Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-19

because II am not an innocent lliall.
l am mott am not-I am not And
now leave me-leave me, l say, foI
Gods sake, Never you pity me again.
Almost from shout his voice died
down to whisper. The last words |
were hardly audible outside. But they |
were followed by Il silence so heavy
that Peggy O'Brien heard herself |
breathing and thought she must be
heard within. And then came the
sound Of light, unsteady steps retreat
ing, and nothing more-not another
sound within.
The silence appalled, Peggy. AT last,
when she could no longer bear it, she
crept over the soft sand to the mouth
of the shed and peered round the cor
ner. He was standing within as the
other woman had left him. He had
never stirred. His open hands We're
still extended In some unfinished GEES
ture. A glimmer of sunshine glanced
off the waters and pointed the cruel
contrast between the lined face and
the yellow hair thr@wn proudly back
from 1.-THE one so aged, the other so
boyish. And his eyes-they seemed
still to he pouring tenderness and
strength upon the other woman. They
never saw this one at all.
She stole away. loving him more
than ever But must not the other one
too? She had seen the same look
! had won it-but his crime made diff
| ference to her To Peggy it made
none. She neither knew nor cared
! what il was, and there lay her slight
| advantage. 1t was too slight She
loved him. but so much the other
Her love lay near to hate. She would
| sec if she could not push the other
! wom9n's nearer yet.
She reached the house. and nobody
was in the way. Lady Starkie was
writing letters in the breakfast room.
Peggy was soon listening at the other
| woman'S notwithstanding to her sObs.
She compressed her lips ana nodded
to herself with splendid confidence. At
length there fell silence, in which
| Peggy knocked and entered.
81 beg pardon. miss. but was Thomas
not in the boat shed? It's sorry L am
If sent We on FOOLS eTrand-savin'
your presence, MISS
! 'NO: he was there"
AN did he refuse yeT
"No-I-changed my mind"
GLORY be to God. miss! IT'S me-
self would let IN know t If he gave
any of his sauce to the mGsther's lady.
I'd have no more to do wild IN at all"
Claire turned pale.
You would have no more to do with
him." said she very slowly. Il don't
understand you"
"Sure an how would you? He
wouldn't be aftller telin' a lady like
you"
Telling me what, my good girlT'
She was trembling now.
HE came to the factory last week
miss. Yen niver guess why-to choose
wife"
"a wife,
AN it's me he choSe-you ask the
maSther when he comes back"
The master came back in time fol
/ lunch. He found Claire on the veran
da with white face aHd an angry
eye, loudly declaring she felt another
being.
piiI ilthll anu u" lltI siiIti "dlttI
UNANIMOUSLY for the first time HI
: could not understand 1t at all. She
: had left the boat shed with very diff
! ferent mien. What could she have
found out since then? That he haC
e purposely misled her for her owl
good? That was impossible. Yet h,
knew so wei from her proud, averte(
face that Claire had discovered some
thing fresh against him. Whateve
that discovery might be, however. i
was destined not to be her last tina
day.
They We're still at luncheon whel
Peggy burst into the room.
NAT Sullivan an the thrapsw sh,
; gasped. ITS afther Tom they are, an
1 tould IN he absconded last night
Oh, sir, say that same, for Ginger
there, too, an there's the blood In thei
eyesr'
Here was bombshell from the leas
expected quarter, at the least expectet
o time. Tom felt the blood rush to hi
face, draining his heart, but he stool
!, his ground until Daintree ordered hin
out of the way of the windows. Clair
Il sat motionless. Lady Starkie was les
:. calm. But Daintree rose up from tn
table with perfect but ostentatiou
sangfroid, and he patted Peggy on tn
u back as a party of horsemen rode +
= front of the veranda.
"Quite right, my girl" cried HI
10 ''They shall not lay finger on hin
" Never you fear. He has me at hi
IL back. and so have you" With that h
strutted through the French windows
I flourishing his napkin and quite d.
It lighted at the prospect Of a little s
multaneous display of power, gene
at osity and laudable cunning before s
s. select an audience.
"Sorry to trouble you, sir" said
he voice. but I believe you have an a
err signed convict here of the name {
&c Thomas Erickson"
"What name?' cried Lady Starkie.
lg "Hush, aunt whispered Claire.
81 have not" said Daintree.
you have not?" roared Nat Sulllva