Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-18
BY CHARLES ]. BELLAMY.
CHAPTER Ill.
AN UNWILLING GUEST.

Imup tnoughL lnlnSS were gong u httlo
too far, and as be walked along with his UNI
desirable host he began to plan escapes.
Up on the hill 20 his left he could see, now
and then, between the houses, his own home
and the lights in its window streaming well
come 10 him The tense mood relaxed in
him, old habits Of thought and association
mndo themselves felt again; the poor man
walking heavily by his side seemed a thou
sand miles removed from him.
'Here we are said Graves as he led the
mill owners son up a couple Of rickety look
ing steps TO a doorway. Philip was not
pleased at all; he had seen enough poverty
tonight; he did not care 90 particulaIize.
What was the use Of distressing himself over
this mans private miseries and discomfortsf
Wasn't IL written in all the books Of political
economy that-but Graves opened the door
and waited for his unwilling guest to go in
before him The poor mans heart was warm
in the unwontcd exercise Of hospitality.
With an ungracious frown on his face
Philip entered the dimly lighted room, his
great boots sounding with startling effect on
the bare floor. The top heavy kerosene lamp
was turned down, but with the heartiness of
a true host, Graves turned up the lamp so
that Philip could look about him There was
little enough to see-a round pine table with
a little blue, cracked crokery on it, II rusty
cooking stove, two or three dingy, implanted
chairs, a high backed rocking chair, with
faded, shapeless chintZ cushion, and what
seemed to be a sofa in one corner.
At first Philip thought the room had been
unoccupiel, but as Graves turned up the
lamp trifle more he saw it was n woman
lying upon the soia--a woman with sunken
black eyes and wan, colorles- cheeks, whose
loosely bound hair, gray before Is time, fell
down over her shoulders.
''The woman is sick, or she'd get up and
speak to you" said Graves, with u new gem
tleness in his voice, as he looked at the wife
of his youth. "They say she might get well
if we could pay doctors bills. Ell, Jenniet"
The girl who stood in the doorway had her
mothers eyes, not quite large enough, but
with rare sheen in them; it might be her
mothers face, too, but with the bloom of
perfect health tightening up its olive.
Involuntarily he rose to his feet and
bowed, but as the girl only seemed to regard
him as one might look at circus tumbler,
Philip relapsed into his seat, in the humilia-
ton beauty can put upon the greatest of us.
"Nothin' but cold potatoesl Well, 1 guess
they'll do with a little salt and piece Of
bread"
"Did Curran speak?" asked the girl.
''Yes,n answered Philip. "And who is he
IA cvnnnon laborerRn Then he bit his lip.
But nobody TOOK effense, no one suspected
their guest Of being anything above a com
mon laborer.
"Only a laborer," answered tffsy-os. "a
weaver, but he's got some book knowledge
somehow. There amt many can beat him
at talldn, is thereG'
The girls eyes were on Philip now, impa-
tient, as he fancied, even for his poor tribute
to her lovers praise.
HE is wonderful" he assented, "but what
don't understand is, that he can be such a
man and still u weaver. Where did he learn
it allg'
"Have you got enough to eat? Well,
knowledge has got pretty well through all
classes now, for those as wants it. It's there
for all who have eyes or ears for it, Why,
friend, where have you been oil your life!
Brains and hearts don't go by station. I've
found smarter men in shops and mills than
most we send to congress. There's thousands
like Curran, if they only got the stirrin' he's
had some way. Now, Jane, it's about tins
you got this mans bed ready"
Philips heart jumped. OF course he
couldn't stay, but what excuse could he give
for coming at ALL them
"Be you lookin' for a job?" asked Graves,
after his daughter had left them.
1t occurred to Philip that he had one, if he
wanted ito put one spark of happiness
into such lives as these, but he nodded The
man looked him over rather disparagingly.
"Well, wash yourself up and black your
boots a bit, and 1 guess can do somethin'
for you in the mill. It's hard work and
small pay, but we never had better, you and
me. We don't well know what we miss bein'
poor we miss it such a big ways"
show long has Curran lived here" asked
Philip incoherently. The man stared at him
a moment.
"Oh! Curran, he amt been here more'n a
six month. He aint got no folks; he lives
down to one of them factory boardin' houses,
but don't have no friends, or talk about any
thin but what you heard tonight. But it's
all useless" Graves looked gloomily on the
floor. 1--WE amt got no show; the rich are
too many for us. guess it's human nature
for one man to boss the crowd, or it wouldn't
a always been SO. There's the girl, she'll
show you where to sleep. Be up early in the
mornin', now.n
The only course for him seemed to be to
follow the girl, and Philip rose to his feet.
"Good night,n he said. The sick woman
opened her eyes in surprise. Such people as
they found no time for amenities in their
dreary home. Graves looked around.
"What9 Oh, yes, goodby, but I'm goin' to
see you in the mornin'."
His bedroom, on which the roof encroached
greedily, was newly whitewashed or else was
seldom used His lamp sat on wooden
chair with no back to it, crowded by tin
wash basin, with his portion of water half
filling it, and a round black ball of soap.
Then Philip turned to look at the bed they
had made for him on Stat bedstead with
low headboard but not SO low as the thin
pillow. How many times must anybody
double the pillow to make it fit for his head3
For a Counterpart was the girls plaid shawl;
he had seen it on nail down stairs. Poor
little girl, she would want it very early in
the morning. Then he glanced in the eight
by ten looking glass that hung on the white
wall. pisgpisedl his own father would not
have known him, and he had sensation of
double consciousness as he saw his own re-
Election. Perhaps Graves was disguised too,
u the i'll dressed men he had seen that
(, who suffered as much in their
ed lives as he could, who could
all that frightened his own life
much. And clothes made the
qnce between him and them, apparent
Sapsreally. The world managed ac-
l6the clothes standard-for the man
~ borrow a broadcloth suit, COM
Iteration, happiness-for the man
), weary days, cherries houses,
bah. Phillip pulled off his
Near and threw them angrily across
did not know what TO make of
t3F- RepaiTiL
ropose to spend the night here,
the family and his job in
morning, but he might as
u the house was asleep and
NSsible. But he could not
Stea1@Hi.' g go'1 he tn faas s1a Of sP his
makes such good use
hAEand the ball of soap
ASK vour looked in the little