Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-29
,ther gamins ReUs cop.

They were soon separated by Bets
being run over On the street and taken
TO q hospital She recovered without
any permanent injury. and one or the
lady managers interested herself in
her to secure her home. childless
couple who mad made inquiries for q
girl about Bets age. after some cor
respondence. sent for her, and Bet aft
er a few years residence with the fos-
ter parents was legally adopted They
were fairly we'll 70 co people, living
on farm, where they sold dairy prod.
ucts.
Jack was much distressed at his pals
accident and as soon as he heard OF IL
went to the hospital where she lay to
see her. He found some difficulty In
gaining an entrance. being obliged to
answer a number OF questions as to his
relationship.
Are you Der brothery asked the
mstron.
mo"
ANY relaronT
Yes; I'm her pei."
well. | don't think I could lie: yea
see her. You can't do her any good.
If you were her brother / wouldn't
have the right TO refuse you. But her
pal doesn't mean anything"
Jack WAS disappointed. he was turn
ing away when an idea struck him.
Say. I'm her husband" he said.
Her husbandr' The lady smiled.
Yes. We was married In q stable
by a niger"
The smile broadened
Cant / go in to see herr"
There was something so comical in
the child's assertion and he looked so
wistful that the matron relented. and
Jack was admitted to see his wife.
1t was not long after this that Jack,
who sold papers regularly to a philan-
thropist, was informed by his custom
er that there were farms worked by
boys who had been taken up from the
streets and IL Jack liked to 20 to one
OF these farms the gentleman would
see that he was permitted TO do 50.
Jack said be would like that bully"
and 1t was not long before, with mon.
ey provided by his benefactor. he went
to q farm, where he found q large
younger than himself. There he re-
manned eight years, when. having &C
cumulated a few hundred dollars,
which he had saved from his share Of
the profits or the concern. he left the
institution to make way for Others
younger than himself and started out
to seek his fortune on his own account
Meanwhile Bet had been sent to
school and had grown up to be an in
telligent young woman. She was court.
ed by several suitors at different times.
but she remembered her marriage In
the stable. and, although she tried 10
discover whether 1t would be an i'm
pediment to her marrying as a grown
woman, she could not satisfy herself
In the matter. Her foster father In
Quired OF several lawyers whether she
might legally marry and received diff
ferent opinions. One said her mar
! rlage as a child was no marriage at
all Another said that II she married
as woman it would be better frst to
secure the annulment of the child mar
riage.
Bet didn't understand these opinions,
and because she didn't understand
them she was all the more Influenced
by them. She didn't consider the way
clear for her to marry any one. She
/ had thus far met no one she wished to
marry Her foster father told her that
/ when she did meet the man she de-
sired 1t would be time enough to take
steps In the matter of her child wed.
ding.
/ But one day a young farmer came to
| the town where Bet lived and bought
some agricultural implements lie
secured an introduction TO Bet and at
once began a determined courtship.
Whether it was the zest he threw into
1t or that there was something about
/ him to especially please her. she felt
( responsive 10 his suit He was not
/ long IN proposing to her. and, since she
was much inclined to accept him. In
stead of refusing she told him of the
supposed legal detriment to her mar
ryinG. lie listened with profound in
terest TO her confession that she had
been street waif and the marriage
Incident of her childhood When she
diu UulSuel, iOOhlns ut uSI Wild
singular impressiveness. he said:
"Betp'
She started There was something iI
the tntonatiOn that brought back bel
boy husband
Bet he continued. II am Jack"
He told her how he had secured hi,
education for farmer, how be haC
got little land and put that educa
ton into practice, bow he had gone tC
the hospital where he had last seer
her and had learned the name of hel
foster parents and where they lived
Then under pretense of making pur
chases for his farm be had sought tn,
place and her. He had considered hi
marriage with her of serious import
but determined If possible to win he
Independently of IT
Thus ends the story OF two children
who. by the efforts OF thoughtful per
sons to rescue street waits of the cities
were prepared to i've respectable live
and became the father ard mother O
I respectable and refined children