Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-01

with sudden heart throb. There lay
| a fresh supply of the current period
icaIs. a newspaper or so, a paper knife
| she was sure she had never seen be-
| fore and half smoked cigar.
"Poor, dear papa" sighed Marjorie,
with little tremulous smile, "he will
forgive me, after all. He must have
cared very much to do this. I'm afraid
wounded him more deeply than I
dreamed" She put forth her hand in
/ mechanical fashion and lifted the
paper knife from the table, touching
| It softly with caressing fingers. 1t was
| Just common little affair of steel and
ivory, but two initials showed roughly
on the handle. as though carved there
IN some absent moment-"R. L."
Richard Lassiterw Marjorie's lips
unconsciously framed the words. She
looked up. half frightened, and glanc-
| ed about her quickly.
Almost at the moment the door lead
ing into her room was pushed open
softly from the other side. and Richard
Lassiter himself stood on the thresh-
old.
"Miss Winthrop
| Marjorie was on her feet in an IN
| slant, pale, embarrassed, bewildered.
| For once in her life all self control had
abandoned her. She took an unsteady
step forward, cropping with one hand
before her for support.
| "I'm awfully sorry" began Lassiter
| alphabetically. There has in ali prob
ability been some mistake. / thought
you knew"
Marjorie regarded him half daZed.
my father and mother" she broke
in appealingly, what has become Of
them:'
''They are perfectly safe and well.
can assure you Of that much. AS soon
rs possible-as is practicable shall
send you to them. Your father specu-
lated heavily. He was unfortunate,
but he did not lose everything" he
went ON, answering the unspoken
question in her eyes. "a long expect
ed lift from fortune made me indie
pendent. placed me where / am
here
When he looked down Marjorie was
crying softly, the tears slipping down
her cheeks and splashing unheeded on
her hands.
when l learned that the place was
for sale" proceeded Lassiter after
lsilence, Il wanted more than anything
else in the world to come here to live.
1t seemed like-well, like being nearer
to you, somehow. You don't mind me
lSayino fhiS NTice, NViptbrop
Marjorie's tears had ceased sudden
". An exquisite tint of carnation had
crept UP slowly under her skin, and the
lids closed over her eyes like pale
white globes over blue lights Il would
rather 1t were you-than any one else
here she replied presently in a low
voice
Something in her tone. in her man
ner and more than all in the swift
avoidance of his eyes made Lassiter
suddenly bold. He went and stood at
the side of her chair, his hand resting
on the back of 1t, his gaze, impas-
stoned enough now. fixed on the shin
ing brown waves of hair that intoxi-
Gated him with the delicate breath Of
perfume.
Marjorie" he said hurriedly, "let
me tell you-everything-n won't
Iyou? It isn't the time nor the place
perhaps. conventionally speaking, but
can't let you get away from me
again. think you must have known,
dear, that 1 have always loved you
! you did know it, didn't you? But you
knew, too, that you were rich, while
7 was poor and that because of it my
lips were sealed. But l was working
, night and day. lday and Woodworking
. as no one ever could have worked be-
fore, for no one ever had SO sweet
and dear and precious an incentive
, working to make myself worthy to ask
:, you to be my wife,
He paused out of breath from sheer
emotion, the veins of his neck throb-
, bling. He bent suddenly and took her
, hand in his.
r, Marjorie felt the quick quivering and
yielding Of her fingers and knew that
I with it was the giving up of her whole
!. self
e Minutes passed and neither spoke.
t After awhile she glanced up, with q
e slow flush deepening wildly on heI
: cheeks, and Lassiter broke the silence
r 81 have succeeded" he said quietly
r 'Will you come back home, sweet
l hearth
:. Marjorie did not speak, but present
( ly she lifted her other hand and gave
:, that, too. into his keeping.
Honesty is the best policy. although
u may have the deferred dividend
| SIauSa attachmaut -Judpo