Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-27
DAILY. STOR
A QUICK CURE.
TOriginal.1

| live through the day. For year she
had been an inmate of st. Luke's hos
pital. gradually growing worse till at
last she had been given up by the
house physician, and now he pronounc-
ed the end very near.
Has she any relativesw asked the
physician.
''She's married and has children"
'Well, notify the husband"
Now, it so happened that Pat Mo
Ginnis, having to work hard all day.
with no one to take care of four young
children during his absence. had called
in comely young woman for house
keeper and nurse. 1t was not long be-
fore Miss Mulcahy, who occupied the
position, had drawn a promise from
Pat that after his wife's death he
would marry her. Mrs. McGinnis was
well acquainted with Miss Mulcahy,
but did not know that she had been
installed in her place as housekeeper
and had been promised that when it
should be possible she would be in
stalled as wife and stepmother. Pat in
his visits to the hospital had been
warned by the doctor not to say any
thing to his wife calculated to worry
her. Since this accorded very we'll
with his inclnations, he had refrai ed
from doing so.
On the day Pat was summoned TO
the bedside of his dying wife he had
taken half holiday to go shopping
with Miss Mulcahy, who. it having
been reported to her that Mrs. Nc
Ginnis could not last long, was quiet
~ picking up trousseau. He took his
conditional fiancee with him to the hos
pital to wait in the reception room
while he bid his wife n last farewell
after which they were to continue
their shopping Mrs. McGinniS was
lying in 4 ward ON the ground floor,
from which she had fine view of the
approach to the hospital. She saw her
husband coming in with Miss Null
cahy, and it was a revelation to her.
A man. whose intuitions in such mat
tiers are sluggish, would likely have died
before the revelation had broken in on
his stupid brain. Not so Mrs. McGin-
mis-.
The story of her husbands reia-
tions with Miss Mulcahy was not only
as plain to her the moment she saw
them coming in together as it has been
recorded here, but great deal palmer.
Indeed, her mind shot out little radia-
tions OF intelligence. giving her minute
pictures which have been necessarily
omitted in this bald statement of facts.
When Pat entered the ward and was
conducted to the bedside of his wife
his face wore a very solemn aspect.
Nor was it assumed. Mrs. McGinnis
was the mother of his children and
had been q good wife to him till dis
ease deprived him and them of her at
tention. Indeed, he felt so deeply that
it was not easy TO open a conversa-
ton. She spared him the trouble.
There were n fash in her eyes and Il
drawing down at the corners of her
mouth not at all becoming to one
about to enter paradise. Instead of |
lying on her back she raised herself |
and supported herself by an elbow.
pat" she said, Eyer a good man. ;
Y n.ver lied to me. Now tell me |
who's been tendin' the childer'?"
81 got Mary Mulcahy to do it."
'And who's goin' to do it when I'm |
gomez
Il suppose she'll stay on
what v been dom with her this
afternoon?'
Pat started
Don't lie to me, Pat. Y niver did
it. and y niver'll do it unless some
woman persuades Y. What y been |
doin'?'
MARY was doin' some shoppin'."
"And what's Mary's shoppin' to
you?"
Pat stood stolidly silent. His eyes
rolled everywhere; his tongue moved
not
by think the banns III be published
next Sunday?" asked his wife.
Still Pat was silent. His thoughts
were tumultuous.
"And the weddin' the day after the
last banns?'
Pat signified his distress by changing
the leg that supported the principal
part of his weight.
Have y said anything about this at
confession?"
'Niver a word. But how did y
know t all?'
Pat, you go right out and sind that
woman away and don't y let her go
back to my place. Tell her Oi'll be
there the night meseP."
''Howly motherp' exclaimed Pat
crossing himself
"Sind her away / say
Pat went out and told Miss Mulcahy |
that his wife had gained a supernatu-
raj knowledge of their intention, warn
ing her not to go to his house, since
his wife had threatened to be there in
/
hasty departure, and Pat compelled his
rebellious legs to take him back to his
legitimate partner.
Has she gomez asked Mrs. McGin-
mis-.
Eyes"
"Now, go get hack
ssTTOt tho Inra -, hooxva,, Dr;1rrof |