Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-22
The Argus Daily Short Story
susannahs Independence-By Clarissa Mackie
Copyrighted. Literary Press

departure py leaving the room hastily
through the library door. thus adding
insult to the injury she had imposed
upon that austere lady.
Through the gloomy library and the
dim hall she went. up the wide red
carpeted stairs to her own room, where
she locked the door and sank breath
Iessly into a chair before her writing
desk. Her face was still white. and
her eyes wore a new look of trouble.
Before this Susannah had always
brushed her troubles aside. Today
they were heavy enough. She. too,
had observed her lover with Madeline
Fearing, but until Aunt Lettice's in
situation Susannah had never enter
tanned a doubt of Martins loyalty.
Now her honest heart was aflame with
jealousy and her pride was stung by
Aunt Lettice's taunt.
Pen and paper were at hand. and ii
was the work of an instant to write
brief note to Martin, breaking off the
engagement and inclosing within the
envelope a tiny box containing the
ring he had given her. Another note
to Aunt Lettice announced that hence
SuSduHdn "Ouiu uldke OWN
way in the world and would try to
repay little by little her Indebtedness
to her aunt Susannah selected her
plainest last years street suit. gather
ed a few other necessarieS into a shah
by leather bag, slipped her own
especial picture Of Martin on top and
stole away in the dusk of that Sunday
evening Just at the time when she
might have been expecting Martin to
come. She had left the letters on her
dressing table so that when Aunt Let
tice came to seek her they would be
found.
With a beating heart she rode down
town TO the railroad station and bought
her ticket for New York. Her own in-
land town did not offer any opening
for young woman who had no talent
for anything in especial unless 1t was
to make a home for some excellent
young man, and Susannah's career In
that direction seemed TO be closed for
ever
Arrived in New York, she found
lodgings at a working girls club Of
which she had often heard, and the
next morning she awakened to a new
life of independence and work.
At the end of three days Susannah
found work in the basement of q large
department store, where she gold all
sorts of kitchen ware to busy house
wives. Because Susannah was a born
housewife herself she found genuine
pleasure in recommending the various
utensils that composed her stock. Her
knowledge of music and languages was
not sufficient TO offer her a means Of
livelihood; here was her own proper
sphere among the household gods and
their satellites.
Her wages were small enough. but
there was a great satisfaction in the
thought that she was earning her own
way after all. She knew how horri-
fed Aunt Lettice would be IL she could
see her cherished niece behind the
counter. As for Martin-she shrugged
her pretty shoulders with assumed in
difference.
She had been there a week when a
very sharp eyed, thin faced man edged
his way toward Ler and appeared to
study her appearance closely. Later
she saw him talking to the door man
ager, and after awhile he disappeared
Susannah thought little of the Incl
dent, for shortly afterward it was
eliminated from her memory by the
appearance of Martin Wayne
Susannah SHRINK back among the
blue enameled s. Gcepans and pots and