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


there was a mystery somewhere. Now / |
must go back on my own. Mind this
'twould be very awkward for you if your old |
man were to know. He's queer temper,
though he may be fond"
She knew as well as her visitor how awk- |
ward it would be, and the hush money she |
paid was heavy that day. She had, however, |
the satisfaction of watching the man to the
steamer and seeing him diminish out of sight
But Baptista perceived that the system into
which she had been led of purchasing silence
thus was one fatal to her peace Of mind, par
ticularly if it had to be continued.
Hearing no more from the glazier she
hoped the difficulty was past. But another
week only had gone by when, as she was
walking on the Hugh tthe name given to the
promenade), she met the same parsonage in
the company of a fat woman carrying
bundle.
This is the lady, my dear" he said to his
companion. This, ma'am, is my wife.
We've come to settle in this town for q time,
if so be we can find room"
"That you won't do said she. Nobody
can live here who is not privileged"
II am privileged" said the glazier, "by
my trade"
Baptista went on, but in the afternoon she
received visit from the mans wife. This
honest woman began to depict, in forcible
colors, the necessity for keeping up the con-
cealment.
Il will intercede with my husband,
ma'am,n she said He's a true man, if
rightly managed and III beg him to con-
slider your position It's very nice house
you've got here, she added, glancing round
land well worth little sacrifice TO keep it"
The unlucky Baptista STAYED off the dan
! ger on this third occasion as she had done on
the previous two. But she formed resolve
| that, If the attack were once more to be re-
| peated, she would face a revelation-worse
though that must now be than before she had
attempted to purchase silence by bribes Her
tormentors, never believing her capable Of
acting upon such an intention. came again;
but she shut the door in their faces They
retreated, muttering something, but she went
| to the back of the house, where David He'd
degan was.
She looked at him, unconscious of all
The case was serious; she knew that well !;
and all the more serious in that she liked
him better now than she had done at first
Yet, as she herself began to see, the secret
was one that was sure to disclose itself Her
name and Charles stood indelibly written in
the registers, and though only month had
passed as Yet it was wonder that his clan
destine union with her had not already been
discovered by his friends Thus squirting
herself to the inevitable, she spoke to He'd
degan:
David come in doors. have something
to tell you"
He hardly regarded her at first. She had
discerned that during the last week or two
he had seemed preoccupied, as if some pri.
vate business harassed him. She repeated
her request. He replied witha sigh, YES,
certainly, me dear
When they had reached the sitting room
and shut the door she repeated family;
David. | havt something to tell You.
have something to confess. You will hate
me for having so far deceived you; but per
haps my telling you voluntarily will make
you think a little better of me than YOU
would do otherwise"
Confession he said awakening to inter
est. "Much confession you can have to make
NEE deer, that have been in the world SC
short a time
She saw that he suspected nothing, and il
made her task the harder. But on she went
steadily. 1T is about something that hap
pened before we were married, y she said
''Indeedr'
''Not very long time before; short time
And it is about lover" she faltered
Il don't much mind that" he said mildly
''In short was in hopes twas more"
in hopesF
swell, yes
This screwed her up TO the necessary effort
II met my old sweetheart. He scorned me
child me, dared me, and went and marriec
him. We were coming straight here to tel
you all what we had done; but he wa
drowned. and l thought | wonld say nothins
about him, and married you, David, fo
the sake of peace and quietness. I've trie,
to keep it from You, but have found out
cannot There; that's the substance of il
and you can never, never forgive me, an
sure"
She spoke desperately. But the old man
instead of turning black or blue, or slayinl
her in his Indignation, jumped up from hi
chair and began TO caper around the room
in an ecstatic emotion.
"Oh happy thing! How well it turn
outI' he exclaimed, swapping his fingers owe
his head "Ha ha! the knot is cut see m
way out of my trouble-ha har'
She looked fixedly at him without Interim
a sound, till, as he still continued smilin
joyfully, she said; "Oh, what do You mean
Is it done to torment mef'
"Oh, no! Oh, NEE deer, your story help
me out of the most heart aching quandar
poor nan ever found himself inl You see
it is this; I've got a secret, too: and unles
you had one to tell, could never have see
NY way to tell minei"
What is yOurs-what is it," she asked
with altogether n new view of things.
"Well its bouncer; mine is a bouncer
SAID he, looking On the ground and wipin
his eyes
; "Not worse than miner
"Well, that depends upon how you look
it Yours had to do with the past nlone, an
!. don't mind it. You see, we've been ma
ried a month, and it don't jar upon me
:, much as it would if we'd only been married
> day or two Nov, mine refers to past, prese
and future, so that