favor.
tie. we used to cal her Her circus name
wa Maiemoiselle Favoritn-her own, ID
kNowsl However none Of the fellows could
make any impression upon her whatever
not the very smallest, AMI one afternoon
about & o'clock, | ME. her going down Il
the circus with Arlitt-and then | knew
why. And, sure enough, very shortly after
that sine AMI Arnitt got married II he'd
put in for leave, ami waitel till he got it
which he would have done, they might hav,
got on very wolf; but he married hel
straight out of hand, and there they have
| stuck ever since. Aruitt ought to have got
on, but he's gentlemau-a Varsity mar
too; but he's been unlucky, unlucky al
roun1.'
You don't moan it." Oxford cried, ii
| huge surprise, "thao he's - gentleman-an>
Varsity manr
"Oh, but | do, though an Oxford man
| rememoerei his face distinctly as "a MAJ
of Braz nose when | was at PauPS, but fo
the very life | couldn't then, ami have he vel
been able since to PUT a nam to it. AnC
yet almost fancy-and think Of it everl
time | get fair look at him-that lvt
seen the face with tuft above it,
"A fulfil you don't mean it, Oxford criel
"YeS, do get back 10 certain point
AMI then | seem to come to dead wall
which blocks me cDmpletely.'
"Why don't you ask BIN outrightr
Il did hint at it cnce. One Of tue horse
.i, ! 4 e
with him; and one afternoon | was watch
ing Arnitt put handaye on. when the con-
viction that | hal known him before cam,
upon me stronger than ever 'Thi, is no
the first time you and ! have had to do witt
horse together, Arnitt,' said to bin. Fl
looied no at NE quickly, fash of lool
as if | might be n detective who had heai
tracking him fer years aud had hunted bin
down at last For Cod. sake, don't. m,
lorl,' lie said, all in a hurry; its no MS
pretending that | was once a. AN under
grad at ETazsnose, / put in: when, poo
begger, lie gave such crlnging shiver tina
felt sure I'd put my hand ON an opeI
wouRi, and wished / had Let him alOn,
| i want TO forget all that, M
lord; | sunk that life and every
thing connected with it long since h
sail, desperately. j wouldn't have ioine,
the Black Horse if III ever guessed yo,
would have been gazetted to it. On, it,
all right. Pll not remind you of it again
Arnitt,' | told biin; for, OF course, didn'
want to make his burden any heavier 70
him to carry. l knew his face, but eoul
not remember Lis name, and should not tr,
to tini out. Only l said 4 do remembe
perfectly well That you didn't call me I'm,
lord" in the Oh days 4 don't talk abou
the Old days, he burst out Il forfeitel al
that made them worth having aud ca
bear it; but don't remind me of them
you know what pity is-Ion't.' Soot cours
told him | wouldn't AMI no more lid
never triel to find him out, but pye oftel
thought about it. and tried to fix the nam
| knew belonged to the face, bus | neve
could; it has always elujed my memor
| Just as n dream often does. Yes, there is
queer story at the back of Arnitr hard life
| know that Well, l must be gettiu:
along by"
"By-by," returned Oxford, and went o
bis way, won iering much about the tor
10 rad just heard. Meantime Lord Archi
Welt further along the street, and turne
in ut an arch way between two Of the litt
featureless houses, which brought him int
the stable-yard. He just cat an eye owe
the animals. and then inquired of the grooi
which was Arnitt's houe.
The man pointed i5 out, and Lord Arch
crossed the narrow, ill-pavel liLto stree
and knocked softly on the panel OF the don
1t was opened by the pretty, fair-hairs
wife, who looked worn to death, an ha
baby in her arms; two older chiiirca We
little mors than infants clung to her skirt
and the bigger oass stood in the back -groun
looking shyly on.
"G1od-jay, Mrs. Arnitt How is You
husbandp lie asked
"Oh, my lori, he's very ILL.," she answere
with quivering lips AMI eyes brimmn
over, not because she bad bsen wsepin
much, bat because the sympathetic ton
went straight to her heart, and made
culver like a harp swept By a strong hen1
.hs's very i'll, indsel; and DIR. Grange
scarcely gives me any hope at ALL"
@Who's attending to himl Have you z,
nurse Or anybody to help your Lor
Archie inquired.
"Ye., my lord; Mr. Oxford sent one in q
soon as ever he heard Arnitt was ill--ver
i'll, that is. But he will never get over /
| m Lori nd has, ,v,s,