Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-27
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
A Strange Cause
for Marriage,

Halt, Inere! cried AVIAN
"Im goin' down the road thar Mr.
Sojerman, an I'd like to see yoa uns
stop me. 1 tole Mag I'd see her this
mornin' an help her trim her hat"
"YOu can't pass here" said Alvan.
''Why not:"
"'Gainst orders"
I'm goin' anyway" And she stepped
| forward. Alvan planted himself in the
road before her. The girl, seeing that
he was determined, turned and disap-
pearcd in the rear among the trees.
About , O'Clock in the afternoon Al
van saw Il figure coming up the road.
and when II drew near who should ii
be but the rebellious girl of the morn
ingi
How did you get through he ask
ed. surprised.
The girl puckered up her mouth at
him. the only reply she deigned to
make.
'You can go in" he told her. ITS
only those who wish to pass out we're
ordered to stop"
"Who axed you TO go in?" she snap
ped, making n face" at him as she
tripped by. Then lie noticed how home
ly she was. She was freckled; her hair
was the same color as the frecliles and
was worn in Il pigtail down her back;
her nose was Il pug; her teeth were her
only attractive feature, being white
and regular; her eyes We're steel blue
and might have been well enough had
il not been for the spitefulness in
them. She passed on, but before max
ing bend in the road turned and look
ed at him scornfuIly. Alvan laughed
and threw her kiss. whereupOn she
clawed the air with her fingers. init
mating that she would be pleased to
scratch out his eyes.
Alvan Hart marched southwark as
far as the Tennessee river, then march
ed back to Louisville. After that he
marched to the sea and when the war
was ended marched home. Ten years
later he was business man whose in
terests lay largely in the SOUTH Hav-
ing decided To open branch in Allan
ia, he went there to establish it him
self. During his stay he made the ac-
quaintance of very attractive young
woman with Titan hair and expressive
blue eyes. He fell desperately in love
with her and married her. The day aft
err the wedding Mrs Hart was telling
of wartime incidents and recOunted the
very scene between the redheaded chit
of fifteen and the young soldier who
had stopped her while he was ON picket
duty, the redheaded chit being herself.
Hart was astonished. Could it be that
he had married that little vixen? He
concluded to conceal his own identity.
How did you 20 out through the
lines?" he asked.
There was a shallow gully near by.
L got down on my hands and knees and
crawled through it."
What made you treat the soldier so
scornfulIy:"
Natural depraVity, 1 reckon. re-
solved that if l should ever meet him
l would punish him for standing in my |
way in the road with his musllet point |
ed at me. He ought to have been
ashamed of himself" Her eyes flashed, |
and her color rose at the remembrance. |
Mrs. Hare gradually took command |
of her husband. He struggled to he |
master of the house; but, do what he
would, his wife always came out |
ahead. There was a certain persistence |
about her that wore him out. Howl
ever, she made him n very good wife, |
and he felt disposed to grin and bear il.
He feared to let her know that he was
the soldier who had stopped her in the
road lest she should reduce him still
further to subsection. However, one |
evening when they were both feeling
especially happy the husband went up
to the garnet. got his soldier boy uni
form out of n trunk, put it on, fixed his
belt and cartridge box about his waist,
not forgetting his canteen, took up his
musket and, going down stairs, stood
in the door of the sitting room with
determined look on his face and his
musket pointed at his wife.
Him.
Mrs. Hart looked up. There was no
surprise on her face. She seemed mere
ly amused.
Don't you recognize me, my dearT
Recognize you? Yes; you are my
own dear husband"
Nothing moreY'
"a very Obedient husband"
Hart began to vince. He almost re-
GREETED that be had determined to at
tempt to surprise her. However, he
was in for it and must go on.
do 1 look anything like the fellow
who stopped you in the road when you
were girl?"
"Not much. You're ten years older"
"My DEAR" he said, lowering his
musket, I'm the very man."
Mrs. Hart went on sewing without
reply.
Don't you believe me?"
Believe you? OF course do. rec
ognized you the moment met you"
"And married me?'
/
going TO her husband. put her arms
around his neck. How could. punish
you better than by marrying you:'
my love-" replied the subdued hus-
band. 81 have learned by bitter expert
ence never to contradict YOU"
"You have borne your punishment