Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-04

| fork In the road, ana she Slgn1neo rnar
he must leave her. Jabez did so and
walked away to his home, feeling that
he had gained one point, but it was
very small point, and there was a
whole picket fence of points bristiing
ahead of him.
Not long after this Mr. Meredith In
| troduced a young man named Long to
| his daughter and int1mated that he
would be pleased II she and Long
would make a match. The young man
fell In readily with the plan and after
devoting himself to the girl for some
time proposed to her.
"pm sorry," she said, but I can't
marry any one"
why not % he asked, surprised.
There Is a man living down there
who has taken 1t into his silly head
that he wants me so much that I'm
afraid he'll kill any one who marries
me-"
He will. Ell? Then It is time some
one kills him."
"You had better not try it."
what makes you think soT
\ "Why. he loves me SO well that he
permitted papa and Tom. the garden
er, to throw him into the pond. all on
my account, but he wayiaid gentle
man who was calling on me and near
ly broke his jaw"
9TH see him and find out whether
he's going to put another Of your ad-
mirers out Of the race"
Don't"
When Miss Meredith said don't
! she meant do" She wished to know
what her red headed lover would do in
the matter, though she did not intend
| that anything serious should happen.
Long went straight to Nudge and said:
"I have asked Miss Meredith to mar
~ me. She says that If she does you
win kill me-"
'I beg your pardon. Miss Meredith
didn't say any such thing"
"well, what are you going to do
about itT'
with Miss Meredith's permission
I'll fight you any way you please
! fists, swords, pistols or rifles"
"But Miss Meredith considers you as
standing between her and marriage.
| OF course she doesn't wish me to fight
for her with you."
'sThen let her say So"
Somewhat L1rprised at this turn OF
the affair, Long went back to Miss
Meredith and told her what had pass
ed between him and "the red headed
monkey" supposing she would at once
| give him something that would indi-
cate to Nudge that she wished him to
/ let any sutton Of hers alone. Instead
Of that she said:
"Ill see what can do with him"
Long bowed himself away with a
| bearing that denoted disappointment
| and displeasure.
The next morning Nudge had a feel
ing that he should receive some COM
munication from Miss Meredith and
believed she would talk with him
rather than write. He was not mis-
taken. During the day he saw her
leave her home ON foot. He went to
meet her.
"why do you persist in thrusting
yourself between me and any one who
wishes to marry me?" she asked.
"Do you wish to marry this man
who came to see me yesterdayT
There was no reply TO this.
Because if you do viii do nothing
to prevent you
'T am glad that this insane freak of
yours has become tinctured at last
with little common sense. Doubtless
your love is not so fierce as it was"
There is no change in my love eS-
cept that it has grown greater. When
1t began it was selfish. Now l love
you so well that am ready to sacri-
fee myself for your happiness"
She led the way on a path not much
trodden. and 1t was two hours before
| she left him. When she returned TO
her home there was evidently some
thing on her mind.
| The next morning a maid left hot
water in her mistress room and found
it empty. Miss Meredith had fed IN
! become Mrs. Nudge.