Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-01

n win green SplOtS ana trac-
EExSnNt ings for slough and stream.
gs<sY The distant ranges were
gray. The sky showed the misty blue
of the dog days. Far off to the north
and west black streaks edged the hori-
zon, where smoke rolled up from prai-
rie fires.
Brannon was quiet TO the point of
lethargy. Guard was mounted and
daily dress parade held tremendously.
The trumpet blew it's unvarying round
of commands. There was no hunting
and no field duty beyond the scouting
of the eastern shore. The hoarse sa-
lutte of an upward plying steamer rOus-
ed the garrison to life one morning
but the interruption lasted barely half
an hour. Then the steamer. her pilot
house screened by sheet iron and her
decks a-swarm with infantry, rounded
a bend in the river and went coughing
away out of sight. Once again inter
est conferred at the size of the pony cor
raj, where a platform was slowly
building.
\ Life at the shack was even less
eventfuI. For Dallas it was n season
of idleness. The pumpkins and the
melons were swelling. The tasseleG
corn wanted weeks before it would
ripen. The field and garden We're free
of weeds, With no work to do. alone
except for her sister, the elder girl had
ample time to worry
Marylyn saw that she was dispirited
and increased in tenderness toward
her, following her about with eyes
that entreated yet We're not sad. AT
breakfast she spitted the choicest cuts
for Dallas. In the noon heat. she was
at her elbow with dipper of ginger
beer; at supper coaxed the elder girls
failing appetite by offerings of tasty
stew, white flour dumplings and pone
AS for herself. Marylyn needed neither
urging nor tidbits. She ate heartily
Her sleep was rest for both body
and mind. Every afternoon she stroll
ed across the bend to the cottonwoods
The butterflies Jared besiee her. Over
head between sun and earth hung lie.
gions of grassh0ppers like a haze
Underfoot bluebell and sunfiower nod
ded. And the grove was place fol
dreams.
And Dallas-was a wild thing that
cannot tell of its wound
She uttered no complaint even Il
Simon. The outburst that followed
Lounsbury's return was her first and
last. She questioned now if her suf
fering justified a lament. In this she
resembled her mother. A woman com
~ %~r u ~,
remarked wonderingly that Mrs. Ian
caster gave mary a whimper." The
latter looked up with smile. Il dom
think I'm sick enough" she said. 10Th
err people worse off have a right t,
groan." Dallas, certain that Mary
lyn's heartache was the keener, would
not be behindhand In restraint, an(
her sisters happiness, forethought an(
desire to please all drove the thrust O
penitence to the hilt and turned tn,
knife in that secret wound.
She found no solace Ia Marylyn'
friends of the calico covers. He
thoughts were too tempestuous for that
They were like milling cattle. AROUND
and around they tore, mingling anC
warning but stilling in the end to fol
,sw the only course-self denial. One
SO rebellious, she was growing meek a
last-meek and full of contrition. Sh,
was coming to dwell more. too, on tn
lessons that the evangelist had laugh
her. She was coming to thinkfof lean
ing where David Bond had leaned
she who had always been q prop.
There was the old terror that hal
stalked beside her down to her moth
er's death. She had fought her wa,
with it, and the conflict had given he
strength There was the jealousy tina