Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-22
The Daily Sto ry

Copyrighted. lals by Assoelatel Literary BureIu.

face. bent above her sewing. and Mrs.
Banks knew that the surprise had
something to do with Emma Binns. of
whom it was known that Louisa Null
was fieTcely jealous on her brothers
account.
Emma Binns wore the same gown
in which she had appeared at the min
listers house. and the brown hair still
boosted the blue ribbon. and somehow
II was vastly becoming TO the little
widow. If nobody else approved Of
these fripperies it is certain that the
starved vanity of Emma Binns rejoic-
ed in wearing them. They made her
happy, and happiness took years from
her age.
When refreshments were served
Frank Null came in and wound up the
talking machine. and there were much
music and singing and pleasant con-
versation. and Frank Null looked con-
tentedly at Emma Binns and voted the
affair great success.
1t was when they arose to go that
Louisa Null led them into the parlor
and pointed TO large crayon portrait
on an easel in one corner.
This is n guessing contest" laughed
Louisa nervously. "I'll give each Of
you one guess as to who sat for that
picture. You begin, Fanny"
Fanny Banks pursed her red lips and
looked at the badly executed portrait
of woman dressed in the period Of
twenty years ago. The bodice of the
black gown was tight across the chest.
and the sleeves were great bags of
fullness stiffened with crinoline. The
hair was strained back from the face.
and across the forehead was small,
fluffy bang. Even the prettiest woman
would have taken on ugliness under
the painfully unskilled pencil of the
crayon artist And although the wo-
man in the picture showed signs of
prettiness it was overshadowed by
drawn lines of age.
We'll" said Fanny Banks smartly.
''if the picture wasn't taken twenty
years ago and the woman looked so
old then I'd say it was the living i'm
age of Emma Binns."
There was silence. while each one
carefully traced a likeness to Mrs.
Binns in the horrible portrait All
came to the same conclusion at the
same moment. If Emma Binns look
ed forty years old twenty years ago
! the style of the dress was that of
score of summers past-now she must
be sixty. Was it possible?
With one accord they all turned and
! looked at Emma Binns. Her face was
white as marble save where a little red
| spot glowed on her cheek bone. She
looked handsome. her blue eyes fash
ing, her lips trembling.
Back of her stood Frank Null blaz-
ing with wrath. Louisa, his sister.
! covered against the wall. She had
never seen her brother SO angry in all
/ her life. and she was afraid of him.
well Emma?" giggled Fanny Banks
indifferently.
: 1T is my picture" said Emma Binns
| proudly. "Simeon had 1t done the first
year I was married. I expect l looked
| Just like that, tired and old and worn
out, for he was n hard man, as you all
know, those Of you who can forget
that he was rich.
| II,
but admit the picture makes me look
forty! What of it? Don't you care
for me for myseIf-for what I am?
Must you bicker with me over my
age? Don't you want to see me hap
by? l am happy now, happier than
/ ever have been in my life. wonder
If you are glad, you members of the
Ladies Aid society. If you only knew
the bitterness, the long years, the I'M
happiness Her voice broke, and
she hid her face in her hands. 81 sup
pose seem foolish, but my heart Is
young yet"
One by one the members of the Aid
society glanced at the blue bow on the
bright brown hair. the head that had
. held itself so bravely and so jauntily
the past two years of freedom, and
then with averted eyes they stole
quietly out of the house to hold a meet
: ing of self condemnation, whereat they
agreed that hereafter Emma B!nns
could dress herself like "a circus wo
man." as Nancy Ballard expressed it
and they wouldn't wink an eye. "weI
see that she has happy time of it,
nodded Mrs. Banks over her shoulder
az she left them, and even shallow
Fanny forgot TO giggle and followed
her mother soberly into the house.
Back there in Louisa Mull's parlol
Frank Null was holding Emma Binn,
in his arms and comforting her witt
loving words. while out in the wood
shed Louisa was viciously smashin;
the crayon portrait to pieces with an Ak
Il don't know what tempted me t.
buy that picture from Simeon's auc
tion." grunted Louisa. pausing to draw
breath. 81 wonder what makes me s,
! hateful to Emma Binns? Somehow
the idea of having her for a sister-in
law Is quite pleasant, and Franks s.
happy, and they've been so good abou
: forgiving me this cut-up. Well. tn
first chance get I'm going to find on
from Emma where she buys that hal
: dye Stuff