Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-11
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Study in Courage.
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Years of observation upon brain dis
eases Ghe brain is my medical special
ty) have given me many illustrations
showing that faculties which we. have
long considered Il part of the soul are
simply the result of cerebral mechan-
Eben Roach and Chauncey Drew, pa
TENTS of mine, make n case in point,
forming as well a remarkable coinci-
dence.
Eben Roach was accounted the most
fearless young fellow in his village.
His early associates to this day re-
member the thrashing he gave Tim
Branagan, n man of far greater weight
and strength, for insulting Lucy ms
ley, and how Eben thereby won Lucy's
love. 1t did not seem to make any diff
ference to him how much danger he
encountered, except that the greater
the danger the greater the Zest with
which he faced it. He could not have
long stood up under Branagan's pom
derous blows. He simply cowed his
antagonist by his wonderful courage.
One night when Eben was returning
home after visiting his betrothed he
was struck on the head from behind
with a sandbag and robbed. After
that he was very different man. The
first any one knew of a change in him
was after it was supposed that he had
entirely recovered. He and Lucy We're
driving home from making some pur-
chases for the wedding outfit. The
horse took fright at a locomotive and
backed to the edge of a stream. Eben,
white as chalk, jumped out and left
Lucy to be precipitated into the water.
Then when she implored him to save
her from drowning he walked along
the bank, following her as she floated
down, wringing his hands, instead of
jumping in after her. Chauncey Drew,
a young lawyer, who was passing,
plunged in and pulled the girl out.
Lucy declared that it would be folly
to tie herself for life to a man who
was Incapable of protecting her. She
was at loss to understand the change
in Eben, for at that time no one real
lied that the sandbagging had any
thing to do with it. Reluctantly she
broke off with him, and he, crushed at
his want of courage. left the town.
Chauncey Drew after the episode of
saving Lucy made frequent visits to
her. She had given her heart to Eben,
and now that he had proved untitled
for a husband she could not easily turn
over the love she had borne him to an
other. However, Drew was a fine
young man, good match, and. hav-
ing offered himself, Lucy accepted
him.
Drew was a very hard worker He
ho6 @lk N,IH ~ ~ -sosa,
that he must take more rest or he
would break down. After a prolonged
case in court, which worried him great
ly and finally went against him, he did
break down. His nerves were I'M
strung, and he was more like a sick
old woman than the vigorous man he
had been.
Meanwhile Eben Roach wandered
from one place to another, accomplish
ing nothing. 1t seemed impossible for
him to get up sufficient nerve or inter-
est to carry anything through. One
day while he was passing house that
was being built brick fell and struck
him on the head. He was taken to
hospital, where it was discovered that
his skull had been fractured. 1t was
trepanned, and he recovered.
Eben had been discharged from the
hospital about a week when he heard
that his old sweetheart was betrothed
to Chauncey Drew. The scene of Lucy
floating in the water, Chauncey plung
ing in and saving her while he (Eben)
stood wringing his hands, came up be-
fore him, and he could not understand
how he could have shown such cow
ardice. The more he thought about it
and brooded over Chauncey taking his
place the more irritated he became.
Finally he determined to go back to
Lucy and make an effort to redeem
himself. Chauncey had recovered his
health. At least 1t was supposed he
had, though there had been a strain
on his system the effect of which had
not passed of. One day while he was
sitting with Lucy who should walk in
but EbenI
81 have lost your love and you by
failing to- act in an emergency. !. can