Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-05


chaos of heartbreaking misery and fes-
tering vice as seen through the portals
of the Sunlight mission.
Marian rose impulsively.
women 60 there. toto see-do
they not?'
"Oh, yes"
"Then I'D like to go with you. I've
never been in the slums. Let rs all 90.
We can easily get there in an hour. "
And the eagerness in her voice was con.
tasious.
81 wish you would, with all my
heartr - Mark exclaimed.
Stunning was very fashionable last
season." said Mrs. ventnor approving
~. at would be odd.'
But Hugh objected.
Really you would not enjoy an ad-
venture of this sort To read about these
things is very different from seeing
them. Don't go.''
Nonsense. In dark cloth gowns we'll
just creep quietly about looking on.
You know you advised me to see all
sides Of life And Marian faced him
fully with saucy lifting of her chin.
but there is one side that belongs
to silence"
mo, there's nothing more whole
some than Northumberland bare,
hideous, painful, like an excellent tonic
with an ugly taste. So you must come,
DR.. Larremore, rs we shall have to rely
ON your protection coming home, since
Mr.. Thorne does not return. And you,
Mrs. Larremore? At the risk of having
your sensibilities Jared, will you be one
Of us:''
"Oh, yes, of course.
'As if she'd let him go alone, whis-
pered Mrs. Ventnor as they went up the
stairs together, giving Marian an amused
glance.
A hurry to catch the train, the neces-
sity of standing on the ferryboat, creak-
ing from its weight of passengers, the
journey across town, took away the first
flavor of the escapade for Mrs. Ventnor
She became cross and Mrs. Larremore
sleepy. Hugh, under this dual influence,
remained sunk in an apathy he made no
effort to resist.
Sometimes his eyes sought Marian 6
as she chatted in her sunniest way with
Mark
There was a strangeness about her
tonight, probably due to the somber, Sc
verely made gown she wore and close
| fitting dark hat, under which her face
shone like a flower. She was more vi
vacious, too, in her dainty, high bred
| way, than he had ever seen her, as il
she had determined to leave haunting
impression on poor Marks heart that
might become a lasting regret in his
exile, the SOFT of cruelty every woman
| with a single good feature finds irresisti-
BILE.
| They left the car at a portion Of the
city that was once the aristocratic nu-
cleus. But the houses that in the thir-
ties were KnickerbOcker mansions were
now sented out in foul lodgings, with
the signs of Italian GLACIERS and Chinese
laundrymen cheek by jowl.
Their way lay along the Bowery fol
a few blocks. 1t was brilliant with thu
cheap brilliancy of dime museums ani
crystal hung ginshops. Acrowd surgei
around them that furnished specimen
from every dark corner in Europe. Their
was jangle of strange tongues in theil
ears. A composite smell of awful foul
ness came to them with every breeze
like beggar Haunting her putrid rags
Drunken sailors reeled past as if tn,
Atlantic pulsed under their feet. Score,
Of women in bedraRgled gowns will
scarlet splashes ON their cheeks staret
at them with implacable. gin solder
eyes or peered like jackals from the NOR
secretive gloom of the side streets.
Vice flared from the lighted door
ways belching blatant strains Of dane
music. Vice looked at them from tn,
old eyes Of forsaken children-hideou
vice, stripped of every false charm, he
mask OF, her garments filth, her lip
uttering pollution.
Scarcely word was spoken until tt,
mission came in sight. Marian S spright
illness had vanished. She walked b,
Marks side with curious, observin,
eyes, and at some Of the sights they en-
countered drew more closely to him
with q slight frown.
The only point Of light in the darl
street leading off the thoroughfare wa
the illuminated words outside small
red brick house:
l :.....-..---..--...... ..--...........--....
THE SUNLIGHT MISSION. /:
My peace give unto you"
'..'.....-..'......... .....................