Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-25
The Argus Daily Story
A Test of Lovely Nathan Pelham.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau

lost an arm ana not written nome any
thing about it couldn't bear to give
them the pain, you know. Well, moth
ing more was said about the test OF
Bess' affection for me till we reached
the town where the regiment had been
organized. We came in a train or
cars, and. since we arrived late at
night, there were few persons to well
come u.s. The next morning l secured
leave to go and see mother. and after
she had Rugged me and shed tears over
me for awhile / went up to my room,
doubled my arm behind my back I'M
der my blouse. buttoned the cape of
my overcoat under my chin and, with
an empty sleeve swinging loose. made
a pretty good one armed soldier.
"Bess was at the door to let me in
and when she saw my empty sleeve
she looked as If she was going to cry.
I didn't wait to get inside to put one
arm around her and kiss her right be-
fore persons passing on the street
Fact is, / couldn't wait I wished had
both arms free. Those who saw me
didn't mind the publicity of the thing.
All the soldier boys were coming homo
and were mighty popular fellows. tell
you. Every one liked to see them hap
Ply.
"'Oh. Archier exclaimed Bess be-
tween kisses. Ny poor, dear Archie!
Why didn't you write me about the
loss of your armr
az couldn't I faltered. 7 was too
broken up. Besides, didn't know but
when YOU knew l must be MANNED for
life you would
"'Cease to love you, discard you'll
Oh, Archie, how could you think thatP
"T only feared it. ! had confidence
in your nobility of soul, but 1 wasn't
quite sure
Wasn't quite surei Why, Archie,
IL l thought for a moment that you
had believed 1 would be so base as to
turn you away after you had fought
all this time for your country, while
have not been able to stand my share
of the burden, would feel outraged
81 began to feel a bit nervous. II
this was the way she felt, what would
she do when she knew had put up
job to test her? / had intended to sur
prise her by bringing forward the miss
ing arm a few minutes after our meet
ing. Now dared not do so. We sat
down on a sofa side by side. Bess,
dreading lest should hurt the stump,
| kept at distance from me on that
account. / tried to get her to let me
! put the other arm around her waist,
| but she said that not for worlds would
she risk hurting that poor wounded
member or az much of it as the sur
geon had left. The consequence was
was obliged to sit at one end of the
sofa, while she sat at the other.
81 couldn't get her to talk about any
thing except my misfortune. She
wanted to know in what fight had
lost the arm, just how far up 1t had
been sawed off, how long 1 had been
in the hospital. 1 tried to head her
off, but 1t was no use. By and by
she conquered her repugnance at look
ing at such thing sufficiently to sug-
gest that let her see how much Of
the arm was left. l wasn't ready to
make a confession just then, so told
her that to uncover the wounded end
would pain me terribly.
"Of course 1 should have been
ashamed Of myself; but, having got
into the scrape, how was to get out
of it? / tried to screw up my courage
to tell her. but every time 1 was about
to begin that look Of mingled reproach,
indignation and contempt that would
surely come over her face II / did
scared me off. couldn't do it.
stF1hnra W q a
and who should come in but Billy
WEIGH.
"'Oh. Mr.. WEIGH exclaimed Bess,
isn't it terrible about the loss of Ar
chie's arm? Why didn't you write me
about it?'
81 didn't have the heart to break
the news to you
ITO think that when other boys are
coming home whole Archie should suf-
fer this lossv
Its awful! exclaimed Billy, turn
ing his back to get chair, or. rather.
to hide an effort to repress laugh.
81 wish you would tell me- Bess
went on to him. how much OF the arm
is left Archie won't let me see it.
won't he? Then I'll make him.
Billy came to me and landed a blow
on that part of my lost arm which was
near the shoulder. Bess gave cry
You awful man" she said to Billy.
How could you be SO cruel?
by this time could see that both
Bess and Billy were trying to keep
from exploding with laughter. Well,
that ended my imposition. / threw of
my cape and put the lost arm into the
sleeve OF my blouse. AS l did so said
to Billy:
"'What did you want to give me
away for-you who proposed this RI
diculous scheme? I'll get even with
you II 1t takes lifetimer
II was mad. but Bess took my shot
of hand and put It in Billy's and said
that ] must either forgive him for tell
ing or she would not forgive nae for
my attempt to deceive her.
$50 there I was. stammered an un-
willing forgiveness to Billy. and that
ended the matter"
II know who Bess Was" said the sirl
behind the chair. ''She was grandma"