Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-01

! work. BY the time he haQ bought
morning newspaper and hunted its col
umns in vain for advertisements re-
| quirinE the especial services he had
| to offer he was ravenously hungry.
When he had appeased his healthy ap-
petite he was troubled at the inroads
made upon his little store OF money,
and this money had been sum that
Mary Eta had produced from some
secret hiding place, for their money In
| the savings bank had been drawn upon
to meet necessary expenses.
Mary Eta was a wonderful man
ager he thought as he left the eating
place and walked aimlessiy down the
street She had planned and contrived
all through the autumn months while
the dread of going back TO the bench
still hung like a dark cloud over him.
| He paused in front of a gaudily
painted doorway and read the posters
OF a moving picture show. In few
moments he had yielded to the temp
tation to enter and found himself seat
ed well down I'm front in the long. mar
row theater. At the moment there
were being produced the pictures OF
thrilling rescue from flames as q tall
tenement house burned.
| Ben watched breathlessly and cheer
| ed as heartily as the rest when the
1 last picture faded away. He did not
look at the card announcing the next
production. The theater was warm,
and he was removing his overcoat.
| When he looked up he heard the
| family familiar sounds Of an organ re-
produced from a large photograph on
the stage. and there flashed into view
on the curtain a scene that took his
breath away and left him sitting In
stunned silence while It lasted.
Before him was the interior Of the
village church at home, rows and rows
of familiar heads, while up in the pull
pit the thin. angular form OF the new
minister sat stifiy on the red velvet
sofa, while the choir grouped on his
left were singing.
He saw his own grave face beside
young Harry Fray, the tenor. BE saw
Mrs. Phillips, the pastors wife, and
Mary Eta. Mary Eta, looking very
sweet and girlish, was singing, and
the others should have been joining in
the refrain, for their mouths were
opened. But It was only Mary Eta
who sang. her sweet. high voice rising
like that OF an angel to the very roof
of the church even now as it was re-
produced from the photograph and
foated above the heads OF the mixed
audience, who hung breathlessly upon
every word she sang. Now and then
there was a strangled sob as the mean
ing Of the song was borne to the
hearts of the hearers and touched
some tender chord.
Ben listened, seeming to hear the
broken trill of a robin from the church
yard outside. as had happened the last
time Mary Eta had sung that old
Scotch hymn "My Ain Countrie:"
1 am far frse my hame, an I'm weary
! aftenwhiles
For the Hanged for hame bringing an my
Fathers welcome smiles,
| An I'll ne'er be flu content until mine cen
| do see
The gowden gates o. heav'n an my ain
countrie.
When the last note had died away
amid a silence that was more eloquent
! than the nOisiest applause Ben found
! his way to the management of the the
alter and was sent TO the people from
whom the picture films had been pur-
/ chased. There, after many explana-
| lions and some delay, he was informed
| that the pastor had granted permission
for the picture to be taken from the
! back gallery the spring before and that
Mary Eta had been approached and
asked to sing the song into a phono-
graph. This she had at first refused
to do, and then, tempted by the money
offered, she had consented and had
made several trips to the city to sing
many other well known songs TO be
reproduced for the entertainment of
the public.
That explained TO Ben Madison how
it was that in spite OF the scant re-
turns from the farm that summer there
had always been plenty on his table.
while his store bills had been prompt
Iy met. The shadow in Mary Etta's
face was probably the reflection of her
troubled conscience, for her gentle
heart must have suffered at deceiving
her proud young husband
Thrilled with self contempt. Ben
Madison hurried home on the last train
that night and awoke the astonished
Mr. Fray from his early sleep. Then
he went on TO his home. where Mary
Eta was waiting anxiously for his re-
turn.
"Hurray" cried Ben toyously. Il
got the Job all right, Mary Eta. I'm
going to work tomorrow morning. You
got something for my IUnchY"
Lots said Mary Eta, smiling
through her tears. do you mind go
ing back to the bench. denr?' she asked
Then it was that Ben told her OF his
days experience. Gee, Mary Eta"
he said In wonder as he concluded. 1T
don't see how you stood my foolish
pride as long as you did. But you're
the stuff. My pride's changed to an
other kind. and III work my fingers or
one way or another TIL we pull out"
why. loved you, Ben" said Mary
contentedly. That's why IL was easy
to do
You'll see how much I love yOU
then" threatened her husband happily.
| Moroh ! in a T17oT.iPoT1 III