Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-19
The Daily Story
SHABBY GENTEEL-BY F. A. mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1918. by Associated Literary Bureau


road. erect and with that swinging step
a soldier gets and once got can never
shake of
II when had sat down to transfer ia
canvas the GrSt veriure of spring any
one had told me that a man whom
had never seen and did not eXpeCt to
see again would come along and leave
a sketch of his face and figure. taking
away in exchange my heart. I should
have considered the prophet lunatic
Yet there sat. with the picture in my
hand. and there walked away the man
with my heart, without once looking
hack
saw him approach rise IN the
ground and hOned before 10 descended
on the other side he would turn with
last wave OF his hand But he lid
not He. passed out of sight. treating
me as woman with whom he had no
acquaintance
He has been ruined" | said 10 my
self through no fault of his own.
but he will not permit any one else TO
share his obloquy"
About a year from this meeting on
looking over a newspaper. glanced at
the personal column | don't know
why have always heen accustomed 10
read the personals. but ! do. | suppose
il is because in some Of them I think
| can see romance. and love to Won
der what that romance may he. For
the same reason like stories in which
the principal parts are left to the i'm
agination. What know ceases at once
TO interest me. What | don't know and
imagine to he a story in itself never
ceases to interest me.
As | was saving. | was reading the
personals in the newspaper when |
came upon one under the heading Of
Information Wanted" that described
my model. The description of him was
perfect. | felt absolutely sure that l
was right in my inference that it re-
ferred to him. 1t occurred to me that
in identifying the missing man the
sketch had made of him might be OF
great assistance. | wrote a note to the
advertiser that I had met such a man
and had made a sketch of him. which
would be at his service if he re
quired IT,
received a reply from a German
American firm OF attorneys, who re
! piled that the person sought was want
ed abroad and the lawyers had letters
I for him. took the picture to them
4 which they referred to one who knew
/ him and pronounced it his likeness. |
/ loaned it to them. and they had it pho
tographed and used with subsequent
/ advertisements.
One morning a card came up to me
bearing the name of Baron Carl Rich
ter. My heart leaped to my throat. for
] OWNED at once that the man | had
thought of by day and dreamed of by
night had returned to me. But how
should | 90 down TO see him with my
heart futtering like a frightened bird?
Mastering my feelings as well as l
! could, | finally went down. to see my
model, not IN shabby genteel habii-
ments. but dressed like a gentleman.
But one thing noticed-his present at
tire did not add one whit to his APP
/ nearance of refinement
He told me that he had been vindi-
cated-how. | never knew and do not
know today. Nor do l care to know
From the first | was as sure OF his III
noCence as if an angel had proclaimed
it, And il did not raise him in NV opin-
ion. for he mad never so required rails
ing. But | rejOiced that the obioquy
had been taken from him. And re-
joiced. too, that his former rank and
Office had been restored to him by the
sovereign of his state
/ 10 I o
the sketch | had made Of him and.
when shown it at the office of the at
torneys. had asked for my address. and
as soon as he could make himself pre-
seutahie had called upon me.
That brief meeting nj which the
sketch had been made was as much to
him as to me. When he had walked
away from me--So he told me-the
world before him looked darker even
than it had looked before. It was the
trial of his life. when lie stood upon the
crest. to avoid turning for a parting
glance before descending
On returning to the principality to
which he belonged ne took me with
him as his wife. He IS now always
well - sometimes faultlessIy - dressed
but ! love to remember him IN his
shabby gentec clothes sitting on that
log looking al me with his honest eyes
Though. as ! have said. / DO not
know what was the cause OF his dis
grace. there are few. very few. who
do ana by them he is considered to
have made martyr Of himself for
some one. the world doesn't say who
II has been said that II was a prince Of
the blood who should. hut for reasons
Of state. have borne the disgrace him
self. Others aver it was for n woman.
to shield whom he placed himself in
the position Of thief. | suppose that
!. being woman. should wish TO know
the story: but. In the first place. am
not one Of those who are permitted 10
know It. and in the second place. I
love stories the denouement Of which
may feed my fancy on and enjoy kaV-
Ing otle I'm my own household
; April l9 IN American