Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-20

IL on the defensive. not desiring that
blood should be spilled in such
cause.
He was beginning to be amused at
the bungling thrusts and parties made
bv his opponent when an accident hap
pened at an unlucky moment. Just
as the masked man was making one
of his awkward thruStS Arbuckle'S
foot caught in a creeping vine, and he
fell forward on the point Of his adver-
sary's sword, which, entering his right
side Just below the arm pit. inflicted
i flesh wound
A cry came from the champion. Not
a masculine cry; it was like woman'S
shrek. Throwing away his saber, he
stopped and lifted his enemy in his
arms. Arbuckle. more interested in
the champions identity than his
wound, pulled off the mask and ex-
posed the features OF Margaret Rim
gold
The two looked at each other for =
few moments without speaking; then
Arbuckle, Selling Margaret's hand.
kissed it respectfully, exclaiming:
Forgive me!'
Me3nWDllS Jill was huAl NlhS lOA-
ward, opening the box of materials for
stanching blood. Arbuckle assured
Margaret that his wound was Of no
importance. threw off his coat, opened
his waistcoat and exposed his shirt
saturated with blood. Margaret trem-
| blingly applied lint and wound band
age to hold it in its place. Then she
told Jim to so for assistance and bring
q conveyance to take the wounded man
to the house. But Arbuckle demurred.
THE affair must be kept secret" he
| said, because l am ashamed or my
| part in requiring a woman TO protect
herself against me, and, as for being
carried about with such pin prick as
this. my comrades would deSpise me.
Go to your home, Miss Ringold. You
| have vanQuiShed me in more ways
than one Henceforth am your cham
pion whenever you choose to have me
| by accepting my services. L will now
ride to camp. but ask that at the first
: opportunity I may be permitted to pay
my duty to you"
Margaret turned and walked away.
| but she heard footsteps behind her and
| felt her hand clasped. 1t was Arbuckle.
Tell me before we part" he saidI
"am 1 forgiven"
She made no reply except with her
| eyes, but the man was satisfied. He
| watched her, attended by Jim, till she
reached the house, when she turned
! and, putting her fingers to her lips,
! threw him what she had fought him
| for taking disrespectfully
The Swamp Fox" kept Tarleton and
! his men busy for some time, during
which Arbuckle did not appear at the
! Rfngold manor. Then ne was taken
! ILL., From Il hospital he sent word to
! Margaret that as soon as he had re-
covered he would see her and make
all possible amends for his treatment
/ of her But he was obliged to wait
till the war had ended before being
! able 10 visit her When he came he
asked 70 see her father, saying that
/ he had called on a matter Of vital i'm
/ portance to himself Re asked TO be
| permitted to pay his addresses to his
! daughter. The old Tory was much
! pleased at the request, though he felt
/ that it would separate him from his
| child and, having granted it. Informed
/ Margaret that Arbuckle had come and
/ had asked for her hand.
| There was a greet contrast between
/ this and the first meeting Margaret
/ had with Captain Arbuckle, which
/ gave q peculiar Zest to the latter. The
/ couple were married before Captain
! Arbuckle returned with the British
| forces in America 20 England There
! the South Carolinian WIS welcomed
by her husbands relatives. and she at
| once assumed a prominent position in
society But she always maintained
that had not the colonies won their
independence she would not have left
her American home.