Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-10

very aBSlOCS Dy Eer SiISEcc.
No. Pat she said quietly, Il can't
share liz fortune which hes been laid up
that way. Heaven knows I'm no. soucam
ish. Hearing what l DO out hero about
trusts and corners and syndicates, and
seeing what can't help seeing of the way
the people round make their living and
still evade the law and retain respect. my
notions of morality are very easy Ind
slack. But.
But have como too fnre'
She bowed her face gravely.
And So" he said bitterly, after all
that I have gone through and all I've
done, you want me to give this fortune
up. My G d, Elsie, you know what a
hateful thing poverty is as we'll as l col
Think what this money would buy' Love
for ono another we have already, and we
can get besides every pleasure the heart
can wish for l know rs well "a yoa dc
that it wcs dirtily earned, and hated the
work of getting it, and I'll never datbie In
anything so foul again. My instincts bid
me live as an upright gentleman. and
with the income I'd dc that and forget
was ever anything else. When cease TO be
poor, cease to be in the way of temptu-
ton. Don't you see And, besides. there
is no chance Of being found out. the
money Is supposed TO he blottod out of ex-
istencc, and it's there now in tie Giades
as q priv Gte mine to dig ut as VIC choose
Besides I'm bound in honor to go en- aft
er getting thus far. 1t isn't as if wcrc
working fer my own hand alone. Shclf's
Iny partner, and can t neglect his inter
ests for sentiment.
Mr.. Shelf may do is lie chooses, Pat
You yourself Eaay DO rs yen choose. dear
but / can't alter what I've said. love
money. heaven knows, but couldn t use
money OF that sort. You might forget
how it came. 7 couldn't, ! can't forge;
come things. I've terrible memory when
i don't wan. 1t to act. tried to forget
you. Pat, ever since you lefs us in Eng
land Till the day saw you hero, but ]
couldn't. used 70 pray for forectfrlnoss
all those years and it would;l t come, and
If were to marry yoa now, dear, with
that money. l should always remember.
jus: in the Same VIZ
What is tho use Of carrying thumb
screws in your pocket lie asked half an.
gr!ly-
SEo smiled n!ittlc panied smile. Cant
help il, Pat. ! suppose its tho way l IN
built. But I'm only telling yol facts. -
Il thought, 10 said brusquoly, ''you
a steam yacht and do things comfortably
Now, without this quarter OF a million,
which Is lying ready to BE- picked up. you
have 500 year, and l have 300 which
makes ESQ in all. Now, I might point
ont TO you that one can I do much coa.ir
ucus snlasbiug among smart people on
that. il London CT anywhere else, un
less. OF course, you married some one
else''
She finished painfully. oh, Pat,'' cI,s
said, Il don't think I deserved that from
you
He dropped his arms round her and
drew her to him tenderly. No, dear, you
didn't. 1 was n brute. But its hard 70,
man TO speak sobcrly when he's jus,
had all his plans smashed to the smallest
kind of fragments and stamped upon by
the only person in the world whose opin
ion DO cares a rap about. OF course
know all this business was theft, a picc,
Of piracy pure and simple. But circum
stances elbowed me into it, and / bowed
my head to them. Circumstanccs-you
that is. and you entirely-now drag me
out of it, and I'm going to bow again and
say kismet' Only wonder what will
become of the money. l swear Shell
shan't have the whole half million and
the steamer too. But don't SEQ how w
are to give my share back to the rightfu
owners. One can't very well draw Q
check on tho Everglades and send it t.
them anonymously by post
[To BE CONTINUED