Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-29
The Argus Daily Story
Madge-By James G.. Frieberg.
Copyrighted 1912. by Associated Literary Bureau.

travels and soon afterward returned
to the east. did not go back to the
west for a matter of twenty years.
During the interval the region where
Madge Hayward had lived had been
admitted state. l found all much
changed. l visited the capital, and a
friend took me to call upon the gov
ernor. The latter was a man about
ffty-tve years of age and. though he
dressed in the professional black, bore
marks Of having belonged to the early
times. There was something about him
that seemed familiar TO me. and I
fancied l might have met him during
my western tour years agone. But I
couldn't place him. nor could he re-
member having seen me before. He
invited me to dinner at his home, and
! accepted.
The moment laid eyes on his wife
noticed in her, too, something IA
miliar. II had met her during my
previous visit to the region now be-
held her twenty years older than she
was then. The moment she looked at
me l saw by the expression on her
face that there was something about
me that was not strange to her. but
as she received me as a stranger
did not claim a previous acquaintance.
The dinner passed of pleasantly. the
governor leaving his wife to do most
of the entertaining. They both evil
IDENTIFY had been denizens of the coun-l
try In its primitive days, but women
take to new conditions easier than
men. and the wife would have passed
for a lady anywhere. Indeed. she had
spent some time with her husband in
Washington while he had represented
his state in congress. l heard after
ward that she had been quite prom
inent socially at the capital
Suddenly & look. a motion, Q gesture
Il can't tell which-told me that she
was Madge Hayward. 1 was convinc-
ed that she had recognized me from
the first, and IL she had wished to be
known as her former self she would
have greeted me as her former board
er. But since she had not thus made
herself known / did not feel warrant
ed in claiming a former acquaintance.
Therefore when I took leave of my
hosts did not mention the matter of
bygone days. But the lady gave me q
pressure OF the hand that assured me
] was not only remembered by her,
but remembered favorably. fancied.
however, that gratitude was mingled
with other sentiments, I not having
given away her previous condition to
her husband
But In the latter supposition was
mistaken. While smoking in the hotel
at which 1 was stopping a man step
ped up to me who recognized in the
man of thirty-nine the youth of nine
teen. He proved to be one OF the
poker party convened at Madge Hay
wards the evening before my depar-
ture. / told him that had dined with
the governor and his wife, had recog-
nized the wife as Madge and the gov
ernor seemed familiar to me. / also
asked him If he remembered how
Madge had drawn the deuce that had
filed her hand and won a large pot.
He said he did and straightway let
me into a secret.
what l am going to tell you," he
said, lis confidential. / am the only
man now about here who was here
then. The record Of the governor and
his wife is not known, and l wouldn't
make it known to any one here. Madge
ostensibly kept a boarding house, but
1t was really gambling house. She
had a husband and the two worked
the scheme together. Do you remem-
Der a man called Plunket, who dealt
her that deuce? Well, he was her hus-
band and is now the governor. He
was very clever as a dealer and had
fixed her hand for her before filling 1t
with the deuce. / didn't know this at
the time. inferred IL afterward when
l learned the rest Of the secret. Plunket
was not his real name. The pair made
no end Of money through their scheme.
. and afterward the husband became
: prominent in politics. Having invested
the money made as a card sharper in
mines, he became very rich, was elect
, ed to congress and is now, as you
know. governor"
II am SORRY" said to my inform
ant, ito hear this. I always liked
J Madge, and know thatsshe liked me.
l wish you had not told me-"
you should remember that this
: couple were then a part of their sur
) roundings. Would you expect to find
flowers in a donkey pasture or thistles
) in q conservatory
5 But the dishonesty of It aIlP' I ex.
5 claimed
where was the dishonesty? It was
r the common custom OF those days for
5 those playing cards 10 beat one an
3 other II they could Did Madge take
J your money that way? No. She would
D not allow you to play. do not doub,
r that she and her husband. having ariser
from that lowly condition which Their
prevailed. now look back upon 1t witt
' horror"
8 was not convinced. but I called or
: my old friend Madge and claimed ar
y acquaintance. Her eyes filed witt
tears as I did so. and she and the gov
3 ernor kept me their guest az long as
I could be induced to remain with them.