Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-06-08
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
The Falling of Lucy."-By C1arissa Mackie.
Copyrighted. 1908. by Associated Literary Press

ElwoOd craned his neck as the train
drew in at the little station. Yes, here
was the low, red brick structure, from
either end of which the road Swound
away between the young oaks. now
showing a faint misty brown in the
late April sunshine.
With a sudden impulse he arose and
grasped his hat and grip. In another
instant he stood before the station
house, while the train screamed away
through the wooded tunnel of oaks.
He looked around at the familiar
scene, slightly bewildered at the result
of his impulsiye action. He had left
New York with the intention of spend
ing the week end with friends at
Shrimp Cove, but the familiar scenes
through which the train had sped and
which marked milestones in his mem
DRY had reused within him depths Of
feeling that he thought could not now
exist.
Evading the puzzled glance of the
station agent, he turned down the
right hand road. Ultimately it-would
take him to the village hostelry. Incl
dentally it would lead him over old
paths and permit his fancy to revel in
banished dreams.
He plodded through the thick yei-
low sand with eager eyes on the bud
ding hedges. Gratefully he inhaled the
delicate spring odors that seemed to
emanate from the golden afternoon
sunshine.
He paused, once beside a foaming
spring where sweetfiag was shooting
green blades from the black, ooZy
mud, and again in the Honeyspot road.
where arbutus chung to the steep
banks and the pink pouch of the moe
casin flower sprang from the lichened
tree stumps. Each time he removed
his hat and stood with painfully knit
ted brow and reflective eyes. Then he
moved on.
The village hotel was under new
management, and he passed unchal-
Ienged by old acquaintance. He
strolled down the irregular street after
the evening meal was over and in the
spring twilight revisited old haunts
and revived old memories until his
mind was chaos of rage with him.
self and grief for the unattainable.
The next morning when clamOring
bells rang out from the white painted
| churches and the quiet streets were
gay with the Easter finery of the vii
| lage bellies Elwood made his way to q
quaint old edifice tucked away on the
shore road, so that when he was seated
| in a familiar place he could see the
white sails in the harbor and the thin
drift of smoke from passing steamers
| on the sound.
The gathering congregation looked
curiously at the dignified. middle aged
stranger who sat in the old Elwood
pew, but he maintained an attitude OF
| motionless rigidity, with eyes fixed
steadily on the ripping water beyond
| the window. He was listening with
| painful eagerness for a light step.
1t came. He heard the swish of silk
| and the soft slip of her feet as she
assembled the steps Of the chancel and
| took her place among the assembled
choir. In his eyes mind he could see
her, cool and pale, with fiaxen hair and
dark blue eyes.
| There would be little change In hei
appearance after fifteen years Hei
fair skin might have faded a little
and her slimness might have become
angularity, but there would be no 9th
er visible alteration. Still, he could
not look.
Two women rustled into the seat be
hind him and yconversed In kissing
whispers that reached his ear with an
noying distinctness.
Lucy Clifford's got on her blue fou
lard silk, amt sheY'
"Yes! wonder if she's going to sin,
today?" -