Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-06-21
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE REV. JOHN SCOTT. .

was a trusted collector, and once
month l made a round of about hfty
customers and turned in from $1,000
to $4,000.
ON one occasion I had Il railroad jour
ney of n hundred miles To make. and L
would arrive home before O'Clock in
the evening. 1t bad always been that
way. and the watcbinan was instructed
10 let me into the office In order that l
might deposit the money in the safe.
! took glance at my fellow passen-
gers as / entered the car. and | found
no cause for suspicion. Indeed. in my
ear there were only half dozen peo-
pie. aud three OF them were women.
One VI the three men was an old man.
and | spotted him for ii clergyman Mt
once. He had II seat quite a distance
away. aud after about half an hour ]
took a second look al him. AMI he beck
oned me TO come over. He made a
place for me TO sit beside him and
opened the conversation by asking:
Young man, l want to ask you If
you are a resident Of Blankville?'
Il am, SIR / replied.
Then you can do an old man ia
vor. If you will. / am not only an old
man. but very lame 10 boot. My name
is John ScOtt-the Rev. John Scott
although | retired from active work
some years ago. l presume you are
well acquainted with your city
Fairly well. sir and / shall be glad
TO oblige you In any way ] can"
Thanks. l knew / could not be mis-
taken in you. 1t is this want TO ask:
How far is Butternut street from the
depOt2"
only two blocks away"
and about where would No. 224
beY'
Not over three blocks away" re
piled. after little thought.
That is well. The street, as l have
been told. is respectable"
"Oh. yes. The residents are mostly
working people, but il is nice street.
You don't happen to know a ma
chinist living at 224-a man named
Barrow
NO, sir"
We'll no harm done. / don't know
him. either but shall make his ac-
QuaintRnce this evening / had son
die I'm South Africa three years ago,
and this Mr.. Barrow was with him
and has written me that he can give
me full particulars. He Is to meet me
at the depot and put me up for the
night. Poor Harry! He was my only
son, sir. He went off there to seek his
fortune, and was killed by the natives.
You are not a father and you don't
know what IL means for one to lose
his only child.
l assured him of my sympathy and
as a matter OF fact 1 did feel sorry
when saw his chin quivering
"Oh. we'll, 1t is a cross l am called
upon to bear" he said after a time.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes
away. Are you a member of any
church. may ! ask"
Not as yet. sir"
But you believe in the Christian
doctrine. hope?"
II certainly do"
well, let me trust that In time you
will see your way clear to ally your
self 10 some church. Religion asks
nothing OF any man he cannot grant,
and you do not know what a cOnsola-
ton IL is in time OF trouble
l@utVi OI tOHl VI
history. and learned that he had been
great exhOrter in his time. and had
been the means Of leading thousands
into the true path. We fell TO discuss
ing Biblical questions. and | was sur
prised and pleased at the extent of bis
knowledge and the keenness OF his
arguments. ] offered to withdraw sew
eral times. thinking ] might weary
him, but he Overruled me- and so l
| rode the whole distance In his com
pany. He did not ask my business or
other impertinent questions. but seem
ed perfectly satisfied with what | told
him
When we at last reached the end of
our journey I felt II no more than
common pOiiteness TO offer my arm to
help him out of the car. He accepted
il, and when he rose up he placed a
| crutch under the other and moved
painfully along. He had already told
me that his complaint was sciatic rheu-
mstism and that he was Just now SUI
fering from a periodical attack. He
had said that Mr.. Barrow was TO meet
him. No such person was there. When
we were satisfied of this the reverend
gentleman said:
He may have made mistake about
| the time. or something has happened TO
detRin him. Would ii be asking too
much Of one who has already favored
me to ask that you walk to the corner
with me? shall he indeed grateful"
Why notl Any man would have done
SO. We set out at a slow pace. and /
afterward remembered that all the
hacks We're gone before we left the
platform. nor did | notice a policeman
about. The two blocks TO Butternut
street were occupied by lumber yards
and factories which were closed at that
hour In going block and a half we
did not meet a single person. Then we
hs tied and the Rev. Mr.. Scott said:
Il will change the crutch under the
other arm. please"
He stepped back Of me TO make the