Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-12
8he Hrgus Daily Short Story
"Pengreave's Helping Hand. BY w. F. Bryan.
copyrighted, 1905
copyrighted, 1908, by II,

tie girl for q doctor"
Pengreave turned up the tiny flicker
of gas. The increased fame revealed
a dainty feminine form In a simple
tailored gown. Pengreave was con-
scious only that the girl was well dress
ed. 1t was the face that held him fas-
cinated. The features were well cut
and regular; the eyes were calm and
unafraid and of deep tender blue
that moved Pengreave strangely.
"Whefe do you live?" he demanded
The girl smiled.
Il don't live here" she explained. 'I
am visitor from the Helping Hand
| society,""
Pengreave was puzzled.
''They need charity here?" he de-
manded. 81 thought that was only
with the very poor"
'"These are the very poor" she said
simply. Don't you known
Pengreave shook his head in bewil-
derment. Twenty years he had lived
| there, and poverty had come TO be his
neighbor, but he did not know ii.
Had | known / should have given
| aid" he said quietly. IF there is need.
| come to me. The DOCTOR will pay
him. Send me his bill. am sorry for
Mrs-Mrs"-
Brady" supplied the girl. You are
very good"
Then the physician hustled in, and
Pengreave went downstairs to his
rooms. In a little while there was a
| tapping at the door, and he opened it
to discover the girl.
Mrs. Brady asked me to thank you
for your Kindness she said. 1T
pleased her so much that she almost
forgot the hurt of her burn
Pengreave smiled He could not re-
call ever having been thanked before.
He had never done anything to call for
thanks because lie did not know how.
you must come again when you
need help" he said warmly. 81 am
here always in the evenings. You have
but to ask
81 shall hold you to your promise"
she said. There is much good that
you can do. We are SO handicapped
by lack of money, and there is so
much that we want to do. You must
see for yourself the misery about you.
Good night
| She hurried down the hall, and Pen
greave waited until the street door
closed behind her before he shut his
own.
He went back into the room, his head
in a whirl. Dimly he was conscious
that the street was not the same as it
had been in his boyhood. The girl
4 r. t. a.
with her eyes, those eyes of the glori-
Gus blue.
Those eyes gave him much to think
about. He was not yet forty, and
more than half of his years had been
given to the unwavering pursuit of
business. True, there had been Lena.
but row Pengreave knew how little
Lena had really meant to him.
For the first time that he could re-
member he had met woman of his
own kind, and he felt the need of
knowing more of the life he had miss
ed. He remembered that he was still
a comparatively young man, and those
blue eyes had loosened something
within his breast-his repressed boy
hood, his unrealized need of the socf-
| | ETY. Of his fellows.
He was as one born again and. being
born, saw the world in new light.
, Methodically he removed the picture
of Lena from its tawdry frame and
tossed it upon the Goals glowing in the
; open fire. He was rather well pleased
: with the reflection in the mirror above
the mantel as he stood there.
ii Il must get some new clothes to-
, morrow" he said to the reflection;
r ''also I must find place where it is
| well to live, house such as she will
like. 1, too, need helping hand
: And the reflection in the mirror smiled
back at him. Now that Pengreave was
y awakened he knew it was well. The
4 rest would follow in due course.
| Nadrni ME L.