Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-02

or billache. possibly-and repulsed
her husband. He drew away from her
with an expression of infinite pain. He
was a sensitive man. as such aerial per-
sons usually are. and. withdra wing
into his own room, he bolted the door,
and Mrs. Hibbs saw him no more that
night.
She had no sooner given the rebun
than she regretted having done so. The
next morning she would ask his for
giveness. But the next morning his
door was still locked. She knocked
and received no reply. Becoming
frightened, she got o chair and looked
over the transon, expecting TO see his
dead body. But Mr.. Hfbbs body was T.,
not there. He had goneI Where? He
had left no information. His wife
looked for his return all that day and
the next and the next. He had flown
away on his machine: that she knew,
for the aeroplane was not in the barn
But she heard nothing from him either
directly or from the newspapers.
Three months later the poor woman
received a letter from a farmer living
in lonely spot in the Rocky noun
tains stating that man attempting
to cross the range in an aeroplane had
dropped on his place and been killed.
Before dying he had asked the farmer
10 bury him and write his wife that
he did not wish his resting place to be
disturbed
Mrs. Hibbs lemented, reproachtng
herself for having driven her husband
away. She could not spare the money
to take a trip to the place where he
had died and, since he didn't wish his
remains removed, there was no use In
going there. Being practical and en-
ergetic woman, she concluded to turn
the place where she lived into q dairy.
| Her first thought was to raise chick
ems, but she had such q horror Of any
thing with wings that even a rooster
/ who couldn't fly over q high fence dis
tressed her Finding persons In the
neighborhood who would buy milk
from her direct, she was not forced to
sell it at ruinous prices to a creamery.
and consequently she did very well.
She regretted that she had not sup
Piled what was lacking in her husband
while she had him with her and per-
mitted him to sail about up in the air
without troubling him. As she accu-
mulated means she bought more cows
and added to her pasturage.
1t Is said that one loves persons for
their faults rather than their virtues.
Perhaps this is the reason why the
widow couldn't forget her husband, for
he certainly had faults enough to make
Iowa him Ar rata altar
her days work was over she would
gather her children around her and tell
them about their father and what lofty
views he had, but her eldest boy no.
ticed that she didn't encourage his fol-
lowing in the footsteps of his father
in his winged career.
One spring evening when the wind
of the south was coming up and the
| days were getting long Mrs. Hibbs was
sitting on the porch telling her chicks
what a wonderful man their father
had been when one OF them called her
attention to a speck far up in the air.
1t grew larger and larger as 1t advanc-
ed till 1t was seen to be an aeroplane.
"Oh, mamma" said one of the girls,
its an airship! Don't you see the
sail 1t earliest"
Its an aeroplane with a single wing
standing straight up on it's back" said
another OF the children.
Some one has beaten the bird by
i9venting an aeroplane with one wing"
exclaimed the oldest boy.
81 wish your papa had lived to do
that" said the widow lugubriously.
1T would have made him so happy!'
The coming single winged bird by
this time was lowering above them,
and a voice cried:
my dears, 1t is 1, your papa have
beaten the birds. See how beautifully
plane" With that he plunged and rose
and circled and caracoled like a spirit
ed aerial horse.
"Come down. cried the widow In a
fright.
"Come DOWN. echoed the children.
But he was so proud of his mono
plane that he must needs continue his
caracoling. Then suddenly he came
down sure enough. but altogether too
suddenly. There was a crash. and
from the fragments of the monoplane
|
to say, he was not much hurt Stand
ing on his feet, supported by his wife.
he looked at his machine. and his pent-
up feelings exploded
. "Confound your be exclaimed, kick
: ing the fragments. That's the last of
you for me! I've got two legs to walk
. on, and, by jings, hereafter I'll walk
on them"
Then. embracing his wife and chill
dren, he explained, that realizing be
,, must be untrammeled In his expert
|, ments he had flown far away and paid
. man to write the notice Of his death.
While Mr.. Hibbs was experimenting
increasing age was taking the surplus
pluck out Of him. He took hold Of
the dairy farm with his wife and now
Is as well pleased with riding in a
milk wagon as he formerly was In an
aeroplane
April D in American