Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-18
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
Pau1's Scarab. Anna Munson.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated Literary Press.

effort to evade a marriage with Kat
Finger.
With this promise Paul had to rest
content. but 1t was with little of the
elation which had marked his coming
that he took his departure. 1t was
plain to be seen that the professor
cared more for the advancement of his
collection than he did for his daught-
ters happiness, or, more correctly, he
convinced himself that the two inter
ests We're identical. In. the eyes of
Professor Cation, a man who did not
care for scarabs was no man at all
| and not fit to marry his daughter.
His only interest in Paul lay in the
| latter's possession of the odd scarab,
| the like of which he had not seen be-
| fore in his vast experience. He was
| shocked at the careless fashion in
which Paul carried it about in his
waistcoat pocket. and when. just be
| fore the. younger mans departure, he
| found the precious scarab on the stairs
he told himself that it served Paul
right If he lost the treasure
At the moment he had no thought of
retaining it. but when Paul, missing
the scarab. made inquiry the profess
or, why he would not say, denied hav.
ing seen ii. and the mischief was done
He told himself that he would pretend
to find it before Paul left, but now
Paul was gone and the scarab still re
posed in the private compartment o.
the professors safe, while the finder
went about with heavy sense OF
guilt.
Not by any chance would it be pos
sible now to find" the missing treas
ure. and the impulse for momen
had made him thief.
The thought gave him an odd Senst
OF anger. He blamed not alone him
self but Paul. whose carelesSness ha,
made the theft possible. At first ~
had argued that it served Paul right
but now the tiny scarab had grown I,
the weight of a milestone about Iii
neck.
He did not dare take it out ant
place it in his collection. He did no
even dare TO look at it himself les
Lena. coming in suddenly, as was he
wont, should discover him with III
evidence of guilt in his hand
The evil he had done proved upo:
his health. He suddenly grew very oil
and feeble, and his enthusiasm for hi
collection waned. The thought that hi
hobby had made of him thief wa
bitter indeed, and in the long Silenc
| Of he, h., L.;
bed and cursed the day he had see
the scarab on the stairs.
Paul had taken his loss as a Sigh
thing and after casual inquiry ha
let the matter drop, but the profeSso
knew how priceless was the find, an
the thought that he had betrayed til
confidence of Il guest was an additions
source of pain to the sensitive old MAJ
At last his condition became so gray
that Lena was alarmed. The professo
would not consent to see Il physician
He knew well enough that no medic;
man could bring him relief, and as
last resource Lena wrote Paul askin
him to come and see them. Alread
Paul had gained a reputation as sp,
go to see physician the only thing I
be done was to bring the specialist I
him.
She said, nothing of Pauls visit I
her father. and she arranged wit
Paul to pretend that he had droppe
off over one train to pay short visi
They met only at the table, and Paul
first glance told him that his host ws
laboring under some great ment
strain and that nothing could be dol
until that strain was relieved. Wit
the idea of diverting the professor
attention from his cares he brougl
; out scarab.
: AT the sight of it the professor ha
: rose from the table and uttered
, hoarse cry of surprise. The scarab W.
the exact duplicate .of the one in Il