Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-20

real poet ever knew personally. His
appreciation for music was of the keen
est. Do you remember that period
when your mother was taken Ill. you
were called away to attend her, and
she finally died? You left John in my
charge. and recall your exact words
when you did so. John and l have
not been long married. you said, but
long enough to have come upon that
period when n newly married pair be-
gins to suffer from their incongruities.
Leaving him at such time Is danger
ous for he is liable to seek solace with
another woman. Help him TO stand
by his better instincts. so that when l
return nothing shall have occurred to
make breach between him and me-
This is all you said. but 1t was
enough. | knew you meant that in
case | should see your husband about
to fall under bad influence TO have
care OF him and draw him away from
temptation. | was sure that so great
was your confidence in me that you
would not ask anything OF me on a.
matter between him and me.
81 kept John with me during near
~ all his idle time in the period that
yoG were absent We visited What gai-
leries there were, went where we could
listen to music and read together from
the works of our favorite poets. One
evening he took me to the opera.
Faust was given and given beautiful
ly. John sat entranced by the music
and seemed also under the spell of that
legend which contains in condensed
form the story Of humanity. After the
opera we rode to my home and during
the ride John did not speak word TO
me. l invited him to come in and led
him to the drawing room. Suddenly
he began to talk strangely,
~ feel he said that l am Faust
and that a mephistopheles is dragging
| me to hell
| And by the same passion he
secured Fausts soulT l asked.
ayes
land who asked, is MargueriteF
was trembling and spoke the words
| so low as only to be heard by one in
! tent on hearing.
His hand was near mine. and he
| took it in his. | arose and stood apart
from him.
John I said. stand firm. This IS
a passing madness occasioned by that
weird drama acting uron an tmpressl-
BILE nature Your wife will return soon.
and by her presence Danish what Is
but an evanescent emotion.
HE stood looking at me as one In
dream for a time, then said:
~, IAf Of "
heart thank you for having saved
nv self respect And turning, he left
me. Your mother died that same even
ing and within another week you were
at home.
you know the rest so far as John is
concerned-that he was saved from
momentary temptation. and that yours
and his happiness were not married by
the incident. What | have to confess
is this: From that moment | was a
changed woman. The word OF love
that had been spoken entered into my
being and could not eradicate ii. But
no more than this, Margaret, did |
wrong you. John never sought me,
and that | might not meet him ! left
him and you for another place OF resi-
dence. | never saw him again"
The woman who listened to this con-
fession gave TO other evidence of It's
effect upon her than to reach for the
confessor's hand and press 1t. Helen
continued:
From that moment l took on life
long suffering But not from your
displeasure for / am sure even now
since you know my secret that you are
too strong. too Just. too generous to
blame me for what could not help"
Margaret. who had retained the hand
she held. bent forward and kissed her
friend Then she said:
81 do not blame you now, nor have
ever blamed you. for l have known
of this from the moment of my return,
when heard il from John, though a
different version. He told me that he
loved You and would always love
you"
Helen's head dropped on her friends
breast There was a long silence,
which was broken by Margaret.
"You would hear?" she said. "Why.
knowing what did, remained Johns
wife. keeping you two apart. Perhaps
my conduct " you seems that grudged
you what gould not myself possess
81 have no such thought. ! am sure
you had n reason, and that reason was
noble one"
0"Had | believed that you would
have been happy with John" she said.
81 would have given him to you. But
you would not have been happy with
him. He was too volatile. too intense
In his feelings. too unsteady In every
way You would have been the blind
leading the blind You would have
suffered under perpetual misunder-
standings. He needed different
hand from yours to manage him. A
!, time came when he recognized this
e himself"
! "But yOu:" exclaimed Helen. look.
] ing mp with wonder akin to pain.
Il did my duty by him and yon.r
Dec. 20 In American