Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
A REGRETTED REFUSAL.

| United States artillery, was notice
able young man. He was proud. sensi-
| tive and the soul of honor. His mother
died while he was child, but he had
never entirely recovered from her loss.
His father he had seldom seen. Wheth-
| er this was because his business neces-
STATED his absence Arnold did not
know. AT his mothers death the boy
had been placed under the care of his
fathers sister. where he had remained
till he had entered the army His ia
Their. who was rich, supplied him liber
| ally with money.
At twenty-five Lieutenant Withers.
among the visitors at Old Point Com
fort Miss Luella Thorndyke Withers.
who had given but little attention to
| the opposite sex and had been rather
| displeased than otherwise at the an
| Cling they had honored him with. gave
| way to Miss Thorndyke. 1t is said that
| opposites are usually most likely TO at
| tract. but in this case certain similar
psychological traits drew the two to-
| gether They were both conscientious.
both honorable. Miss ThOrndyke was
not sure of her heart I'm the matter and.
| fearing TO wrong the man she both adj
| mired and respected. refused him. She
| had scarcely done so before she regret
| ted her action. But if he loves me as
| he thinks he does she argued, ''he will
come again. But Withers was not
man to look back. He was IL stoical fell
| low, and not even his most intimate
friends knew of his wound.
Ten years passed Withers had be-
come a captain and was one of the
most promising officers I'm the army.
He had been sent abroad to study and
report on certain ordnance problems and
was considered an authority in his de-
partment. Nothing prevented his be-
ing a favorite socially except a dis
taste for society. Occasionally to
freshen Il too serious disposition he
would attend ball. but he seemed to
see under the polite attentions of the
revelers their real selfishnesS. so
ciety," he said, lis masquerade. the
gay costumes and engaging manners
being masks to conceal the hollowness
underneath" After an hours at
tendance he would withdraw and was
not likely to feel the need of another
social refreslnnent for,months.
thirty sixth birthday two important
events happened. He was promoted
TO be major and his father died. Dur
ing his fathers last illness the son
went to him and remained with HIM
till he died. After the funeral he re-
turned to his post, but it was plain to
all his friends that he was Il changed
man. He had inherited nearly a mil
lion dollars, but il was supposed that
this would not deter one so prominent
in his profession from remaining in the
army. Withers had no sooner return
ed than he sent his resignation TO
Washington. and soon after his brother
officers were, electrified by the news
that he was a citizen. Then ii was
surmised thatihe would take the presi-
dency of sOmetlarge corporation. What
he would do mo one knew. for he told
no one of his plans. His father had
left him Il handsome residence on the
outskirts Of a large city. There With
ers went settled himself and the world
without its walls knew him no more.
When Arnold Withers shut himself
up in his castle iLuella Thorndyke was
in Europe. The, first news she receiv
ed was that her former lover had in
herited fortune. She rather hoped
that. since she was wealthy, WitherS
might have kept away from her. feel
ing that he couH not match her for
tune, and now this objection being re-
moved he might again ask for her
hand But when she returned and
heard the rest of the story she was puZ-
Zled. There is something in the mind
of q woman for divining the troubles
of those they love-a sort of wireless
telegraphy.
Lucia was sure that Withers had re-
ceived some great blow. Now was the
time for her to comfort him. But how?
Between them flowed a stream that she
was not permitted to cross. He could |
come to her if he would. but he would
not. If she but knew that he was of |
the same mind as the night he told her |
of his love on one of the classmates of |
Fortress Monroe when the moon was |
scattering fantastic ribbons on the wa |
ter. she would have written him. But |
that was ten years ago. and how did |
she know but that he had gone into re- |
treat for another disappointment in |
love?
Assuming that he had received a |
blow-and she was sure of this-she |
felt at least permitted TO offer sympa-
thy She wrote him a friendly letter.
A reply came, thanking her 1t also |
said, among other things: when. ten
years ago, found that you could not |
return my love l felt that wedlock
would never be for me. Now that has
happened which renders this resolution
inevita able"
oh, that her answer to him had been
different! Had she become his wife
she would now be in position to COM
fort him. AS it was, his sensitiveness,
his high sense Of honor. would not per-
nit her to share his burden.
The years rolled on. Once in great