Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-27
The Argus Daily Short Story
Transformation-By Clarissa Mackie.
Copyrighted. 1911 by Associated Literary Press.

ly polished and that crisp. clean mus
lin curtains hung within
These things promised a more am
bilious occupant for the house. Anne
turned to the secretary: Miss Binns
will you please telephone to Mr.. Col
Inns and ask him about the new ten
ant?"
Presently Miss Binns returned "Mr
Collins says it is a widow and her lit
tie daughter. The mother is employed
in a millinery establishment down
town. She seems a quiet. refined
young woman, and her name is Rod
man, Mrs. Marcia Rodman."
Anne Wilbur dismissed the little Sec
rotary and turned once more to the
window, pressing her face against the
cold glass. The van had gone away
and all was silent about the shabby
cottage. As she watched with bag
gard face the back door opened and a
woman accompanied by a child came
out and looked at the neglected yard.
The woman was small and slight.
with dark, piquant face and sweet
lips. There was a flush in her cheeks
as she talked to the child, who was a
fairylike image of the mother. 1t
was evident that they were discussing
the possibilities of improving the
yard, and Anne wondered what they
could do, for it was plainly to be seen
that they were poor. When the moth
er and child had re-entered the cot
tage Anne left the window and sat
down before the glowing CRATE fire.
There was a fierce JOY in her gray
eyes and her fine lips were scarlet
with the pressure she exerted to re-
turn at last. Five years before she,
Anne Wilbur. a petted daughter of the
rich. had lost her lover to the poor
woman who now occupied her wretch
ed cottage. The girl had been a no.
body, and thriftless Jack Rodman had
thrown over friends. position and pro-
fession and eloped with the dark eyed
beauty. Jaek had died afterward pen
niIess. Now his widow, struggling for
livelihood, had drifted back to the
city and into the cottage owned by
the deserted sweetheart.
Again she approached the window
and stared at the cottage. The moth
er and child were gathering the rub
Dish into a heap, and presently they set
fire to 1t and watched it burn to ashes.
Presently the mother brought trow-
ell and dug a small bed in the poor
soil of the yard, and the child plant
ed some flower seeds with eager mud
dy little fingers.
When that was done they came to
the dividing fence and peeped over
into Miss Wnbur's pretty garden.
There was a brave showing of crocus-
es and tulips, and the strangers look
ed wistfully at the purple and gold Of
the blooms; then they turned and dis
appeared within the cottage.
The sun declined. sending long sift-
ing rays Of yellow across the yards and
finally into Anne Wilbur's thoughtful
face, now stern and severe.
Tomorrow's sun would rise on fair
Easter morning: the churches and
dwellings would be sweet with bios
SONS Her own church was noted for
its magnificent floral display. and she
knew that in the drawing room her
servants were arranging towering
plants from her conservatory.
The barren little yard about the cot
tage haunted her and blotted out the !
brighter pictures
After awhile she strolled into the |
and wandered through I
the green allies. touching here and !