Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-21
/ couldn't eat-I Just lived

me right down couldn't eat--I just lived
on brandy and strong coffee. l never was as
strong as Samson"
.Well-here / am at last, !" he began again,
after lying still few minutes. When be-
gan meant to tell you about a woman OF
course there was more than one. never
could resist pair of bright eyes, and they
didn't resist me much either. But not one
Of them would have stood by me through
thick and thin, nor did care for any one of
them long. There was Spanish girl in
Mexico who would have enjoyed running a
knife through me: but New York was too
far away.
''There is a girl, though-God knows how
l came to find her--who made life seem like
different thing She isn't much over TWEEN
ty, but she's wise enough for forty. Talk
about what you will, she always has some
thing to say-something that puts things in
new light And you can't forget it; you
go away and it keeps on saying itself in your
head.
AZ don't say that she cared about mel
never pretended that she did. ! know she
was sorry, that's ALL She saw straight down
to the bottom of my heart, and if there was a
spark of honor there it famed up. l told her
just how l had been knocked about the world
and that | knew was of no more account
than a handful of chaff but she kept saying,
1T isn't too late OF course | knew it was
| knew | should never amount to anything
| hated TO work. didn't start right Pm 81
years old. But she always said-so softly,
too-It isn't too late 1t sent me into a
lawyers Office finally. We had some foreign
correspondence and | made myself useful;
did know how to read. | haven't lived in
libraries for nothing. Perhaps, after all,
could pick up somethingl It's the unex-
pected that happens-who knowsP l said to
myself Gay. | never was so light hearted
in my life. Perhaps should be somebody
''She went home finally. They live in Gin
cinnati. Her mother said mustn't write to
her; but next spring-well, | meant TO so out
there. The cat can look at the king, you
know But then l got this cough | had a
light overcoat. IL looked all right, but there
wasn't any warmth in it. And it was So in
formally cold. was checking Off my debts
She said one day: Il never trust man who
is reckless about money matters That
struck home | can tell you. 1t set me 10
thinking, and | made a list of everything |
owed | used to get up in the night and
strike light when | remembered one that
wasn't down. | meant to pay every cent
Every penny / could scrape went for that.
You wouldn't believe how long | could live
on n V. took receipt every time, and
put them all in an envelope with her initials
on it, l thought maybe l would show them
TO her some day. Its in my Shakespeare
now-at that sonnet-she'll know There are
| some books of mine, and this ring-when I'm
cold you take it off and put it up. You will,
won't youi There's good soul! The man
who gets her anght TO make something of
himself. He won't be snuffed out like tai
low candle"
Then he stopped and held his fingers on the
ring. IN write down the name o-morrow y
says he; Pm alive yet" And with that he
gave little sigh like and turned little
more on his SIDE, He was all tired out, and
| was glad when he dropped off.
But Lord bless youl in the morning we
found he was gone
| saw his sister; she came finally She
was slim, high strung little body, dressed
all in black She looked and looked at him,
and after a while she stopped over and began
to take the ring of his finger. tried then
! to find out about the folks in Cincinnati
She had eyes little like his She looked
me straight in the face as keen could be.
mo, we haven't any friends in Cincin-
natl, says she.
Land He hadn't never told her But I've
wondered, sometimes, if that girl ever knew
what became of him.-Mrs. D. II. R. Good
ale in The Independent.