Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-06

"a tons beyond and behind It's
ncighbor on either side. And
the arbOr was. so to speak, in the bot
ties neck. There was no getting to-
the meadow without passing within Il
yard or two of its rustic portal.
There was. however, n shallow shrub
berry down either wall of the original
garden. and whSl Daintree had been
alone about 4 minute the laurels on his
left began Il risky rustic in the still
evening air. Luckily he was already
in too deep Il contemplation of his last
and angriest wound to hear aught but
the girls voice and his own still ring
Ing through the arbOr. But as for
Claire. one moment she held her
breath in hOrrid certainty that he, had
heard: in another she was satisfied
that he had not and had forgotten his
existence the next. Indeed, by the
time she looked upon the meadow.
asleep beneath its soft gray coverlet of
dew, the wide world contained but one
live man, and he was ut the gate upon
the farther side.
Yet was he? Around the meadow
ran a gravel path, upon which she
thought her feet battered loud enough
for all the world to hear Then she
cropped the key in reaching it from its
accustomed crevice. and it rang upon
the gravel. and in her nervousness she
was an age fumblinG Mt the lock Yet
no sound of hers brought word of
greeting from the other side. He had
not come. As she pulled the gate
open she felt certain of il: and then
beheld and heard him, advancing
shyly through the sibilant grass. with
some white thing in his hand and a
young moon just risen over Primrose
hill.
"Tom," she cried softly. you are
come! oh, thank God! l have kept
you
The words failed upon her parted
lips. He stood askancc before her.
shamefaCed and never noticing her
tremulous. outstrptched hands. His
own held out to her folded note.
Read that" he said hoarsely. 81
am only here because had not money
for the stamp"
A great chill struck to the girls loyal
heart. 1t was the doubt that had kept
her awake. now doubt no more. Her
trembling ceased. She turned her back
on Erickson and read by the moonlight
the candid words that he had written
in st. James park.
my own poor bOy." she whispered
through her tears. ''Oh, thank heaven
you had no money for those stamps!"
Claire" he gasped, falling back, ''do
not speak to me like that! | am not
worthy. You don't understand. You
should go your way and never think of
me again"
"There is somebody else" said the
girl calmly.
Hush he said h0arsely. at is not
that. love you, my darling-ah. God
knows how truly now, Yet 1 have
come to contemplate grief. l have
been everything that's bad"
He groaned. She said nothing, but
caught his hand and pressed it.
'Oh. Claire" he cried. lit was mad
ness, 1 think. l was mad at leaving
you and Old England perhaps forever.
And the ship wouldn't sail, Claire; the
ship wouldn't sail, When went to the
office, thinking | had about three days
they told me she would be three weeks
/ walked out of that office swearing
I'd find some other, but all | found
was the road to the bad. Drink anC
dice and cards! You asked me to tel
you all. | tell you all | can. | tell il
you TO set you against me and make
you hate me forever That is the kind
est thing. Claire. Claire why dom