Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
From Child to Woman.
TOriginal.l


selecting some practical woman near
his own age for n wife must needs get
it into his head that he wanted Myra.
This was unfortunate, for Myra met
sailor scarcely older than herself and
made as stupid choice as Birnie. Ben
Lorton was fit for nothing except to
pull ropes when at sea and carouse
when ashore. But there was some
thing in his swagger that broke
through the thin casing surrounding
Myra's heart. and she was in terror
lest some other girl should get him.
Old Abel Leigh, her father, was of a
different mind. He knew Birnie's
worth and did not propose if he could
help it that his daughter should refuse
good man and one who was able to
make her comfortable to tie herself to
one with no better ambition than to be
foremost in "shore sprees." The result
was that BRINE led Myra to the altar
with all the accomplishments of bride
except her heart, which not even mar
riage could take away from the worth
less sailor. Birnie, since the girl con-
scented to become his wife. not only
supposed she did so willingly, but fan
cied she loved him, though how he
could have found favor in her sight
was a mystery to him.
Once married, Birnie's sterling quail
ties reasserted themselves, and he set
tied down to his daily routine in ig
norance of the fact that he had made
the mistake Of his life. At least that
is what everybody else considered 1t,
and what the world pronOunces in such
cases usually turns out TO be the truth.
But he at last came to notice that his
young wife was dragging her life out
in melancholy and during one of Ben
LOTIONS returns from sea discovered
the cause. Going to the well for water
one dark night, he heard voices and,
supposing that some one was on his
premises who had no right to be there,
listened He heard his wife tell Lor-
ton that she had always loved him and
would always love him, but that she
would always do her duty by her hus-
band.
1t seemed to the husband as II his
life had suddenly shriveled and there
was nothing left for him except q hol-
low existence. He did not care to hear
any more-Indeed if he had known he
was to spy on his wife he would have
scorned to do so-but turned and went
into the house. So self controlled was
he that until he was ready that his
wife should know of his discovery she
did not even suspect 1t.
BRINE kept his knowledge to him
self until he had found out all about
his having stepped in between the two
lovers; then he arranged to step out
from between them. He procured q
divorce. If Myra had been his daugh-
ter he could not have acted with more
tender care for her. 1t happened that
Lorton was to sail from his ships port
in the city few days after the grant
ing of the decree of divorce. BRINE
sent Myra from his home I'm his own
carriage to the church where she was
to marry Lorton, whence she was to go
with him TO the city. When he said
goodby to her at his door and saw her
driving away he watched her till she
was out of sight, then went back into
the house and, sitting down before
table, let his head fall on his arms
The light of his life had gone out. 1t
did not matter that that light was
mere chip of girl who made an idol of
n coarse sailor. Nature, which ar
ranges such matters, had decreed that
the strong man should be blighted by
this weak woman. There was not q
sound In the house, and BRINE did not
care TO hear n sound unless 1t could be
once more her soft football. He thought
of the future, the long, lonely days in
store for him, and wondered how he
could drag himself through them. But
the fullness of his agony came when he
thought Of Myra in possession of an
other.
When Birnie started up conscious of
his surroundings 1t was night. A full
moon shone directly in at his window,
filing the room with it's mellow light
The chamber door was open, and there
could he believe his senses-st standing
on the threshold arrayed in the dress
in which she had gone to her second
bridal stood Myra. A thrill of joy
shot through him, only to be followed
by an abyss of disappointment as he re-
allied that the vision must be either
hallucination or, If It were indeed
Myra, she could not be in the flesh.
Slowly, haltingIy, the figure, its out
line softened by the light that revealed
it, advanced. Brine sat staring at it
as one in a dream. 1t was indeed
Myra, and yet he was sure 1t was not
Myra. Then when near him the appa-
rition sank Mt his feet and clasped his
knees.
"Myrav'
There was no reply.
''Nfyra, 1 feel your warm hands. Do
you really live or is your ghost so like
yourselfF"
Edgar, I have passed out Of child
hood. I am a woman. 1t came to me
today, fortunately I'm time, a realiza-
ton of what was about to do. 1 turn
ed from what 1 have pined for, but
pine for no longer, and have come back
to you. Don't send me away. 1 will do
all can to correct my mistake, though
know can never be worthy of you"
And so 1t was that Edgar BRINE