Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-27
DAILY SHORT STORY
Efficient Go Between.
rCnnvrieht 1909. by T. c. McClure.1

copyright. 1908, by T. {. McClure.1 II
Mrs Mcguire rolIeS up her knitting
with nervous click of the needles.
"If that man don't quit hanging
round here" she muttered, "'tls in the
crazy house I'll be-"
She rose and turned her back on the
door of the outer waiting room. But
the mans face haunted her. It was
the helpless look in his eyes of one
suddenly cut loose (from the ordinary
routine of life and cast adrift which
Mrs Mcguire couklsnot forget.
She had seen it many times in the
( last few days. occasionally during the
hours when he stood,watching outward
bound passengers and more often as
he scanned the occupants of the ladies'
waiting room. In the4 WEAKNESS of his
search the vigor of middle life was
giving place to age.
"'Tis neither food nor sleep he's had
this week past" Mrs. Mcguire thought
and turned with a sudden determine
ton to speak to him.
Even as she did so he.staggered and
sat down weakly. One Ihand went out
and, grasping Il newspaper which lay
near, held it before his face. Above 1t
his eyes were fixed in a hungry gaze.
Mrs. Mcguire knew that his fsearch
was ended.
She turned slowly, follOwingithe di-
rection of his eyes, andinOticedtfor the
first time a small. pale woman sitting
with her profile towardlthe door. The
10 hos
temples was plentifully streaked with
gray. Her blue eyes held the brightness
of unshed tears. The hands, which
held q shabby gripsack on her lap,
clutched it as if it were some fast
; slipping resolve.
Mrs. Mcguire left the room and went
straight to the man who sat outside.
as that who you've been looking
fOr?" she asked quietly.
He tore his gaze away with a start
of surprise and nodded.
"Your wife,"
"Yes."
Mrs. Mcguire waited moment. Then
she ventured again:
what did she leave you forT'
Don't think-it wasn't-her fault
He stopped, choking. she thought
! had stopped loving her"
Suddenly his face began to work.
f Hester" he muttered. with cropping
: fingers, "Hester-you don't know
what the house is-without your
4 Mrs. Mcguire laid hand on his
shoulder and shook him slightly.
Look here" she demanded. ''is 1t
trying TO live without food or sleep
you've been this past weekT'
! His eyes had gone back to the quiet
= figure in the ladies' waiting room as if
p, he grudged losing sight of it even for a
i moment. His face held the look Of
i one for whom all things were ut an
= end.
4 Mrs. Mcguire left him and sauntered
slowly back to her own domain. Pres
= emily she approached the woman with
= the shabby gripsack.
i "Was it you who was asking me
a about the western trains, ma'am?" she
e inquired casually.
e mo" The woman'S eyes were
S raised in mild surprise for Il moment
$ as she shook her head.
"'Tis u more comfortable chair you
u might as well have if you've long to
!, wait" Mrs. Mcguire said civilly.
: THANK you, but it is hardly worth
) while"
Still Mrs. Mcguire fingered with such
: evident desire to do something for the
comfort of this passenger that the lat
> ter felt constrained by her kindly in
:. tent to speak again. The express for
g New York leaves at 9:35, does it not?'
!, she asked.
. Eyes, ma'am; at 9:35."
e Then Mrs. Mcguire moved away.
=, She picked up magazine and leisurely
. replaced 1t on the table, shook out
some pillows on n couch near the door
:. and slipped outside.
"'Tis to New York she's going" she
. whispered eagerly to the man who
still held the paper before his face
you've got twenty minutes. Take
= your ticket, and for the love of heaven
man, get something to eat. 'Tis fairly
. staggering We are"
What Mrs. Mcguire did not see and
never knew of took place quarter OF
an hour later when a woman, entering
the vestibule of sleeping car, swayeC
&c and lost her balance as the engine
+ backed against the train.
is For a sickening second her eye!
l. closed. Her hands went out grOpingly
TO dropping the gripsack they had held.
IN Then the arm that was as the arm Of
is youth in the strength of its love wen
+. round her. With n blessed sense Of
safety, her eyes opened and rested oil
the we'll worn edge of a familiar over
is, coat which only a few weeks befor'
er her own fingers had repaired.
f. "Hesterp'
ly In the wavering light the face of thu
u man, who through love of her and thu