Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-28
were waiting for the favored few.

Ida Clark hurriedly rinSed her hands
and slipped on her worn, dark skirt
and frayed jacket. 1t was growing too
warm for coat, but she could not af-
ford new waist just now, and there
were patches in the elbows of the old
one The jacket was at least whole save
on the edges. which now defied further
binding.
For more than year she had fol-
| lowed the regular factory routine, yet
she had never become accustomed to
| this rush and turmoil of the streets
| when the mountainous buildings sud-
denly disgorged their hordes of work
| ers into the narrow canyons below.
The hurrying armies, fighting their
way east, west, north and south, terri
| fed her, and as she found herself
| caught in the tide bound for her home
she gave little sigh of relief.
1t would be all right until the corner
was reached, when the cross current of
humanity again would be encountered
She still dreaded the impact of the hui
man tide She thought of the quiet
country lanes of home and how the
sun was now slanting across the fields.
| just turning green under the warming
sun.
/ Hers had been great hopes when she
| had left the country for the city. She
had planned to study shorthand and
i typewriting while she supported her
i self at lighter clerical work. But there
had been no office vacancies. and her
| fast vanishing funds had forced her to
have recourse TO the factory. where
| her back was soon wrenched and
strained and her fingers twisted and
tired from handling the heavy material
she forced through the speeding ma
chimes.
1t was vastly different from the ma
chine sewing at home. for the factory
exacted the utmost work from each
machine. human or iron. while sharp
eyed forewoman prowled up and down
the aisle ready to pounce upon any one
who faltered.
Ida's hands were too stiff to hold n
pencil after the days work was done.
and the dreams of advancement had to
be forgotten in the necessity of the
moment; but, though her muscles
ached and her eyes seemed to burn in
their sockets. she would not give up.
She would not so back to Carsonyile
and confess failure.
She blushed as she thought of what
going back meant. She had come to
the city because Jack Deering had
scoffed at the idea of her earning her
own way
u Some unfortunate twist of his words
had given Ida the belief that he Of
fered himself only because she was
left alone in the world, because of pity
for her condition. She was too proud
to admit her love when he did not con-
fesS his own affection.
j Deering. looking only on the practi-
cal side of the matter, had never
dreamed that he had been refused be-
cause of her belief that he did not love
her. He had supposed that of course
she knew how dearly he cared for her.
and he had not thought it necessary to
: tell the oft told tale. So he had al
} lowed her to go.
2 Ida had not lost her fresh coloring
t in spite Of her hardships. and to the
2 fear of the great masses of men and
women hoIneward bound was added
5 the dread of an encounter with one
of the human brutes who presume
, their attentions will be welcome IN
! factory girls because they, dress we'll.
More than once she had felt a hand
placed Familiarity upon her arm or had
hurried on to escape the running fire
of talk from 4 man who had dropped
into step beside her and had persisted
until a policeman came in sight.
Tonight Ida was frankly homesick.
There was something in the breath of
spring, tainted though it was by the
: reeb of pavements aud the noisome
smoke of the city.
: Back in the old days, when home
:. was home and not hole in the wall,
e when she trod green earth and not the
hard stones of the pavement, this was
the hour she liked the best, when the
g day was done and the evening shad-
e ows changed into the purple night.
: 1t was not often that Ida let herself
[ get homesick, for those who would
i work by day must not cry all the night,
v but with this subtle suggestion of
Y home in the air and in the sky the
n tears weIled into her eyes.
a The dreaded crossing, with its roar
of traffic and its rush of humanity.
: was passed successfully, and Ida did
! not notice that man turned out of
: the counter current and hurried after
ner as rapidly as he was able.
Not until a hand closed upon her
/ arm did she realize that she had been
| followed She wrenched herself loose
and hurried ahead, but second time
Z the hand fell upon her arm, and she
turned with little cry.
please let me CO." she said, while
Il the tears blinded her eyes.
t mot much" was the triumphant an
n swer. "Ive spent too much time look
=, ing for you to let you go now that 1
e have found you.''
X With quick movement of her hand
a Ida dashed the tears from her eyes
b and looked up into the laughing face.
1t was not handsome face. The sun
It had burned the skin to deep brown.
. and the brow was wrinkled by lines of