Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-03
Fhe Daily Story
STR kcE COINCIDENCE HELoisE BRAYToN.
convr,rated 1918, Assoeae Literary sareau

net with setbacks and advances that
lever seemed 10 get to q point where
lie could break away and go home.
ana so he drifted on and. not hearing
from his wife, at last concluded that
her parents had dominated her and
had probably secured an annulment OF
her marriage. Finally the connection
became like troubled dream. In his
sleep he would dream that he had been
reunited to his love. but when he
awoke it was with q sense of relief that
the experience was not real.
In the meanwhile Smith accumulat-
ed wealth. He had opportunities to
marry, but did not know whether he
had legal right to marry and in any
event did not care to mate with any
of the Spanish women he met in South
/ America. At last, after twenty years
/ sojourn there, he sold out his posses
/ sions and returned TO the land Of his
/ birth.
Such was the early experience OF
Mr.. Smith, who when past middle life
found himself out OF business, with no
family and with no other home Ghan q
hotel. He had made some inquiries
concerning his girl wife and her peo-
pie, but had learned nothing. He en-
deavored to find evidence that his mar
rage had been annulled, but had fail
ed. Indeed, an annulment could hard
ly be within the law, since he had not
received any papers in the case.
Mr.. Smith and Miss Jones were
drawn together by similarity OF po-
sition. Both needed a home. Smith
decided to ask her to marry him.
Should he tell her Of the uncertainty
hanging over him? If he did she
would, should she become his wife.
live under that uncertainty, whereas
If she knew nothing Of the matter she
would have nothing to worry about
Twenty years had passed without his
hearing Of his girl wife, and he
thought 1t probable that If she were
living she had married again. y
When Mr.. Smith proposed Miss
Jones told him that she had had an
attachment in her youth that. she had
never entirely recovered from. and she
thought he should know that there
was q bit Of her affections that she
could never give him. He replied that
he. too, had had an affair of the heart,
and on this point they were quits. His
conscience smote him for not telling
the whole story, but he felt 1t rather q
kindness than an injustice to her to
refrain. -
They were married as persons Of
their age usually prefer to be married
privately. Indeed, so little attention
did the groom pay to preparations that
when he stood up to be married and
the clergyman asked for the wedding
ring Mr.. Smith was thrown into con-
fusion by the discovery that he had
neglected to provide q ring. But the
bride came to the rescue. Slipping q
ring of her finger, she handed 1t to
the clergyman. and the services pro
ceeded without any further Interrupt
ton.
: From the church the couple were
| driven to the station and from there
! started on a wedding journey. Seated
l side by side in their private compart
e ment, Mr.. Smith reverted to the only
: contretemps that occurred in the mar
= riage ceremony.
8 What stupid blunder I made Il
p not providing wedding ring! Whel
}, / gave you the solitaire at our engage
s ment I supposed it was all that wa
: required of me. / had forgotten tina
D when / was *. &
t He stopped short.
j Forgotten what?" asked the bride.
r I'M
he asked to see the ring with whic
e he had married her. She refused, say
e ing 1t was connected with the earl
J, affair of which she had spoken whe
e he proposed TO her and he must cor
e tent himself always to see 1t on be
Q finger without an inspection.
It Its not an engagement ring" b
e said. "for it is a plain gold circlet with
It out a stone. It's more like a weddin
o ring"
s The blood mounted to the lady
cheek. She showed signs of collapse.
ID What troubles your" asked tn
d. groom anxiOusly.
Of Il should have told you. have beel
Id married. The ring is the one used a
IS my .-rst marriage"
III AS she spoke she drew 1t from he
ID finger and handed 1t to him. Insid
" were the initials "E. NJ. s to /. j."
e? why, e. NJ. s. are my intials-Ed
lie ward Morgan Smith"
Id There are thousands OF Smiths" sh
m stammered. II knew your first name
e. Edward, which is common one. toe
IN but didn't know about the Morgan.
ia They were looking into each other
# eyes wondering.
10 "Are you Belle jones'" he asked. 1"
an didn't think about the Belle, and sup
en- posed you were Isabel"
he Heavens! Can 1t be-
an ut must be"
IN Married twice with the same ring!
or he exclaimed. clasping her in his arms
al, How can We have been marrie'
twice" Size said presently. when W
oh have been married only 10 each other?
or You are right" lie replied. "Thougl
"a our original marriage was annulIed.
~ was not legally annulled. We hav
a- Just gone through a useless eere
.ra mony."