Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-05

the lear CT her first love dictated Miss
Shepherds soothing answer.
mo, dear: nothing that I do shall
ever separate you from him. You don't
think l could he so cruel and TEACHER
Gus as to do such "a thing"
The promise had n be many times re-
peated during the DAYS which followed.
Sitting alone in the softly lighted H.
hTary ono evening. n sad professional of
banIshed dreams and rememhrances
passed themselves with intrusive per-
sisterce before her backward mental
glance In final desperation she
turned the light 10 its full and took
up the leading society paper from the
table.
For n moment only her face flushed
with the light of secret pleasure. There,
IN clear but dainty typography. was the
last poem which she had written. The
next moment her expression mirrored
the changes of anger. grief. moral IT.
sentiment and Indignation and finally
betrayed o conflict Of all these i'm
pulses. She leaned back in the chair,
closed her eyes and sat motionless,
"a a. slSu VI CONSCIOUSNESS save IUt
tears that escaped from under her long.
dropping eyelashes.
The cause: AT the bottom Of the poem
was the signature Phpbe. When nj
last she arose from her le.hargy She
made a hurried examination of more
papers. There she found other Of her
poems with the same false signature at
tached. IL was little sleep or res: that
came to her eyes until she had possessed
herself Of the principal elements in her
complication Of conscience. These were
that the ambitious mother had placed
Ii poems with the various editors. lcay-
ing the latter with the well defined i'm
preston that they Were the work Of her
daughter. This impression became gen
orally communicated TO the social cir
Giles in which the Gravescs moved ard
the compliments which were brought to
the young woman were certainly not re-
PEELED. The invitations and attentions
received 10y the daughter Were fiatter-
ing and Mrs. Graves was apparently
happy in the success of her shrewd
movement.
One moment Miss Shepherd was ex-
ultant with determination to follow a
high sense Of duty and reasoned with
herself:
Yes, | must expose the whole thing.
1t Is base. dishonest, oppressive and cor
rupt. Ii Is worse than stealing. II will
be ~ awful ordeal for all. but l must
expose the wickedness of it," The next
moment she would temper her high de-
termination with the reflection. But
what abou; my promise to Phabe? To
expose that sham would be TO put IN
end to all relations between Frank Iiy-
att and the poor girl. lie would despise
her forever and her mother more than
she. All their wealth would not weigh
with his impulsive Judgment and fine
sense OF hon against such u hollow
and revolving sham, and it would crush
the child. Then Mrs. Graves bought the
poems and only the signature os
Phube was attached. just u any pm
name might have been had II not hap
pened 10 have been the given name If
her daughter"
One day, while passing the rublica-
flon Office Of the society pap, in which
the poems of Phorbe had appeared. the
impulse To GO IN, have an interview with
the editor I'M end the whole cruel struy-
gle seized her. She entered the corridor
of the building and was walking to IN.
elevator with the desperate haste Of o,,.
fearful that courage might give place tn
hesitation when n cheerful voice ex-
claimed:
"Oh. Grace! Pardon me for stopping
you. but l wish to see you for n mo
ment. Would You mind stepping over to
the Masonic temple a moment with mo.
We can have an opportunity to chat an
freedom N seclusion ON one Of thnSc
inviting benches In the corridor Of an
upper floor. That place is a perpetual
inspiration TO me. Its height seems 20
provoke in me corresponding elevation
of thought. ! do some Of my b-st think
ing on those benches, where I can peer
over the rail into the depths below"
She silently accedcd TO his suggcs-
ton.
isn't hat rs artistic rs an old fash
toned hearthside settler" he asked rs
they look seats on one Of the oak
benches. First" lie continued. Il
NdLt 10 tel you VI tnc ui>-u>tlu- trick
that the Graveses are guilty Of. You may
not know 1t, but l was u To luncheon
with the editor of Society the other d.y
and he told me that
"Yes, l know all about that inter
rupted his companion.
You do! Well, I shouldn't have
been surprised, for it's just like your
generosity and f~orbearance TO suffer a
thing like that for the sake of Others
and the fear Of injuring their feelings.
But i wouldn't have your conscience-
not for an interest in The Century Mag
Rzine or a bicycle manufactory. II sim
ply sickened me, and I've not been TO
then house since, you know.
But, Grace, that isn't n beginning
Vt what l want 10 say to you. Let me
finish now. Ever since you tied my red
scarf for me at recess that winter d.y
in the old Gray Willow schoolhousc /
have known that l loved you. But am
hilton has kept me out Of the Kingdom
Of your love. If I stay out any longer.
10 will be because you shut me ont
Then with an exultant laugh he added.
s,l x-C-1ln-r 10 .t., -