Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-08
DAILY. STORY.
THEIR FIRST VISITOR.
[Original.1

ms 10 lAOlCAl III IL WuS
certainly not the new regime of
wealth. There We're families that had
been in comfortable circumstances for
a hundred years. some who had de-
seconded from those once prominent,
and all We're refined. Refinement nee
verify was known as an exclusive place
A wealthy soap boiler had settled there,
but after years had passed without
making any friends he moved on.
But one day little house that had
been vacant for long while was
opened. the paint retouched, shutters
repaired, broken window panes put in
and the fence set up. No one in Waiver
ly was especially interested in who
was to occupy it. for people occupying
such houses We're usually not of Il kind
to be associated with. But when Il
young couple appeared, n boy and n
girl just married, both bearing the
marks of refined parentage, some OF
the Waverlyans took notice. Those
who would scorn to visit a millionaire
soap boiler would not hesitate to take
into their hearts refined people.
But the citizens of Waverly We're
not i'll the habit of being in a hurry in
their welcomes. Time enough to call
when they had learned something
about the young couple. The husband
went into the city almost every day,
but not every day, and chen he did
go IN he often came out long before
the closing of business hours. The
wife remained at home all day. She
dressed plainly, but neatly. If she
had fine clothes she had no occasion
to show them except at church, where
she wore such costumes as We're APP
propriate. But information concerning
the young couple did not come rapid
ly. Weeks had passed before the
name, TilestOn, was generally known
The couple did not appear to wish to
be left alone. Indeed. young Mrs. Tiles
ton made several efforts to become ac-
Quainted with the ladies of her church.
But the ladies of the church did not
see why persons travelling on the same
road together to heaven should need to
camp together by the way-not that
they proposed TO exclude Mrs. Tiles
ton; they simply intended TO find out
all about her before becoming intimate
with her.
Months passed and still information
concerning the young couple fingered.
There came a vague report that let
tiers We're coming through the post
office TO them under an assumed name.
This settled the matter. There was
no further question as TO the future
social status of the so called Mr.. and
Mrs. Tileston. They were 70 be let
severely alone.
One day man with n small satchel
came out from the city and made
straight for the Tileston house. He
stayed half an hour, went away and
came again the next day, and the next,
and the next. Neither husband nor
wife was visible, and the shades in
an upstairs room We're drawn.
No one in Waverly took note of this
except an old maid who lived OPP |
posite. Though living so near the |
she had not paid any atten |
ton to them. She had an income of |
5000 q year. the remains of Il large |
fortune built up by her great-grand- |
father in the slave trade. She was Il |
De G., and the De G.'s had once been |
the social heads of society i'll the city. |
When one of the WaverlianS had pro-
posed to call on the soap boiler Miss
De G.. had held up her hands in holy |
horror and prevented the call. But
she was an old maid, and old maids
Are proverbially curious. What could
Dosite? There was but one way to find
go over and see.
Miss De G.. knocked at the door and
received no answer. The latch was
lot caught, and the door was shaken
itfully by the wind. Opening it, she
vent inside. Neither in the living
Dom, the dining room nor the kitchen
vas there a sign of a living being.
Curiosity overcame her objection to
and she went upstairs.
The Tilestons had received their first
itay. On the bed lay the wife, dead.
The husband sat in chair, his arms
IN a table and his head on his arms.
Miss De G. saw this from the head
# the stairs. Her curiosity was salts
led. She stepped back stealthily, went
nut and reported what she had seen
o one of the ladies of the church
The lady called on several other Indies,
nd the matter of taking some action
vas discussed. All those visited were
ngaged to so to lunch party, but
hey decided that it was their Chris
ian duty-after the luncheon-to go
nd see If they could do anything for
he widower.
AS they Were about to enter the
title house a carriage, the coachman
nd footman in rich livery, drove up
0 the door, and q gentleman and lady
With two children alighted and hur-
led into the house.
The visiting ladies looked at one an.
ther. Evidently their kind offices were
ot needed. Too well bred to intrude,
hey went away. This was the third