Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-21
mother, laosuidly, "but I can't talk any


seeing nothing that had not worn itself into
her very soul years ago. the vague woman
| instinct stirred in her and she moved about
the house arranging things. She found a
| little map that hung in the sitting room a
little awry and Strengthened il. II was a
dingy map of China that had come once with
a pound Of tea, and she wanted to throw it
away, but the wall looked too bare without
anything She took down couple OF ugly
/ little gift chromos her father had placed on
the mantelpece and tore them up in disgust.
There seemed nothing else 10 do, there was
| SO little to arrange. She wasn't so sure but IL
was better in the mill-perhaps it was a
blessing the poor were kept so many hours in
! its grim walls, where at least there was but
! little chance to think. What was there TO
| long for in such homes and such leisure as
thisl
She stepped to the closet and tool, out
well thumbod book and sat down. She turn
| cd two or three pages, and then counted how
many times she had read them before, and
she felt sick with the foolish hopes and
dreams tho oft read book had used 10 wake i'll
her.
She laid it away with sigh and picked up
an old newspaper. How slow the forenoon
went.
She read down the advertising columns
! all for sale Somebody must have the money
to buy them or the stores wouldn't he run
ming. Where was it ala Did anybody work
any harder for it than her father and hersefl
Jane Graves opened her little pocketbook and
| shook it over the table; but it was as empty
as the day she bought it,
Then there came n Light tap on the street
door. This must DO the gentleman, - this
tall, elegant figure in a checked summer suit;
and he actually lifted his hat to her
''My name is Ellingsworth."
He needn't have told her; he had figured
in the girls fancy for years as the very i'm
personation of rank and wealth.
81 called about a maid. Mr. Graves gave
me leave to speak with his daughter. Is she
inn
81 suppose am the one. WIN you come
inf"
She watched him as he crossed the room to
the nearest chair. How much lighter he
| walked than she could; and one might have
thought from his Inconsistencies that he had
been used to just such a miserable room as
this all his life. He showed no surprise at
her being the prospective maid servant; no
doubt he knew it all the time, and the way
he spoke was only part of his good man.
ners But then she could not imagine his
showing surprise at anything.
There will be but little to do" Mr.. FL
lingsworth continued, looking at her face and
not seeming to see how ill she was dressed.
There is only my daughter; you may have
seen her, yes' and myself. The wages will
be small, y and he named them and smiled
apologetically, as if he expected her to de-
cline your father spoke to me as if you
did not like the factories
Out at service; well, why not? Could it be
any more degrading than the life she livedl
and such wages, too Why, she could dress
quite prettily then; and her girlish heart
huttered. And she could leave ugly things
and rude people, and breathe perfumes and
have only graceful surroundings; what mat
ter if they were not hersl
She would be lifted right up in the very
atmosphere she longed for. Yesterday she
had envied the Ellingsworths, tomorrow she
could share their beautiful life with them.
Why not?
She lifted her bright eyes to his fare It
was in half profile at this moment, and she
could see his hair was just touched with gray.
How could men in this world ever grow oldl
He was smooth shaved, showing in full effect
the delicate, cynical curve Of his thin lip and
the clearly defined outlines of his chin. He
must have been very oddly affected by the
poverty pictured so Enthusiastically about him;
but there was not the smallest sign Of it on
his well bred face.
81 will 60, she said abruptly; "when do
you want mef'
81 shall be away for fortnight" he said,
rising, with his own admirable smile. "You
can come when | retuInn
She rose too, but could think of nothing
proper to say. But how poverty stricken she
would look in her factory clothes. Her
spirits had fallen already.
"By the way,n Mr. Ellingsworth turned as
If sudden business item had struck him. 1t
was a peculiar eXpressionless monotone he
used sometimes when on delicate subjects
that seemed to have as little personal quality
as printed page. 81 always pay in advance;
be kind enough to accept your first months
wages and our bargain will be closed"
The girl found herself alone, looking at the
crisp, fresh looking bank bills he had placed
in her hands "How thoughtful these rich
people are They have time for it, | sup
pose.n
Her wardrobe was very simple There
hung over the back Of the chair the dull
check of u merino, chosen long ago to endure
the most service with the least show of it.
On the bureau before the mirror was paper
box holding discarded ribbon or two, pink
or cardinal, and two or three pieces of cheap
jewelry the girl was too proud to wear
at won't take me long to pack, she said
aloud.
She suddenly took a pretty attitude Of lis
tening. She had closed the door into the
sick chamber in n moment more and stood in
the middle of the sitting room when Curran
came in.
"Why, you don't look very sick, Jennie. I
have to walk to Lockout by o'clock, but
thought would look in just II minute"
81 am going to leave the mill" How pre-
occupied he seemed tonight. II am going to
foil
with beating heart. He might not like her
now plan, and at the very thought of, his dis
approval she felt all her bright hopes taking
to themselves wings; and the old dreary pic
ture of factory gates and soiIed calico dresses
came back.
"Going away, little girlT' He seemed to
speak with a slight effort, as if his mind was
not on what he said "Well, suppose you
can't be any worse of, but We shall miss
you.n
And was that all no had to say when he
thought she was going forever out Of his life
had he no reproaches for heri
81 am not going far" she began hurriedly.
"There would be no use going far" He
had seated himself on the other side Of the
table from her, and rested his face on his
hand. sit is just the same everywhere. |
Wherever there are thousand souls ten will |
grind the rest. l don't suppose the rich |
mean to be so unjust, not all of them; they |
don't stop to notice that they are getting all |
the good things in the world. 1t never oc-
ours to them to wonder why the great earth |
seems to produce only for them"
Jane Graves sat back in her chair, her |
hands crossed in her lap. Why didn't he |
talk about her just lttlel She looked up |
at his absorbed face wistfully.
"Why, Jennie, sometimes l get 50 tired |
trying to stand up against it all, so sick Of |
my own heartache, that l can make nobody |
share with me" He had riseH to his feet and |
was walking modify across the room. That |
very night he must pour out all the precious |