Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-04

Baptista would not suffer her eyes to turn
toward him. He did not attempt to intrude
upon her reserve, but every now and then
looked under the table and chuckled with
satisfaction at the aspect of affairs. "How
very well matched we be!n he said comfort
ably.
Next day, when the steamer came in, Bap
tista saw her husband rush down to meet it,
and soon after there appeared at her door
four tall, hipless, shoulderless girls, dwind
ling in height and size from the eldest to the
youngest, like row of Panpipes, at the head
of them standing Heddegan. He smiled
pleasantly through the gray fringe of his
whiskers and beard, and turning to the girls
said: "Now come forward and shake hands
properly with your stepmother."
Thus she made their acquaintance, and he
went out, leaving them together On exami-
| nation the poor girls turned out to be not only
plain looking, which she could have forgiven,
but to have such lamentably meager intel
lectual equipment as to be hopelessly made
quate as companions Even the eldest, al
most her own age, could only read with diff
Guilty words of two syllaDles and taste in
dress was beyond their comprehension. In
the long vista of future years she saw nothing
but dreary drudgery at her old trade without
prospect of reward.
She went about quite despairing during the
next few days-an unpromising, unfortunate
mood for woman who had not been married
six weeks From her parents she concealed
everything. They had been among the few
acquaintance of Heddegan who knew
nothing of his secret, and were indignant
enough when they saw such ready mad,
household foisted upon their only child Blu
she would not support them in their remon
strances mo, you don't yet know all, sh,
said.
Thus Baptista had sense enough to see tn
retributive fairness of this issue. For som
time, whenever conversation arose between
her and Heddegan, which was not often, sh
always said: II am miserable, and You know
it. Yet don't wish things to be otherwise.
But one day, when he asked, How do yo
like 'em nowi" her answer was unexpected
Much better than did, she said, quietly
81 may like them very much some day."
This was the beginning of summe
season for the chastened spirit of Baptist
Heddegan. She had, in truth, discovered
underneath the crust of uncouthness an
meager articulation which was due to thei
Troglodytean existence, that her unwelcome
daughters had natures that were unselfish a
most to sublimity. The harsh discipline al
; corded to their young lives before the
mothers wrong had been righted had opel
ated less to crush them than TO lift thel
,, above all personal ambition They consit
cred the world and its contents in purel
: objective way, and their own lot seemed onl
l to affect them as that of certain human b
: ings among the rest, whose troubles the
: knew rather than suffered
This was such an entirely new way
regarding life to a woman of Baptista's n
ture that her attention, from being first a
rested by it, became deeply interested
l imperceptible pulses her heart expanded
D sympathy with theirs. The sentences of h
: tragi comedy, her life, confused till NOW, b
4 came clearer daily. That in humanity,
exemplitisi by these girls there was nothiI
, to dislike, but infinitely much to pity, s.
learned with the lapse of each week in the
company. She grew TO like the girls of II
=: promising exterior, and from liking she 6
l to love them, till they formed an unexpect
q point of junction between her own and b
: husbands interests, generating sterlil
a friendship, at least, between a pair in who
existence there had threatened to be Meth
friendship nor love.
THE END