Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-26

made confidant of the storekeeper
and that the latter had seen the hope
lessness of his affection for her. /
I'm glad" she said to herself.
NOV l won't have to tell him."
Lounsbury pursued a feverish in
vestigation that day and found no one
who cared to bubble with him. From
the captain, never jealous of his dig
nifty. to the rolly poly sutler there was
q very outrush of facts. AS they came
be received them with pitchfork sharp
ness, examined them and tossed them .
aside, which led wag To remark that
the storekeeper was kin to Simon. Yet
when retreat sounded he admitted
himself hedged in by indlsputable testi-
mony. Lancaster's death was beyond
easy solving. If Matthews We're guilty
he was not the principal, only an ac
cessory. to the crime. Nevertheless
could the storekeeper have come face
to face with the interpreter that day
scores would have been settled.
To Dallas, laying the blue stem of
the swale, the hours of the morning
went slowly. Yet how warm and gold
en- they seemed. How tuneful the
birds! How cottony white the clouds
that flecked the sky. How pleasant
the long hushing sound of the scythe.
And all the while she thrilled with OK
pectancy, and the minutes hung upon
each other as if lOath to pass.
The very keenness of her joy brought
n swift revulsion. At dinner, with Ma
rylyn sitting across from her, she be-
gan to see more clearly. She realized
she had been dreaming; that for her
there was only self denial She ate
nothing, but drank her diDper t;irStily,
as if to wash away pa:ch in her
throat. Back in the swale again, the
scythe was swung less steadily, but
with more strength. so that its sharp
tip often hacked UP the ground. She
pulled her hat over her eyes, forbore
glancing toward the fort-and fought.
y thousand times she vowed she
would not meet Lounsbury that night.
To give herself a better whip hand she
| called up pictures of Marylrn- Mary
| lyn, the baby, all diInples and lisping
demands for "Dais:" MarHslyn. the
child, slender. yellow haired, pale Ma
rylyn, entering womanhooI, still de-
pendent. and in her frailty. her pen
siveness, more dear than ever before.
Then, with the sun beating upon her.
| with her temples streaming and throb-
bing under the heat and the strain,
Dallas spirit began to flag. Had she
/ not always borne Il hard load. suffered
Idiscomforts? There were the women
of the post They knew little toll or
priyation. The brunt of her mothers
loss, her fathers taking, had fallen
upon her Was she always to have
only sorrow? Now, when happiness
came her way-a happiness that an
other might not have-must she be de-
MED it? Disheartened, dizzy, she left
the swale for the shade of the nearest
| trees.
1t was the hottest part of the day,
and the life of the prairie seemed at
standstill. No breeze stirred the high
cottonwoods; the corn blades were
quiet; the birds songless: the frogs hid
Resting on the fading green, looking
out upon the silent reaches, she grew
calm Then she remembered her Sis
tiers confession. Again, in fancy, she
was leaning down in the light of a
winter fire. looking into tear stained
face She felt humiliation for her own
weakness and for thoughts diSloyal to
Marylyn
when l see him again I'll make him
promise to come and visit her." she
said. "Oh, he must! He must" At
last, renewed in spirit, she returned
bravely to her work.
But the afternoon was not without
it's tornenting thoughts. And she. who
feared no physical danger. quailed be-
fore temptation that was Overwhelm-
ing.
When the shack pointed a stubby
finger toward the east and the muies,
with Simon in tag, came trailing home
from their grazing Marylyn called her.
Near the door there waited out the
good smell of corn poue and roasting
fowl. She drew up the well bucket
hand over hand and washed in its gen.
erous leak
Within the night wind was changing
and sweetening the air. AS the youn-
ger girl hustled about the elder put on
a fresher dress and smoothed and
plated her hair. Again that strange
elation. She was almost glad.
: Supper" sang out Marylyn.
, Dallas started consciously. She was
standing at window holding before
her the brokea bit of looking glass;
: ITO be Continued).