Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-09-18

WAS y short one. You KNOW" Then she
read the letter aloud in a tone that
tried Ia he busucSslike.
''Yo'ir story. The Love of Life is
accepted with Thanks
As she finished reading &C. Burton.
treasurer. size suddenly turned pale,
gasped and thrust the letter under her
pillow
Eighty dollars in less than a
month" Miss LueIla was saving
Why. Lila will he rich pretty soon"
But Miss Louisa had been watching
Miss Lila. and she threw up the win
dow and famed Err vigorously.
NO wonder you re f;'.:i.," she said.
ITS enough To take any ones breath
away" and she acquiesced when Miss
Lila suggested that entire quiet would
be good for her
1t was only two hours before Mr.
wilkins came. but Miss Lila had
grown old and haggard since she had
dismissed her sisters. Mr.. wilkins was
startled as he stood in the doorway in
response TO her faint call.
Has anything happened:' he asked
! anXiuuSly.
Yes she answered bopelessly. 81
| got the letter
What letter." Mr. wilkins asked
For answer Miss Lila drew the
crunbled letter from under her pillow.
! unfolded it and pointed to the top of
| the paper Mr. Wilkins looked at the
| familiar words. Horace o. Wilkins.
| Grain aud Feed"
"Oh. that greenhornr" he groaned.
| Then he looked ut Miss Lila
"WeIl. what are you going to do
| lout it now that you've found it
OF:
| N don't know" Miss Lila said des
| peraSly We haven't So in the
worldS We used it all for rent and
things.N
oh. Isiont mean that exclaimed
Mr. WilkNs. But don't be hard on
me- | couAnt help doing it. it made
you so happh And you never would
have known il, if Edward hadn't used
that paper-andI'd got plain paper all
ready for him."
I'm glad he dA." Miss Lila said
bitterly. because risw / can pay you
back some tire. l'lfNave to get well
now
A sudden light slowea in Mr. vii
| kins' faded eyes. Say, Sehat do you
| suppose | did it for?" he asked almost
| ~ \ - Ia,
wrong way To go at it.. But fwanted
to give you what you wanted, Eand
| contrived every way TO do it. + see
now that | ought to have come fight
out with it. same as any other mstD
would. but you're n teacher and was
afraid you wouldn't look at ne.
didn't know howl never had a girl
before" He added the last WORD
| boldly.
The color had returned to Miss Lii
| las face, and fears rolled down hcI
| checks.
And those stories arc worth every
cent | paid for them. | prize then
| more'n all of Shakespeare and-ant
John G.. Sake" he declared. The,
show you know all about love, anC
you ought to understand
Miss Lila interrupted him. do you
know that I'm thirty
Il know you're my girl. l don't car,
about anything else" and Mr.. Wiikin:
put the arm of possession around her
When Miss Louisa and Miss Luell;
| appeared little later Miss Lila clasp
ell Mr.. wilkins hand for safety ane
/ explained happily to the transtixe,
pair. "We'rc going TO take the whcl,
of this floor for ours"
After the situation had been full,
grasped and considered in all its de
lightful aspects Miss Luella asked re
specially. Are you going To keep ol
writing. I.illa?''
Miss Lilla's face clouded. No" sh,
stammered.
Then Mr.. Wilkins came to the from
with Il new found sense of bumor.
No" he said hilariouSly. she
been accepted with thanks"