Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-02
The Daily Story
HER PRoPoSAL-BYF F. A. mitchell
Copyrighted. -sl3 by Associatei Literary Bureau

me could count on You tor anything.
The fisherman WINGED. He had some
thing on his mind something he had
dreamed without hope of its realiza-
ton. He had long wished for Edith's
love. the love Of woman. not child.
for man. Now that she was eft
alone there seemed possibility that he
might induce her TO look upon him as
n sutton But he had been twenty
years old when she was born. and she
had been accustomed to think of him
as something akin TO father. Her
reception of the opening of the pro-
posal he intended discouraged him,
But what is it you have to say 80
me?" she added. seeing that he was
drawing back within himself. Her Ques-
ton was accompanied by Il reasSurinG
smile 1t brought him courage.
II don't see how you can live here
alone" he said. land you have no rela-
tive TO come and live with you. l
was your fathers friend. He was like
a brother to me. and I've missed him
since he left us pretty nigh as much
as you have"
Illu. w IL
was to stave Off what she saw was
coming or from sincere desire to
know the truth he could not be sure.
Tell me-" she said, what was the
trouble that came to the family when
was little girl. and what was your
connection with it
Your father told ME that If I felt it
would be safe to in,ruSt you with the
secret after you had become woman
and he had gone had his permission
to do So"
"Intrust me. Did father doubt that
might safely be intrusted with any
secret?"
Not as n woman. only as an ire
sponsible child. l will tell you all 1
ought to tell you. for there is a reason
in it for my not saying what i have
intended to say. There was man.
misery wretch. who held n mortgage
on this house. Your father was having
hard luck with his nets about that
time and couldn't pay the interest. The
old skinfiint wrote him that he was
going to foreclose the mortgage Your
father went to see him about the mat
ter and there were high words between
the two. The next morning the miser
was found murdered"
Edith leaned forward to catch every
word. n look of dread on her face.
Your father was arrested charged
with the murder. Nobody doubted that
he was guilty. and since n number
OF criminals had shortly before got
| off by the inefficiency OF the law n
number of men determined in this case
! to be the law themselves. | got wind
of the move and. taking my gun. went
! to the Jail to help the sheriff protect
your father. Nearing it. | saw the men
! advancing to attack it. Taking posi-
! ton behind tree. fred several shots
at them"
The captain paused.
"Well?" querled Edith.
81 killed one of them"
$50 on
They supposed my shots came from
| the jail They all went away. You
are the only person now living who
knows that there is blood on my
| hands,"
She reached for the hand on which
| there was blood and asked him to go
| on.
Not long after this the police ran in
a criminal with some money and other
property on him that had belonged to
the murdered man. He confessed to
the murder. and your father was re-
leased"
With a sigh of relief Edith drew
away and. resting her head on the
high back of the chair in which she
| sat, covered her face with her hands.
Her companion waited for her to re-
/ cover from her emotion. Presently
she withdrew her hands and said:
| Go on"
There's nothing more TO tell" the
captain said. II wanted to give myself
! up and take the consequences OF the
! killing had done. but your father and
! your mother dissuaded me. They said
1t was perfectly legitimate and by 1t l
had saved your fathers life, for it
turned out that the sheriff was unpre-
/ pared to defend him and was ready to
! give him up TO the men who had
brought with them the wherewithal
| TO execute him. | suppose this is true.
! but think would have felt better all
| these years If / had confessed"
Never mind that now. What was
It you were going to tell me before this
| digression:'
II can't do it."
Then I will"
She threw her arms about his neck
/ and said: You will need some one 10
take the place of those who doubtless
did what they could to make you feel
/ satisfied that you did right in defend
! ing an innocent man even though you
took life in doing so, viii be that
! person"
The story was told. though It was
the woman who told it. And now an
other wife lies at night thinking OF q
fisherman out on the black waters IN
Ter the dome Of heaven waiting fol
the fishes 10 come into his net Wher
the moon glints the waves she sleeps
calmly. but when she hears the vino
rising or the deep moan Of the fog
horn she shudderS.
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