Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-25
The Daily Story .
THREE RED HEADS-BY EDWARD C. ASTON.
Copyrighted -ss BY Burea
oc.aiel Literary Bureau

Though there was no satisfactory eS-
nlanation OF all this | knew that Mr.
MHrStoo who owned siS-teuthS of the
stock of the company. WAS at the hot
tom CT it, | was Il hard and efficient
worker. hut there We're other employ
eeS who worked AZ hard and ;iS EN-,
ciently as l. The matter was more a
mystery to me than To the others. fer
employees Of Il concern managed by
one man power are used TO seeing that
man take Very sudden and ine1plica-
bic flncies among those who serve
him. While was filed With wonder.
my fellow work!uen were simply play
ing an ordinary game to pull me DOM
and build up themselves.
had not been with the concern long
when Mr.. MarS;on asked NE 10 dine
ut his house. 1t was evident the mo-
ment | appeared ut his home that
was an object OF great interest Mrs.
MarstOn'S grasp Of the hand. the H.
tensity Of her gaze ut resolving me.
would have astonished me had it not
been that had received so many sur
prises already. The children ali gave
tNluSklNc VI NuS SuuiC 4llbCAtSls W Us"
treated as affectionately as If ! had
been some dear relative. When ] took
my leave ! WIS urged to make their
home my home. coming and going
without ceremony.
became sufficiently friendly with
one of the heads of departments to ask
him one day what he considered the
cause of Mr.. Marston's and his fam
ily's kindly treatment of me. He said
that Mr.. Marston was very singular
man. He had been accustomed to re-
warding the employees of the concern
| for faithful and valuable service 'sud-
! denly and with no reference TO what
! the reward was given for. 1t seemed
| to be fancy with him, and no one
| ever questioned or discussed anything
he did. This gave no linking of the
reason for my preferential treatment.
I for it had begun before ! had had Il
| chance to earn it.
In two years l was made vice piesi-
dent of the company, and Mr.. Marston.
who was getting tired of the business,
began TO throw a great deal of the re-
! sponslbility he had heretofore taken to
upOil L LuSl nave
oped certain amount of business ca
pacity or l would not have been able
to bear this burden for any consdera-
bic period 1t was about this time that
1 l married. and Mr.. Marston gave me
! house. At the time of this gift led
the way for him TO tell me why he had
so favored me. but he did not avail
himself of it. He turned away with Il
grunt, saying:
We can't avoid fate. which is much
more liable to strike than to coddle US.
In the first case il does no good 10
grumble. and in the second it does no
good to wonder In either event we
must accept what she has III store
for us"
The secret came out in time Mr..
Marston was taken III and sent for
me to come to see him. ! Went and.
when ushered into the bedroom where
he lay. stood transtiXed with astonish-
ment. He had been i'll two months,
during which period had not seen
him. His hair had grown aud for
about an inch from his scalp was red
and the same shade of red as my own.
| tlC rest btluS UldA IL IL WAC CNiuChI
that he had been accustomed to dye it
and during his illness had ceased to
do so.
1T is time" he said to me, that
let you know the reason why | have
helped you. 1t is because some twen-
ty years ago l would have suffered the
death of a felon had it not been for
you. A third person. who also had red
hair like yours and mine, committed a
murder would have been identified
as the murderer had it not been for
your opportune appearance with the
same or like shade of hair as the
other two You deserve no credit for
having saved me from an ignoble
death. but 1t has given me no end of
/ pleasure and comfort to reward you
as the unintentional cause of my es-
cape. have done it selhshly and for
my own satisfaction, not yours.
Il have sent for you to tell you this
and to say to you that ] shall not
again return to the management Of the
business. Fortunately for us both. you
have shown yourself capable Of man.
aging a large business like that of the
MufSlOH huNC dGlidSh ~
give you one-twentieth of my holdings
of the capital stock of the company,
for think that the manager of a bust
ness should be interested in that bust
ness with its shareholders. and with
the holdings of nay family, you will
be able to keep the control. At the
election which comes off next month
you will be made president. | have no
doubt the interests OF all concerned
! will be we'll served so long as you hold
the office"
Why Mr.. Marston so long kept from
me the cause of his preference for me
he did not tell me. but can see ad.
vantages in It, II did not show my
: self worthy ii would be easier for him
to drop me out OF the business or
. leave me among the lower grades OF
employees. But. as has been said. he
was m odd man and tad an odd ay
of doing things.