Rock Island Argus., 1909-09-16

II lau been an unusually oppressive
day even for August. Every one
seemed sleepy or sleeping. Cobblers
slept with ha!f mended boots in their
laps; Italian women slept at their fruit
stands with sleeping babies at their
breasts: horses trotted conscientiousy
along in front of sleeping drivers.
In the department store where An
tona Wheaton worked the day had
been difficult. especially behind the
ribbons And. oh what Il godSend the
loud sounding bell 1T u had been, Most
of the girls in the store were city bred,
and they accepted the conditions of
August philoSophiuclly but Antona
Wheaton had come from fresh little
country town in the west. and as she
teamed from her boarding house will
dow the third floor hall room. back
Il fcw minutes before going down to
dinner ii seemed Is her that she was
locked in place of torment from
which no eScal'c was possible.
They dincd at { in Mrs. Browns
boarding house. In the half hour that
Antona had been home she had taken
sponge bath. brushed her silky. fax
on hair and changed her black alpaca
dress for simple white muslin. AS
she leaned out of the window from the
open space beside HE storage house
in the rear she could see the dust
carts roll down the streets The whisk-
ing OF their big rotary brooms remind
ed HE country bred girl of large tur-
key cubblers sweeping the earth with
diSGainf1iI. proud wings The open
space faced the west. and. resting her
little oval cheeks in her hands. Antona
could soc that the sun was doing its
best 10 set with some sort Of rightful
beauty. even in this homely downtown
section.
Where the quiet colored end of
evening Smiles
Antona was speaking Ia herself in i
rcprehensble fashion that was grow
| ing on her. trying to recall some verses
which Francis Logan had quoted tt
| her one sunset time down on the Bat
terry She had fancied she could re
member them, they were so simple ant
| lovely.
Just then Mrs. Browns cracked din
| ner bell rang.
Across the long, narrow table Fran
| els Logan glanced at Antona will
something like a lump born Of big
| protective instinct rising In his throat
| Every vcstige of fresh country ros'
| bloom had fed from the girls swee
| face. and in the intervals when sh'
| fancicd she WAS not observed th'
| young fellows alert eye noticed tha
| black lashcs rested heavily agains
! her cheek as would those of one who i
| overweary.
Antona's WEAKNESS struck home per
2, haps because Of contrast Francis him
f, self was more than usually happy tha
night.
| The big importing house where h
| was employed had that very morning
sent note to his desk informing hin
/ that his salary had been Increase
some $40 n month His dear mother
1 over in Devonshire. had just writteI
Il him that a relative had left her an Ill
expected little legacy. Altogether th
world was going we'll with Francis Lt
can.
You look pleased. Mr.. Logan ot
served Mrs Brawn from her accus
toned seat ut the head of the table
"Ah. | remcmber-this Is your favor
ite soup"
For five years now young Logan ha
been an inmate of Mrs. Browns estal
II lishment without having ever change
his seat at table or his room. Natura
ly Mrs Brown sought to ingratiate hel
self with him.
"Why. my dear" she had exelaime
once TO Antona in a burst of enthus
I asm. "he knows all the poets by hear
He sees only the best plays. eve
though it may be from gallery seat
|, He knows all the finest pictures up
the Metropolitaq. lie has what the