Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-14
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Sections Habit.
IOriginal.1

tS~@~~N~
girl to keep her company and Pol
lock shared in her wish.
Pollock had "A habit of stepping to his
door every night before going TO bed
to take look at his church, not that
he expected to see anything unusual
it was a mere matter of habit His
wife told him that it was Il habit and
begged him to break ii up. He gath
cred his resolution for an effort to do so.
This effort took place one night In
November. At 10 O'Clock Pollock put
out the lights in the house and went to
bed. This was only the beginning OF
it. No sleep came to him, and he
tossed about struggling with desire
to get up, go to the door and look at
the church, after which he knew he
would go back to bed and to sleep.
1t was near o'clock in the morning
before he gave way; then, rising, he
went to the door opened 1t, looked ut
the church and was about to turn
when he saw or thought he saw a
flash of light at one of the windows.
Putting on his clothes and taking his
lantern and the key to a door opening
gloomy pile, now dark within, though
lighted dimly without by n waning
moon. Opening the door, he entered
and, passing through an arch, stood on
the chancel steps with his lantern be-
hind him, that it might not interfere
with his vision, and peered at the
pews, aisles, unrestricted, at those
things with peculiar names that go to
make up the interior of a church.
Seen at that hour, by the faintest
glimmer of moonlight shining through
the windows. nothing could have been
more uninviting. Even a sexton may
have feeling, and old Pollock, although
he had seen the sight many times be-
fore, remarked to himself that he would
rather be opening n grave by daylight
than standing there gazing over a sea
Of emptiness. But. not seeing anything
unusual. he was about to take his de-
parture when he heard u fumbling at
the great front door lock. Not wishing
to be seen, he blew out his light and
got into one OF the choir pews. where
he could watch any one entering the
church.
Sure enough. the big door opened and
scratch and flash of a match and the
lighting of a candle. BY its faint flame
Pollock saw man enter the church,
leading shrinking girl up the center
aisle, who shuddered at every step. The
pair came nearly to the chancel, where
the man waited, listening for n sound.
while the girl sat in front pew, her
face buried in her hands. They were
evidently expecting to meet some one.
Then the clock in the tower struck ..
A moment later Pollock saw n light
moving in the guild rooms and present
ly n man dressed in the vestments of
clergyman came in. holding I'm his hand
n small lamp. The man before the
chancel met him at the rail and whis-
pered something to him. Then he turn
ed To the girl.
"Grace, dear" he said. 'this Is the
Rev. Mr.. Hartshorne. rector of this
church. He will marry us"
From this moment Pollock saw
through what was on foot as well as If
lie were intimately acquainted with the
parties. He had served as sexton with
Or. Hartshorne for twenty years and
knew full well that the man before him
was about to be ruined by mock mar
riage-
But what was he to do? He was an
old man incapable of overcoming these
two rascals and did not think that to
appear and accuse them would be of
any avail. At any rate he did not dare
try it for fear of bodily injury. The
girl was almost dragged to the altar.
There was light enough for Pollock to
see that the man was well dressed
while the girl was in the garb of the
poorer classes. The mock clergyman
began the service and had reached the
words, "Grace. Will you have this
man when Pollock gave a groan that
echoed through the church with all the
despair of one suffering from melan-
cholia insanity.
The groom and the mock clergyman
looked at each other with startled faces.
The bride had to be supported
go on" said the groom under his
teeth with an oath, and, after consider
able urging, the service proceeded.
"Do you, Grace, have this man
There was another groan, this time
down in the body of the church, for
Pollock had slipped around by side
passage and got in among the pews.
The pretended clergyman dropped his
book.
You'll burn for thisv' came a voice
from a still different direction.
By this time the groom had lost his
nerve as well as the clergyman and,
picking up the bride, who had tainted,
hurried down the aisle with her.
drop herr roared a sepulchral voice.
The girl was dropped In the aisle and
the men frantically made for the door.
Pollock, fearing they might gather cour-
age to return, picked up the girl and
carried her out of the vestry door and
to his house.
Lena Bruce remained with the old
couple till they died. they believing that
Providence had caused the sexton to
take his resolution on that very night
and break II after midnight for the