Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-21
D4IL'Y STORN y
THE RISK SHE TOOK.
TOriginal.H

Miss Brereton was a very excellent
type of the new woman. 1 say an ex-
cellent type, for Miss Btereton was
simply educated and energetic with
out being manniSh.
Miss Brereton, who was an orphan
and possessed of means in her own
right. having been graduated at col
lese. concluded to complete her edu-
cation by seeing something of the
world. One day she returned to New
York and had under her protection a
Young Indian woman dressed in the
costume she had worn in ,her native
land. The woman attracted great
deal of attention, and the immigration
commissioners asked many questions,
none of which Miss ,BreretDn answer
ed for her charge except that she
would guarantee that tive woman
should not become care to the Amer
lean people. Since this promise full
filed the law there was nothing to
be done but pass the Indian Every
body believed there was story in
the case, and there was. 1t is this:
In Il little seaport town in India OPP
posite q house in which Miss 'Brereton
was living a man died. When Miss
Brereton learned that he was an old
man and had left young wife, who,
according TO the custom of the country,
was expected to immediate herself on
her husbands funeral pyre, all the an
tagonism of an advanced American wo-
man living in the foremost files Of
time" rose up against this tragic in
justice done TO one of her sex. She
stood at her window watching the
preparations in the house opposite, her
wrath boiling and bubbling.
From this excited condition. she grad
ually curbed herself Then she gath
cred her wits, and instead of putting
her neck in Il halter openly put it there
with cunning she had never suspected
possible In herself. She sent for an
Indian costume. put ii on and, brenz-
ing her face and hands. went across the
street and asked TO be permitted to
dress the hair of the widow for the
sacrifice. Contrary to her expectation,
she had no trouble in gaining access
and found u young girl of twenty sit
ting with her hands folded, picture of
despoIdenc<.
How Miss BreretOn made herself
known TO the young widow, how she
found bits of opportunity to give her
plan and persuade her to adopt it, |
would make Il very long story. The |
widow had hope in it for herself. but
none for her preserver. At last Miss |
BreretOn carried her point and that |
night visited the widow again. Near |
midnight the first part of the plan was |
carried out The widow as Miss Brere- |
10 ~
ments; Miss Brereton remained to be |
sacrificed.
Miss Brereton had made provision, |
which might or might not be success
full, for her safety. She had sent /
statement of what she had done 10 the |
American CONSUL When the consul |
opened and Yead her communication he |
made an ejaculation that shook the |
whole house. Erratic as he knew his
countrymeH to be he had 10 idea that |
one of them would be so idiotic as to
rush thus into death, especially death
by fire.
What does the lunatic expect me
to do?" he howled. and, getting up from
his chair. he thrust his hands in his
pockets and thrashed the floor with his
strides back and forth.
Now, there would he no.story in this
case without Il bit of luck. Miss Brpre-
ton would have gone to the,funeraI pyre
and been burned, whether she declared
herself or not. and the fact might nov
er have been known. But this was not
to be. She was to live TO browbeat the
commissioners at New
I ork. While the consul was tearing
about in his office, looking out on the
harbor in which were two Chinese |
junks and Il French merchantmen, he
saw on the horizon a man-o f-war. Get |
ting his glass. he brought it to his eyes
md there, fiuttering ut The peak, were
the stars and stripes.
While the vessel was coming in a |
was forming TO take Miss
2rereton to be burned with another
dead husband. Miss Brere-
on, who kept her face well covered
md remained in the dark as far as
possible, knowing what was taking
'lace and hearing nothing from the
onSul, began TO feel that she had tax
II q risk which as her enthusiasm
Ooled and she neared maetyr's death
vas appalling. She had not realized |
hat a man representing what she con-
idered the greatest of nations single
anded was powerless to prevent sew
raj thousand people who had been
Tedded for centuries to their customs
rom carrying them out in her case.
When the chief men of the town en-
cred, led her out, placed her in posi-
ion in the line and she began to move
} the pyre with the rest, Miss Brere-
pms confidence in the protection of
er government began to wane. Her
overnment was mighty, but it was
cry far away. Not a sign of. civiliza-
on was TO be seen anywhere. The
recession threaded the main street
nd ON nr-cod on, To a Main Rofnrn hon. /