Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-16
The Argus Daily Short Story
THE OTHER GIRL---By X. A. Beall.
Copyrighted, 1909. by Associated Literary Press

To all their friends there seemed to
he something essentially homogeneous
in the idea of their marriage Friends.
# course. rs Is we'll known. have the
right to decide those things.
Grace Orlaiston was New Eng
land girl of an old Boston family,
%ho knew Ecr Emerson by heart. 1t
was even reported that she knew
what Robert Browning meant when
lc wrote:
Se;ebos aud Setebos and Setebos.
Jim Garrison had been born and
cared on Il big Kentucky plantation.
md he had obtained his education in
that school which not only believes
but vows that Il Sentleman's education
i; complete when he has been taught
TO ride, to shoot and to speak the
truth
Yet their marriage had turned out a
happy one. For With all Jim's igno-
rance. Of books he was gentleman.
every isch Of the stalwart length of
him Ife1id feel bit oppressed.
though. ut times when his clever and
learned wife Iet>him slide out of the
conversation" as he Expressed it. and
showed byssher manner 9aat she knew
it was over his head and FIAT she ex-
used him in sympathetic kindness.
The truth was that Jim would mve
been quite bit the better for it if he
had possessed more of Il share of that
Of which most men have too much
onceit.
Poor Jim didn't have bit, and he
used to rub his handsome head rue.
fully and with very genuine sorrow ii
the harassing thought that he was not
coed enough for his brilliant beauty OF
4 wife and that she must feel some
degree of shame for him when she was
surrounded by the wise and learned
people who called Oh them contin
ually.
When they had been married a little
more than Il year a telegram came fol-
Jim while he was absent in Kentucky
looking over some of his land. Mrs
Garrison heSitated before she openet
| the yellow envelope, for she was MOI
woman who believed in letting he
| curiosity get the better of her, nj
! though she had her full share Of tina
| delightful instinct of her breeding
However, she finally decided tina
| she should open the telegram to see il
| it was important enough to forward t.
Jim. Surely every one will forgive
that. Women ought to be curious. It.
| part of their charm. Think of wha
the world would be without woman:
delicious curiosity,
| The message was short. But few a
the words were they were sufficient t,
cause something very much like he
i little world tumbling disastrousl,
down around the pretty ears of Mrs
Garrison. The telegram was date
from village on Long Island an,
said:
The Girl is dying. Gene at once.
II 1t was signed Jack Harrington
Grace recognized this name as that o
one of her husbands friends of WHOM
she had often heard him speak, bu
whom she had never met.
Grace was not naturally jealou
woman-that IS. nothing more than t
say that she was not any more jealou
than is any good. true. warm soule
woman. She9tried to remain unsusp
cious; but, try as she would, she coul
find but one Interpretation for til
message.
Her faith in Jim was too absolute
believe that ''the girl referred
could be her rival since their mai
rage. She never gave place in he
mind for one moment to any idea tina
her Jim was capable Of the shameful
disgusting treachery such surmis
would presuppose.
But she could not help but see tbs
this girl had some old claim .on jill
and the thought of such a claim on til
man whom she loved so passionatel
was sufficient to drive her nearly frau
tic.
She perceived that the sender Of til