Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-26
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
The Egg Stea1er.
By Arthur ouiIler-couch.

DrotnerS boat CRATE on the narrow
beach below the garden and set the
knives and glasses straight while she
listened for the rattle of the garden
gate.
When he entered the kitchen and
hitched his hat upon the peg against
the wall, he did not appear to want
any welcome from her. He was a
long jawed man OF siXty-fve, she 4
long jawed woman of sixty-one, and
they understood each other, having
kept this small and desolate farm to-
gether for twenty years-since their
fathers death.
"Who dye reckon / ran against to-
day down in Troy?'
Miss Marty said that she had not an
idea.
"Why. that fellow Amos Trudgeon,"
he went on.
"YesT'
"'Pears to me you disremembers en-
son OF Old Jane Trudgeon that used
to live cross the water, him that stole
our eggs long back, when father was
Twin"
81 remember"
81 thought you must. Why, you gave
evidence. to be sure. Be dashed. now
I come to mind, If you wasn't the first
to wake us up an say you heard a
man cryin' out down 'pon the mudP'
'Iss, was"
AN saved his life. though you did
get en- two months in Jail by 1t. Up TO
armpits he was an not two minutes
to live when we hauled en- out an
found he'd been stealin' our eggs. He
inquired after you today"
"Did hep
Elbows Miss Marty? says he. Age
in rapidly says /. The nerve that
some folks haveI IT'S an old tale after
all. that feat o. his" ...
1.-TWO an forty year. come 18th o.
July next. Did he say any more?"
Wanted TO know If you was mar
ried."
"Ohy'
Job laid down knife and fork with
the edges resting on his plate and
looked at his sister. Before he could
speak she broke out again:
''He was my lover"
Marty
81 swear to you, Job. here across this
table, he was my lover. an l ruined
en-. He was the only man, 'cept you
an father, that ever kissed me, an
betrayed en-. An what's more. he
made me-"
Mar
Don't hinder me, Job; it's truth I'm
tellin'. His people were n low lot, an
fatherd have hided me If he'd know.
But we used to meet in the orchard
most every night. Amos 'ud row
across In his boat an back agen."
$50 on"
"WelI. the last night he came over
twas low tide. / was waitin' for en-
in the orchard. an he would have me
tell father an you, an i wouldn't j
reckon we Quarreled over it so long his
boat got left high in the mud. Any
ways, he left me in wrath. an l stood
there by the gate in the dark longin'
for en- to come back. But the time
went on, an 1 didn't hear his cars
pullIn' away, though listenin' with all
my ears.
AN then / heard terrible sound.
low sort o. breathin', but fierce, an
somethin' worse-a suck-suckin' o. the
mud below-an' ran down. There he
was, above his knees In it. half way
between firm ground an his boat. For
all his fightin' he heard me an wills
pers out o. the dark:
Little girl, it's got me. Hushl
Don't shout!
"'Can't you get outY I whispered
back.
"'No, I'm afraid
"TIl run an call father an job
"'Hush! Be you mazed? Do you
want to let 'em know?
"'But it'll kill you, dear, won't It?
"'Likely it WILL said he. Then after
n while o. battlin' with it he whispers
agen: Little girl, don't want to die.
Death is a cold end. But reckon we
can manage to save me an your name
as well. Run up to the henhouse an
bring me as many eggs as you can
find. an don't ax questions. Be quick.
I can keep up for awhile
81 didn't know what he meant, but
ran for my life. could tell pretty
well how to find dozen or more in the
dark by gropin' about an in three min
utes had gathered 'em in the lap o. my
dress an run down agen. 1 could just
spy him-a dark blot out on the mud.
"How manyP he asked, his voice
hoarse as a rocks.
"'About a DOZEN
"HToss 'em here. Don't come too
near, an shy careful, SOS can catch.
QuickP
81 stepped down pretty near to the
brim o. the mud an tossed 'em out to
en-. Three fell short in my hurry, but
the rest he got hold o. somehow.
"'That's right. They'll think egg
stenlin' material to a low family like
our'n. Now back to your room, I'M
dress an cry out, sayin' there's a man
for help down pom the mud.
When you wave your candle twice in
the window. I'll shout like a Trojan
"An' did 1t, Job, for the cruelty in
a fearful woman passes knowledge.
An you rescued en-. an he went to
Jail, for he said twas the only way,
an his mother took it as quite reas'n-