Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-05-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
His One Good Act
[Original.l

There was but one occasion when he
got the better of 1t, and that was when
he presumed to ask CorneIia Wads-
worth, a girl very much younger than
he, to marry him. Her reply to his
proposition was that she would not
marry a man a quarter of n century
older than herself. Upon receiving this
reply Johns victory over his modesty
was turned into a rout
Yes" he said, I'm too old for you;
altogether too old. Besides. I'm not
such a man as such a girl as you
ought to marry. You are always do
all my life having performed but one
good act"
what was thatY' asked Cornelia.
years ago when 1 lived in a
lawless community and it was neces-
sary to elect a sheriff of my county
the people, realizing that the sheriff
was likely to be killed most any day
by some desperate, cast about for the
man who could best be spared and
pitched upon me. had a good deal
Of trouble and some narrow escapes
from horse thieves and such like and
was nearly killed two or three times.
zone day q murder was committed
on farm lying out in sparsely set
tied region, and was sent to arrest
a man who was strongly suspected OF
the murder. He wasn't n murderous
looking man at all, but a peaceable
farmer with a wife and two little chill
dren. He was very much surprised,
f-Nn 1anx- iFnrp n ia
terror stricken wife and going with
me without the least resistance. In
deed, he said he would rather not live
at all than live with such an imputa-
ton resting upon him. 1 took him to
the county seat and lodged him in
Jail.
"There were some suspicious circum-
stances that pointed to him as the
murderer, but he was such a respecta-
bic appearing man and told his story
so honestly that he was acquitted.
There was man in those parts-I
always believed he owed the accused
some grudge-whO declared that II he
wasn't hanged by the county the job
would be done by a committee. The
day the trial came to Il conclusion /
learned that this fellow was in town
and an effort would be made to lynch
the prisoner as soon as he was made
free. So instead of turning him out 1
took him to my house. That night
was awakened by n hammering on my
door. and. taking my gun. raised the
sash of an upper window and asked
what was wanted. l saw n dozen men
below and knew we'll enough without
asking what they had come for. When
they told me l parleyed with them,
having sent one of my deputies ! had
kept in the house on purpose to some
of the best men in town notifying
them to come and help. l held the
lynchers till they saw persons hurry
ing from different directions. Then
they tried to batter down my door.
They couldn't do this very easily, for
l always kept bars ready and had
slipped them in place. Seeing that l
had baffied them, their leader shot at
me, giving me a wound of which l
bear the scar today. Then the party,
seeing my men gathering in large
numbers. made off for re-enforcements.
~ horse and buggy was got out OF
the barn, and. though wounded, drove
my Uldn u"dE uhhGA NONSA Va liz N~AA
ness. You see, l couldn't let any one
else do it, as 1 was sheriff No one
ever knew where 1 took the man, but
no one ever saw him in that region
again. I went out and got his family
and carried them TO where had taken
him. The reason why 1 mention this
work as n good act is because his wife
told me it was. There was little girl
in the family that 1 carried in my
arms. She looked at me kind of queer
and when 1 went away gave me hug
that I've never forgotten"
Cornelia listened to this brief mar
rative with a constantly growing inter
est. When it was finished her shining
eyes were fixed on John Gaunt. her
lips were parted, her breath came quick.
What was the name of the man you
saved?" she asked.
INSTRUMENTATION Harlow"
Miss Wadsworth continued to gaze
upon John Gaunt with an expression
TINT. had he not been n stupid fellow,
would have set his heart bounding.
You see" he continued, that you're
right not to take n man for n husband
who, besides being much too old for
you. never did but one good act in his
life, and l have always considered that
to be nothing more than any one would
have done under the circumstances"
Il think any good and brave man
would have done it." replied Cornelia.
Jest so.' said John. easily convinced
from her words that even what be had
been told by the wife of the man he
lad saved was purely emotional.
But sometimes the girl went on.
being good and brave even in the line
OF duty counts for great deal. The
world is full OF heroes and heroines,
but they don't always meet with q
merited reward. You saved a mans
life. and in saving his life you saved
his wife and children from q terrible
blow and lives of misery"
Il never happened to think of it in
that light" said John.
Heaven sometimes sends US n re
ward for doing q good act long after IL