Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-16
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
My Aristocratic
y = Roommate.


manner born. She had the loveliest
| eyes / ever saw in n woman and the
softest musical voice. She selected one
of my prettirst hats, and when it was
set properly on the waves of her shin
ing chestnut hair the effect was splen-
did.
a month later she came to me again.
but for another purpose. There was a
worried look in her beautiful eyes. and
she kept CHANGING out OF the window
anxiously.
where do you liver she asked.
'ln a room up stairs"
"Alone:"
Yes"
Il have lost a great deal of money.
want TO come aud live with you and
learn your business"
l was greatly astonished at such a
request; but. seeing that she was in
earnest, showed her TO my room.
Lend me one OF your dresses" she
said.
did so, and she put it on.
IF you will come down into the shop
with me- said. It'll o'clock. we will
get something TO eat. and in the even
ing will give you your first lesson
"Oh, no. l will stay here till you
return. | couldn't face people in the
shop. l would be sure to meet some of
my old friends. l will work on the
hats here. but | could not think of APP
pearing i'm the shop"
left her i'll my room. and i'm the
evening we made hats together. She
was an app pupil and got on very fast.
At times IL would occur TO me that TO
take a stranger for Il roommate was
injudicious. but / knew she was n lady,
and before we got into bed she sank on
her knees and said her prayers. From
that moment | ceased TO trouble my
self about her. Indeed. my lonely room
seemed to have lost its loneliness. She
was n great help to me in caring for
the room. in preparing food and in max
ing hats. or, rather. in trimming them,
for the body of the hats always pnr-
chased. The only thing outside the
room that she appeared 10 look to with
interest was the daily paper. which as
soon as she came TO me. at her request.
l ordered left ut our door every morn
ing. She would always take it up
eagerly and scan the headings. 1t was
several days after her coming that /
noticed her cease work 10 scan and
read an article, holding her breath As
soon as could get the paper l ran my
eye over the page that bad moved her
and saw brief notice that the wife
OF n wealthy man had been specializing
i'm stocks. had purloined trust funds
from her husband and had disappeared
TO avoid arrest. No names were given.
/ knew now whom | harbored. New
ertheIess pitied her. She was still to
me the lovely lady. / could readily I'M
derstand her sufferings since she had
been with me and wondered how she
could have borne herself so wen.
pictured her agonized husband. her
poor children. How could she have
been tempted? i did not tell her that
knew what had brought her to me.
1 treated her even more kindly, cOnsid-
erately, il that were possible, than be-
fore.
She had certainly selected safe hid
ing place. Every day expected to see
a uniformed policeman come into the
shop or hear his tap on my chamber
door. but the days passed into weeks.
and no one came. while every day my
roommate became more dear to me.
l had posted several letters for her,
but no answer had ever come. One
day she asked me to post one. and the
next day she waylaid the postman in
the hall and received letter in return.
She tore off the envelope eagerly. in
deed so eagerly that it fell to the floor.
and l saw that it had been addressed
70. A., CHI haA lna
note she put her arms about me and
burst into tears. which knew by in
tuition were tears of relief.
cts all settled" she said.
What's settled?'
"OlIr good name is saved. Give me
my clothes. l will go from here in an
hour. and you must go with me. You
Shall live with me, have the care OF
my dear children. be my companion.
You shall enjoy home. comforts, ev-,
erythiDg you require"
few minutes before 10 O'Clock,
dressed in the costume she had worn
when she came to me. she was in my
shop looking at hats like any other
customer At 10 o'clock carriage
drove up to the door. and after giving
me her address and making an APP
pointment for me to be with her the
next evening she went out and was
driven away.
The next evening l went to her, and
she told me her story. Her husband
had been specializing and had lost mon
ey. Having q great deal OF property,
he had temporarily used trust funds.
knowing that as soon as he could sell
his proDerfy he could replace the
amount taken. Meanwhile IL arrested
for embezzlement he would lose his
good name and the affair would be
much complicated. If he went into
hiding. he could not attend to his at
fairs personally. His wife executed
papers which made her the criminal
and disappeared The husband worked
constantly till lie sold sufficient prop