Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-17

were young, because jim nalr uaS
grown much grayer than mine and
I've a scar on my left cheek. But up
to thirty the members of our own fam
lily sometimes had trouble telling US
apart.
There was a breakdown in the fam
lily when Jim and / were eighteen
years old. Father died without leav-
ing anything, and Jim and had to
hustle. / found a situation in one con-
Germ and Jim in another. Later l was
sent away to esta blish a branch Of the
business in another city. while Jim re-
manned where he was. 1 hadn't seen
him for two years when / heard that
he was i'll and in hospital The news
was too much for my ability to remain
away from him longer, so fixed things
up in my business for an absence, took
a train and on arrival went from the
station direct to the hospital.
Jim had private room, and was
shown to it by an attendant. l found
him in bed. but instead of showing ef-
fects of an illness l couldn't see but
that he looked as well as ever. He
to see him. l asked him to tell me
about himself and how it was that he
appeared so well and yet confined to
his bed. He gave me one of those
frightened looks intended to impose 81
lence. Then. pulling me down toward
| him, he whispered in my ear:
II want to get out of this. Your.
&c Ga$ aeP
clothes in hurry and tumble into bed
| I'm going to put them on and make
my way out. Nobody will know the
difference between you and me-"
He looked so anxious and eager that
/ Immediately began to hustle off my
clothes, and as fast as got out of them
Jim got into them. AS soon as / was
in bed and Jim was dressed I said,
Now tell me about it."
But Jim gave me another frightened
look, as much as to say that he couldn't
think of doing so, and was about to go
when clutched his coattail and said:
"For heavens sake, don't leave me
this way! Tell me how long I'm to
stay here anyway"
| L udIe tdhe tue Illue. IL
nurse should find Us both here it would
prevent my getting out in your place.
She's liable to come in any minute"
well, one thing you must do-attend
to my business for me-that Is, II I'm
to be kept here any length of time"
'All right; I'll do it." he said. And
before l could get another word out OF
him he was gone.
He needn't have been in such a hur
ry, as it turned out, for his nurse didn't
come in for half an hour. At the enc
of that time the door opened, and 6
very pretty specimen of femininity en-
tered. She was dressed in q nurses
uniform of spotless white. This was
very becoming to her'complexion. which
had lot Of red in 1t. Then. too, hel
eyes and hair were dark, and the con
trast with her dress and cap wa.
charming.
She came up to my bed. looked dow
upon me pathetically-lovingly i
seemed to me-placed her hand on my
forehead-a warm, soft one-and said:
II really must report that you ar,
ready to be discharged. The house sur
geon will find this out pretty soon, ant
I'll get myself into trouble"
Here was a pretty go. Jim had de
parted without giving me the sllghtes
hint what part to play. The only thinl
/ could do was to be noncommittal anC
learn as much of the situation as
cruld. 1t looked as though Jim ha(
been making love to his nurse, had re
covered and, in order to remain in thu
light of her presence, had fingered IL
the hospital longer than was necessary
But how to reconcile this with his de
sire to escape without her knowing ht
had gone hadn't even an inkling. Th,
safest thing could think of to SAL
was:
do you really think so?'
81 certainly do. Indeed, / see no rea
son for continuing this deception an,
longer, though it has been a delightful
experience. You know that I love yo1
and | have perfect confidence in tn
love you have both shown and hav
expressed for me. We can meet a
often as my duties will permit until W
| can De naTr1eu-
. This was the principal part of it, an
If it hadn't been for Jim's desire t
substitute me for himself would hav
been all l cared to know. Though
. was puzzled, my role was much easie
, to play than before. I concluded to ar
gle for time
i based my first definite remark O
a the probability that my inference
were correct-namely. that Jim ha
had an affair of the heart with hi
, nurse and prolonged his stay beyon
a his recovery. Besides this. the situs
ton was pleasing to me, and l didn
mind acting on the same idea.
q |. THE period l have passed here
:. your care" I said, has been the hal
piest in my life. / simply can't bear [
end it,
y 1T must end some time"
A Give me another day. Tomorrow
will try to make up my mind to leay
you"
q A panied expression at the prospe
tive parting passed over her face. al
bent down and. placing her pink iii
> on mine, gave me delicious kiss.
seemed that all the joys IA the wor