Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-24
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
Welcoming Wife. BY Lulu JOHNSON.
copyrighted 1905 by the Associated Literary Press)

Little Miss Merrington hurried from
the postoffice clutching tightly the
precious letter the clerk had just hand
ell her. She had not needed to glance
al the foreign stamp 10 tell that it was
from Harvey Rial. The clear. bold
handwriting of the address had told
her that before the letter had been re-
moved from the box in which it lay.
together with the local paper.
There was n flush on the kindly lit
Tie face not due to the spring breeZes,
but to the hope which had risen in
her heart. Twenty years before she
and Harvey Rial had been engaged TO
be married lovers quarrel and
pride too stubborn to confess fault had
resulted in Riafs marriage to Marga-
ret Bond
Then Miss Merrington had settled
herself uncomplainingly to life of
spinsterhood. rejoicing that her ia
theirs provision for her future did not
make it necessary for her to marry in
order to find home and taking pleas
are IN the hundred little acts of kind
HERS W liCI MISS
rington' a village institution
All too soon Rial had discovered his
error. His new idols feet had turned
to clay. Margarets tongue was as
sharp as her face was fair. and. with
stole resignation, Harvey Rial had set
lied himself TO lifelong penance for his
error
fhnlIsrllt fr,r- hi n l;ce, sp,.
rington something in common. and.
though neither ever alluded to the
matter. there was silent bond of
companionship that was none the less
sweet because it found no expression
in act or word.
Now, then. two years had passed
since Margaret had died, and Rial had
taken his son to Europe in the hope
that travel might benefit his health.
Since then letters had come by every
steamer-not the romantic epistles Of
youth. but entertaining stories of trav-
FL. infused with tender sentiment
that was implied rather than express
ed There was always the note of
longing for home. with a hint that he
wished Miss Warrington to share
home with him.
The last letter had told that Ralph
was well enough to return. and 1t was
probable that the letter she now softly
patted in her pocket would name his
date of sailing
Miss Merrington hurried into the
neat front room" and with trembling
fingers slit the cover.
i've told you all there is to tell
about London" wrote Rial. This is
just to say that I am sailing tomor-
row. We are taking ten day boat for
the sake of the sea air. and this letter
goes by one of the fiiers. And now for
the surprise l promised in my last.
am bringing home n bride. May ! not
ask you to see that the old house is
| opened and made fit to receive her?
We should be in Fairbanks five days
after you receive this. That should
give you plenty of time to prove your
self the model housekeeper. leave all
the arrangements to you. dear friend.
and l know that nothing Will be left
undone to make welcome the new Mrs.
Rial. will tell you all about it when I
arrive"
That was all. scarcely a page Of the
familicr handwriting. but the light
| died in Miss Merrington's eyes, and
the beauty of the spring day faded.
For an hour or more she sat quietly
10 her chair. the letter in her lap un-
touched. She had felt sure that when
the time came Harvey would speak the
words that should make her the hap
pest little woman in all the world,
and now he had married another. some
foreign woman whose youth and beau
ty had proved subtle attraction.
She could not altogether blame him.
She was forty. No NAH would care to
marry woman past her prime. 1t was