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

when boy stepped up to me and
handed me telegram:
Alec is caught in the Clapharn reservoir.
Come quickly and get him out.
MABEL
ran for the station to take train
for Chaplain and found one made up
to start in twenty minutes. But it
seemed an hour before / was rolling
out of the station on a fifty minute
trip. While l am making 1t l will tell
how l came 10 receive the telegram.
| received a common school educa-
ton. One day in the school yard
saw one of the boys take doll from
q little girl, and. holding 1t by its legs.
he smashed its china head against the
hard. sandy ground. | walled up to
the boy and without saying a word
slapped his face. OF course there was
fight, at which | got the credit of
having thrashed my antagonist. But
this was rather because the boy L
fought was in the habit of doing mean
things for no cause whatever rather
than for any advantage l gained over
him.
The little girl whom l had befriend-
ed surprised me after the fight by max
ing a face at me. Children are but I'M
grown men and women. and | suppose
my resenting her III treatment was like
interfering in family feuds, for every
body knows that protection against
tyranny in the case of those who are
fond of each other is liable to result
diSastrously to the protector. Refrain
ing from showing any feeling at the
girls ingratitude. l walked of with
my hands in my pockets. wbistling a
tune 70 make it appear that it was a
matter of no consequence.
During the rest of my school days l
had the modification to experience the
i'll will of both this boy and girl, both
of whom seemed to have taken a dis
like to me. 1t was a period when we
were passing out of childhood into
youth. and for the several years re-
manning before we finished school
something about the girl knew not
what-was growing upon me. Her
treatment of me panied me-indeed, |
would have given my best tennis rack
ct for a smile from her. When our
last term at school was finished found
myself in love with her. True, l was
but sixteen years old and she fifteen,
but my experience in the matter has
proved that the younger the person
| the more violent the love.
1t was very distressing for me to see
q girl whom | had befriended and
whom loved not only showing repul
sion for me, but lavishing her admira
ton upon the boy whose malicious
treatment of her l had punished. But
/ iii matters of the heart one never
knows what woman will do, and 6
man is not much more to be depended
upon. Be this as it may, l saw my
love grow to wOmanhood lavishing he
affection on the person who had out Of
pure deviltry smashed her doll. ! thinl
that as a child her turning against mt
was natural. AS a woman 1t may have
been encouraged by my rival.
Fate threw the three of us togethe
not only as children, but after we haC
become men and women. The girl
secretly worshiped married my rival
and | attended their wedding, though
rather as her guest than his. for N!
intimacy was always rather with he
family than his. There was a GOODNESS
between me and him that never wor,
off. Whether his betrothed and after
ward his wife suspected my feelings
for her ! did not know. But l die
know that after her marriage she treat
ed me in much more friendly man
ner than before.
About the time we finished schoo
and were ready to go to work a shiI
was sunk in the harbor on which we
lived, and divers were sent down t.
put the chains under whereby to raisG
her. There can be nothing more In
teresting to a boy than man dressed
in diving suit going under water
while those above pump air down t.
him. We boys were constantly OF
hand watching the process. and thu
consequence of It all was that severa
of us determined to adopt diving as &
trade.
This brings me to my telegram. 1
was from Mabel Granger. the wife o.
AiCI lhC l"O III NhoSC
fish companionship / had interfereC
many years before to my discontinue
Alec and I had been divers ever sine,
we left school, and now he, having
been caught IN a dangerous position
his wife had called on me to save him
During my journey to Chaplain I coulC
not drive from my mind that scene II
the school. Mabel standing with he
headless doll Rugged to her bosom
making face at me as moved away
while Alec was brushing the dirt of
his clothes with his hands.
Furthermore. there was every reason
to believe that what was called upoI
to do | would do Mt the risk Of m,
life. If it were an easy matter to res
cue Alec Granger l would not hav,
been summoned. / saw In Mabel's tele
gram a cry for help in her distress
] can give no idea Of my feelings a
such a call. Let any one reading M
story put himself in my place and TT!
10 conceive how he would feel. | cal
only say that among the confusion
within me there was one predominant
sentiment. ! was eager to give com
fort to the woman still loved by re
storing her husband to her.