Rock Island Argus., 1904-10-06
DAILY SHORT STORY
HOW HE PASSED THEM.
iI'rigiEall J

tCrigiUall
'When poverty coU.cs in at the door,
Tom. love flies oat Of the window"
1T shouldn't. Molly"
But it docs. II YOU had plenty Of
money III low" sou .s l did when I
married y,G. Ect now. shaving as l
do
1t isn't 50 much that, Molly; it's
seeing other women enjoying the splcn-
dor of wealth"
NO matter what's the cause, my
minds made up
Tom Beverly made no reply. He
knew that "a willful woman must
have her own way" One day few
months after this interview he came
home to find her gone. She left note
saying that she had no fault to find
with him except that his poverty made
life a burden To them both. He wrote
her that he regretted her inability to
take comfort with him in homcly
way; that he was not dog in
manger," and if she found al oppor-
tunity to marry n fortune he would
not stand in her way.
Mrs. Beverly was an attractive wOm-
an and soon found just such an op-
portunity as her husband had referred
to. She wrote Beverly asking if he
would stand by his word and help her
get divorce. Beverly, who had vain
ly hoped his course would bring her
back to him, was much disappointed
but lie kept his promise and signed a
paper confeSsing TO a number Of sins
any one of which would turn any wife
against him. Mrs. Beverly got her di-
vorce and became Mrs. Willard. She
had married Beverly for love; Willard
she married for money.
The first time Beverly saw his for
mer wife after their separation he WAS
trudginG along on foot from business.
She was riding with her second hus-
band in Il glittering equipage with
both coachman and footman. The
sight gave the deserted man a shock
His philosophy was all gone ont of
him. Still he was too generous to
grudge the couple their wealth. But
he was human enough to wish to sur
pass them in their own luxuries. He
then and there made Il resolve that he
would one day drive by the couple in
more resplendent carriage and horses
than they possessed.
Beverly was still a young man. He
had been laying the foundation for his
business, drawing Il niggardly sum for
living expenses, often making nothing.
and when he made anything above eX-
penseS leaving it in his business for
capital. 1t was this that had tired
out his wife. The first year after she
left him he made fine unexpected
profit. This put him on his feet. and.
following his resolve. he expanded his
business and made money rapidly. In
five years he was rich man, and in
five years more he was more than a
millionaire.
Meanwhile Willard, who was dar-
ing speculator. was getting on the
wrong side of the cotton market, and
his fortune was melting away. Bev-
erly had been too poor to move in the
same set with him and his wife and
consequently had not kept track of
them by the time Beverly had accu-
mulated sufficient means to live as
they did Willard had lost everything
and retired with his wife to n dingy
cottage in the suburbs. Consequently
Beverly did not even hear OF their al
tered circumstances.
One day Beverly was trying q new
pair Of horses he had purchased They
were high steppers, their harness was
gold mounted, and on the rear seat of
the sparkling drag behind them sat
two Hveried lackeys with folded arms.
Beverly came upon the last carriage Of
funeral procession. He was obliged
TO check his restiye horses for awhile;
but, coming TO n point where the road
widened, he pushed on beside the
train. Passing the mOurners' carriage.
a woman in widows weeds sat look
ing out OF the half drawn curtain.
Beverly glanced aside and in the mel
Gncholy face saw for only q moment
the features OF his former wife
For ten years he had struggled to be
able 10 pass her and the man who had
supplantCd him with a finer equipage
than theirs. Alas for human triunphs.
When they come they Yither. The