Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-04
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
Self differentiation.
LOrIginal.1

foot OF sensitive disposition, her
deformity preyed upon her mind. At
sixteen, an age when girls come to APP
preciate the value of beauty, Esther
realized that her misshapen foot was
blight. and this so affected her that
she could see no beauty in herself
whatever.
When Esther was fifteen. there came
TO live in the little house opposite her
stately home a widow, Mrs. Wharton.
with one son, Edgar. manly fellow
of eighteen. Edgar Whartca noticed
the sweet, melancholy face of Esther
Barnes at the windows and longed for
admittance To the house: bur, realizing
thatspoverty and riches are bad com
panions. he made no effort to attain
the desired consummation. Esther, too,
noticed the young man coming and
going from his home opposite and long
ed to meet him. but the remembrance
of her deformity came in to interfere
with the carrying out of her wish
Having no means with which to Sc
cure a college education. Edgar entered
store as clerk. He soon saw that
there was no prospect of promotion
for him at home, so he went out ION
the road" After five years hard work
he had secured a valuable business.
asked for an increase of salary and
was refused. Having no capital with
which TO conduct business of Ibis
own, he was forced to 20 on selling
goods to swell the Golfers of another.
One day Edgar saw an open letter on
his mothers writing desk addressed TO
his uncle, her brother. Family letters
were common property between moth
err and son. and he read ii. The letter
contained Il request that the writer's
brother would lend Edgar $4,000 that
he might set up as u merchandise bro
ker. which Mrs. Wharton knew was
her sons desire. Edgar said nothing
TO his mother about having seen the
letter and went off on four months
trip. When he returned, his mother
gave him a kiss and 4 certificate of
deposit for $4,000, at the same time
informing him that the money was at
his disposal on condition that he make
no inquiries as To who was the lender.
Edgar, who knew his uncle to he n
singular man. made the required prom
ise When lie asked for the note TO
sign, he was told that there was no
note. Then Edgar set up In business
for himself and made money rapidly.
Five years later he bought home sim
liar to the one opposite.
When Edgar Wharton was thirty
two years old. he lost his mother. 1t
was Il great blow to him. and it seem
ed as If it would be impossible to oc-
cupy the house alone. Indeed he de-
termined TO rent it and make short
trip abroad. In cleaning out his moth
er's writing desk he came upon some
thing that surprised him. note from
Esther Barnes. 1t contained nothing
OF Importance, but Edgar was unaware
that his mother had any acquaintance
with the sweet faced woman who had
lived ''over the way" He wrote his
discovery across the face of the note
requesting permission to call upon one
who had been his mothers friend with.
out his knowledge, and sent it to Els
ther. In return he received the de-
sired permission. but so coldly and
formally stated that he determined not
to accept it. A few days later Esther
received brief note from him that he
was suddenly called away and would
not be able to avail himself of her
kind permission. The writer had sail
ed for Europe.
When Edgar returned, he had made |
Il resolve to find out the secret of his |
mothers acquaintance with Esther |
Barnes. He hunted through her pa
pers till he came upon a note from |
Esther to his mother, which read as |
Your note of thanks is received. You
must not consider yourself under obliga-
ton TO me. 1t is L who am obliged TO
you.
Edgar's curiosity now drove him to-
ignore the unsatisfactory wording of
Esther's invitation, and in half an
hour he entered the grounds he had
kept aloof from for so many years.
Esther responded to his card. entering
the room with slight limp and with so
n manner that Edgar was
Esther gave very unsatis-
factory explanation of the secret of
her acquaintance with his mother. On
the whole, the call was failure. All
he had learned was that the secret
acquaintance was made accidentally
during his absence from home.
A few days later Edgar met his I'M
,le in the street. Thinking that time
had absolved him from his promise, he
poured forth his heartfelt thanks. His
uncle denied having furnished him
with a dollar. Astonished, Edgar rush
I'd home, resolved to discover the
source of the loan, and dived into a
runk where he had seen some old
,heckbooks of his mother. After an
hours search he found the entry of a
leposit years before.
Check of Esther Barnes, $4,000.
This is not love story. At least the
owe in it is not set forth. 1t is given
o show the misfortune which may oc-
.ur in consequence of self undervalua-
ion How Esther Barnes loved Edgar
Wharton, though only seeing him; how
he learned OF his necessity from his
mother and furnished the amount I'M