Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-30

E14:..C.9: =
God help him if eper L act his ycit0lO
| throat bctlUeen these ten fingers !"
TEARS that made it all sound worse.
Peggy asked him what he meant to do.
He meant to die, but not of the lash
1.-THE rope. He meant to hang as he
should have hung the year before. If
only he had, If only he had! But at
Hast he recognized the fate reserved for
him by Providence he blasphemed, so
now he would meet il halfway. He
was sorry he had not done so long ago.
He was sorry he had not driven a knife
through Nat in the very beginning.
But it was never too late to kill and
die. 1t was only too late to die with
a whole skin. And again his sObs and
blasphemies were horrible to hear. Yet
Peggy listened patiently and gradually
soothed him with a tender, tolerant,
womanly word here and there. so that
at last he looked at her through his
tears-for he was utterly unnamed
and asked her out of pure curiosity
what he had done to make such an
enemy of Mr. Nat.
Peggy resumed her cheerful manner
can don't We know" said she. mask
ing trembling lip with smile. lis 1t
no notion We have at all?'
None whatever
"Arrah, Tom, It's in love ye are en-
tirely!'
At these words. which took him cru
I, lnr Ii Il
= of wounded glare that was their con
{ firmation, whereupon she forced gig
gle and asked him whom he supposed
, Nat had suspected him of being in
love with.
Torn YEARLY gave it up.
BE thiukin' q minute said Peggy
L self consciously.
!, Not you. was it?'
Peggy nodded.
But what NONSENSE" he exclaimed.
: can it was all that" said Peggy.
l 81 mean we never saw each other.
And was that all he had against me?'
"No; there was little more than
that"
She hesitated.
y "What?' he asked.
more OF u1S nOHSellSe' lutll, lOI he
e thought was as bad as you"
"Idiotr'
"Idiut. indeed" said Peggy sadly.
when we hadn't exchanged dozen
u words
l. Not a dozen? Not many dozens per-
u haps, for up to tonight Peggy had
= them every one 10y heart. She was not
e so sure that she would be able to re-
II member all they were saying now; she
III was not so sure that she should want
II to- But she steeled herself to answer
1t cheerfully. And he guessed nothing
= then. for to speak of love was still TO
I think of Claire, and to think of Claire
IL was to pray that never IN this life or
another might she know or dream
nc what had befallen him that day. But
even with the prayer in his heart he
remembered there was no God to hear
j., 1t and was retracing his steps in this
blind alley of despair when Peggy
III took his hand and flashed suggestion
rs before his mind.
NJ. Why should he go back to the farm
at ALTO be bullied and beaten tc
- death or desperation in a cruel and
" unequal war? He told her In reply
what he calmly proposed to do, ant
,r. her blood ran cold to hear him; thel
&c common sense came to her aid, ant
-, she showed him the folly rather thar
70 the wickedness of his diabolical plans
= He listened sullenly, but said he cOul,
not answer for himself after this an,
pretended to take less than he reall.
did to the suggestion that he Shoul,
run away there and then. According
w to Peggy, there was not another min
ne ute to lose.
Tom wanted to know where he wa
l1 to run to, but he began feeling abou
~ for his shirt. Peggy found it for hin
- and noticed, with pang of instinctiv
III jealousy. as the blanket fell apart il
lift his movements mvsterious some
eS thing that he wore next his breast lik
u a scapula. 1t was sewn up in oiled sill
Ell which glistened in the feeble light, an
ar in the bitter intuition that this pre-
ng cious possession was packet of tru
lei loves letters she made him ask hi
rs questions twice.
20 Peggy then told him he must run du
u.s. east for the sea, for it was but thirt
ey miles from there and she had goo
dy mind to run with him, since they wer
going to turn her into government
so without fail. This che said with
uf- laugh, but he made no answer. Hi
ed face was drawn with pain at ever
movement. 1t reminded Peggy Of som
nd scraps Of cotton WOO, that she ha
brought for him TO nut next his lace,