Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-03

'.YOu know what he Is" said, shrug-
ging. THE least thing wakes him, and
you will ff..you insist on seeing him
now. 1t will be the last time, warn
you! I know what he said, and You
don't"
The doctor cursed me under his fiery
-mustache.
II shall come up during the course of
the morning" he snarled.
''And 1 shall tie up the bell," said,
"and IL it doesn't ring he'll be sleeping
still, but will not risk waking him by
coming TO the door again.
And with that / shut 1t in his face.
l was improving, as Rallies had said.
but what would it profit me If some
evil had befallen him? And now /
was prepared for the worst. A boy
came up whistling and leaving papers
on the mats. 1t was getting on for
O'Clock, aud the whisky and soda of
half past II stood untouched and stag
nant in the tumbIer. II the worst had
happened to Rallies felt that would
either never drink again or else seldom
do anything else
Meanwhile l could not even break
my fast, but roamed the fiat in a
misery not to be described, my very
linen still unchanged. my cheeks and
chin now tawny from the unwholesome
night. How long would it go on? l
wondered for time. Then / changed
my tune-how long could / endure it?
1t went on actually until the fore
noon only, but my endurance cannot
IL
every hour of 1t was an arctic night.
Yet it cannot have been much after
IL when the ring came at the bell,
which 1 had forgotten to tie up after
all. But this was not the doctor; nei-
Their, too well knew, was it the wan
derer returned. Our bell. was the pneu-
matte one that tells you if the touch
be light or heavy; the hand upon it
now was tentative and. shy.
The owner of the hand l had never
seen before. He was young and rag
ged, with one eye blank. but the other
ablaZe with some fell excitement. And
straightway he burst into low tor
rent of words, of which all knew was
that they We're italian and therefore
news of Rallies. if only l had known
the language, But dumb show might
help us somewhat, and In 1 dragged
him, though against his Will, a new
alarm in his one wild eye.
mon capite?" he cried when I had
him inside and had withstood the tor
rent
mo; I'm bothered If 1 do.' l an
swered, guessing his question from his
tone
"Yostro amico." he repeated over and
over again. and then. POGO tempo,
POGO tempo, POGO tempo!
For once in my life the classical edu-
cation of my public school days was of
real value. my pal, my pal. and no
time to be LOST" 1 translated freely
and few for my hat.
"Ecco signorem cried the fellow,
snatching the watch from my waist
coat pocket and putting one black
thumbnail on the long hand, the other
ON the mineral -. "Mezzogiorno-
POGO tempo-poco tempow And again
l seized his meaning that it was twen-
ty past IL and we must be there by II.
But where, but where? 1t was mad
dening to be summoned like this and
not to know what had happened nor
to have any means of finding out, but
my presence of mind stood by me still
II was improving by seven league
strides-and / crammed my handker-
chief between the drum and hammer
Of the bell before leaving. The doctor
could ring now till he was black in the
face, but I was not coming, and he
need not think it.
I half expected to find a hanson
waiting, but there was none, and we
had gone some distance down Earl's
Court road before we got one-in fact.
we had to run to the stand. Opposite is
the church with the clock upon it, as
everybody knows, and at sight of the
dial my companion had ,wrung his
hands. 1t was close upon the half
hour.
"PocO tempo-pochissimo!" he wall
ed. .'Bloomburee ske-warr," he then
cried to the cabman; "numerro tren-
tottop' 81
Bloomsbury square" 1 roared on
my own account; I'll show you the
house when we get, there, only drive
like be-damned!'
MY COiupdutou lay Ddck SdSpiuS III
his corner. The small glass told me
that my own face was pretty red.
"a nice show" eried-"and not
word can you tell pe. Didn't you
bring me a noteY
1 might haye known by this time
that he had not, still I went through
the pantomime of writing with my
finger on my cuff. but he shrugged and
shook his head.
"Niente." said he. una quistione di
vita, Ill vita!' ~
whats thatY snapped, my early
training come in again. SssSayi it slowly
Observation-Disclosures
Thank Italy for sthe stage instruc-
tons In the songs one. used to murder!
The fellow actually understood.
quistione-di-vita."
!"Ors mors, ehT'f shouted, and up
went the trap door over our heads.
tAvanti, avanti, ayantir' cried the
Italian, turning up hissone eyed face