Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-13

house came the little green one. Some
how it looked Ike an old friend.
Mother kissed me. Then Mr.. Wright
Engleby carried me out and put me in
the car.
On and on we went till we came to
streets that were crowded full of big
motorcars and little ones. trolley cars
and trucks and cabs and all sorts of
vehicles. In one place there was such
a jam we had to stop and wait.
In the midst of all the noise and
hurry the man in the automobile put
one big hand over both mine.
You will walk again and be well
and strong" he said. ''but Just as you
are now. little girl. want TO tell you
something. love you. VIII you re-
memberT'
All through those long weeks in the
hospital. when ! was too sick and tired
and discouraged and homesick TO re-
member anything else. thought OF
those words. When at last was a lit
tie better Mr.. Wright Engleby came to
see me often, with flowers and fruits.
mo more dolls" be laughed. "You
are quite grown up now. Kathleen Ma
vourneen."
Sometimes his sister came and some
times mother. And / had lovely
white capped nurse who took splendid
care Of me. And every other day al
most the great surgeon spent an hour
or so with me. By and by he told me
could go home.
He told me something else too. But
begged him so hard not to tell any
one else that he promised not to. And
the nurse promised too
The man in the auto and his sister
took me home. He carried me up the
walk and set me down in my old
chair back OF the vines
Mother cried over me q little. Then
she and Wright Engleby's sister went
into the house.
Mr.. Wright Engleby came close to
me. He lowered up over me, strong
and big and handsome.
Remember. little girI?" he said.
nodded. 1 could scarcely bear the
sorry look in his eyes.
"Just as you are. 1 told you then.
dear, and just as you are / want you
Tomorrow you and mother and Annie
and will take a ride in the red auto.
Do you remember a little church
which stands all by itself In some
evergreen trees across a bridge beyond
a little village"
Again nodded.
1.-THE clergyman is a friend Of mine.
I've told him about you, and he win
be ready. Will you?"
Not tomorrow" I said-"the day
after If you wish"
He yielded. Then he and his sister
went away.
Next day I sat behind the vines and
waited. l wore my blue linen gown.
the pretty silky coar Wright Engleby's
sister had given me on my birthday
and big. foppy hat. with blue veil.
BY and by saw the little green auto
coming. Then did just what the
great surgton and the nurse had made
me do over and over again. stood up
on my two feet. waved mother
away. l crept across the porch back
of the vines. When the auto stopped
In front of the house stood quite
alone on the steps of the porch.
threw a kiss to the man in the
auto. Then i did what the surgeon
had told me could-I walked straight
down the walk toward the little green
auto. Halfway the man met me.
Nor / cried. Don't touch me.
please"
walked. almost running. to BilIy's
house and back. ! would have been
walking yet with the joy of it had not
the man caught me up and set me
down in the auto.
''Why didn't you tell me. little girl?"
he cried.
"Oh. Wright" ! cried. 81 was so
afraid. 1t seemed too good to be true.
1 couldn't believe il would last And
If it hadn't l couldn't have borne it
for your sake. dear. for your sake!"
I'm quite certain the little green
auto had a mind Of its own. Neither
Of us had a thought to spare 1t just
then. But all by itself IL rounded
the curve. and away. away. away IT
f1avy STRAIGHT inf0 the haarf of fhe Glad