Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-18

NO"
Had a blue bolt from heaven struck
the church the establishment could not
have been greater. Having spoken
the word. Johanna turned and walked
defantly down the broad center aisle
Of the church.
But she had scarcely started when
! there was another surprise. From the
/ back of the church came voice:
II forbid the banns.''
Johanna stopped. Her defiant look
was changed in a twinkling to one OF
horror
Down the aisle reeled a man in a
pea Jacket and sailor cap.
Il got back JUS n time, my dear
didn't 1? In a few min'ts you'd "a
been a bigamist'
Approaching Johanna. Ben Tillotson
attempted TO put his arm about her.
She drew away from him as from a
serpent
The assembled guests. men and wom-
en-, the clergyman, all except one per-
son, stood transfixed with horror. That
one person was John Parke. Stepping
forward, he placed himself between
/ Tillotson and Johanna.
"G'way" roared the sailor she
b'longs to me! Wha' right you got to
/ her?"
The right of escort. brought her
here. and shall take her to her home"
John Parke had always been conSid-
cred prosaic man, but at the moment
he spoke these words he looked like
god. The intruder shrank back cowed.
Then the one good man whom Johanna
had stabbed for the sins of two other
bad ones drew her arms through his
and took her out of the church
The guests for time remained where
they were, then began silently to dis
perse. Not one but felt that a tragedy
had been enacted before them instead
of the happy event they had come to
witness; not one but condemned, not
one but pitied, the woman who had
been driven by barbarous treatment to
wreak her vengeance on an innocent
man.
Tillotson found his way out among
the others. every one he passed avoid
ing him as if he were an adder. Once
out of the church he was lost in the
crowd on the street. He had been
wrecked on an island in the Pacific
preferring to remain among them rath-
er than return TO civilization. He bad
finally shipped on i vessel that brought
him TO his own country and arrived
just in time to complete the dramatic
climax of his wife's revenge.
If those who had witnessed the scene
in the church mingled pity with their
condemnation of Johanna those who
had heard of the affair-and it was a
seven days wonder-said that she had
deserved far more than she had receiv- !
ed. But one held Johanna blameless. /
That was the man she stabbed. What |
ever may have been his inner feelings. |
his words said that TO n woman who had /
been wronged as she had been wrong |
ed there must come an irresistible de- |
sire for revenge and that women. since |
they do not possess judicial minds. are |
as likely TO punish the wrong man as
the right one. In defense of his posi-
ton he reminded those to whom he |
made this defense that no woman
had ever been appointed to sit on a
judicial bench or serve on a jury.
But as to what passed between him
and Johanna on their way from the
church to her home or on their ar
rival there or afterward John Parke
spoke no word. The fiippant looked
upon him with that contempt one nat
urally feels for a man who has been
duped. Others gave him sympathy.
To those who had witnessed his splen-
did self control, his assumption of the
manly part, under any and all circum-
stances, of protector Of the weaker
sex, he was a hero.
There was much speculation. much
curiosity, to know the condition, men
tai and physical, of Johanna. She shut
herself up. For long while not even
her most intimate friend was permit
ted to visit her. When this friend
was at last admitted she found Johan-
ma in a far better condition than she
had expected. but withal unintelligible
Johanna seemed TO be in n state OF
mental fever. Her friend had expect
ed to find her crushed. She was emo
tional. Her friend had expected to
find her hopeless. But not word
passed between them concerning that
frightful scene Of which one had been |
witness and IN which the other had
acted the principal part. Not n word
of regret escaped Johauna's lips. not
a word of appreciati ton for the man
who had returned good for evil.
- at seems to me-" said the lady after
the visit, that Mr.. Parke is to Jo-
hanna simply as block Of stone. All
the>use she had for him was through
him to stab the male sex But Judge
this merely from appearances. Jo-
hanna confided nothing to me-"
q ]