Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-05

NelgnD0fhoOd House was Natalie'S
charity by Inheritance. Her mother
had founded it and had met the def
ciencies in its exchequer from time to
time. Natalie was not sentimental. but
her mothers pathetic anxiety about
Neighborhood House during her last
Illness had touched the girl, whose life
had been devoted to the pursuit of
pleasure.
Why Natalie should turn to the
Neighborhood House in her hour of
hurt pride only Providence could ex-
plain. To her the working girls toward
whose comfort, education and pleasure
her checks had contributed might as
well have been in Persia or China, so
little did she know them. In vague
moles who came out of their holes ut
night and blinkingly, even daily, en-
joyed such pleasure as women of her
kind provided for them
So when she came upon Maggie Con-
molly face downward in the pillow of
a coy corner on that bot June Satur-
| Gay, when all the rest of the Neighbor
| hood girls had gone picnieking, she
stood looking down upon the fearful
| one with strange, brooding eyes,
"My dear girl" she began, with that
| gentle air of patronage which is the
| refined cruelty of the rich toward the
sensitive souls among the poor what
has happened? Have you hurt your
self? Have you lose your purse?'
| Maggie was nothing if not demo-
cratic. She did lot ask Miss Natalie
Burgess who she was or what she was
doing there,
| Tom Devery's gone to the beach
with that bleach blond at the next
machine, Polly Mcguire. Get that. will
your
But you must know lots of other
young men who would be glad to take
you to the beach. | saw them hanging
on the cars like flies
Maggie, who had wiped her eyes,
now turned her scornful gaze upon her
would be comforter.
Il don't want to go with those fell
| lows. l want just 1OM-
The sudden break in her voice, the
sudden gathering OF mist over her
blue eyes. brought revelation to the
petted daughter of millions.
Il want just Tom"
1t was like an echo from the night
before.
Not that she had put 1t into words.
Not that she had so much as admitted
to herself that she wanted to see one
Thomas Witherspoon Brainard. But
suddenly, like flash of lightning
across dark landscape. she saw the
panorama of her own heart.
She wanted Tom, the other tall,
clean cut Tom, and she had always
wanted him.
What came between you and
Tom she asked
what came between us? What
comes between every girl like ME and
what she wants-trouble. Working
overtime till I'm that ugly you can't
cross your fingers at me. and the two
children sick at home, and mother TAX
ing all earn-I know she can't help
that-and me so shabby in clothes nc
man would want to take me TO the
beach. and Tom is that particular
And Polly Maguire-she can spend all
her wages on herself. She's got a new
organdie that you can see through tt
the pink silk slip. OH
"But if she's wearing that to the
beach she is dressed In very poor
taste" said Natalie severely. And Q
4 man who will forget you because youl
clothes are shabby is really not worth
fretting for"
Maggie sat up very straight.
"What do you know about wanting
clothes? l bet you've got dress fol
every day in the year, and when hs
comes you have an awful time think
ing which one he'd like best, cause
you've got so many. But when yoi
haven't one good dress to your nam'
and things go wrong at the factory
and, well, said a few things and h
r said some, and he threw me down."
For a few moments Natalie Barges