Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-11
Edith Edith"

Edith Edith"
The living shouting for the dead A
heart still warm sending forth its
longing to the pierced and pulseless
one, hidden in a far-off tomb! To
Sweetwater. who had seen Miss Chal-
loner buried, this summons of dis
tractsd love came with weird force
Then the present regained it's sway.
He heard her name again, and this
time 1t sounded less like a call and
more like the welcoming cry OF meet
ing spirits. Was death to end this
separation? Had he found the true
/ o. B., only 10 behold another and final
/ seal fall upon this closely folded mys-
terry? In his fear of this possibility,
I he caught at Doris hand as she was
about to bound away. and eagerly
/ asked:
When was Mr.. Brotherson taken
i'll? Tell me, entreat you; the exact
day and. If you can, the exact hour
More depends upon this than you can
readily realize"
She wrenched her hand from his.
painting with impotence and a vague
alarm. But she answered him dis.
tinctly:
"On the twenty-f1fth of last month.
just an hour after he was made mana
ger. He fell in faint at the works"
The day-the very day OF Miss Chal-
loner's death!
He'd he heard-did you tell him
then or afterwards what happened in
New York on that very date?"
No. no. we have not told him. 1t
would have killed hirn-and may yet"
Edith! Edith" come again
through the hush, a hush so deep that
Sweetwater received the impression
. that the house was empty save for pa
/ tient and nurse.
| This discovery had its effect upon
him. Why should he subject this
, young and loving girl to further pain?
He had already learned more than he
, had expected to. The rest would come
= with time. But at the first intimation
: he gave of leaving. she lost her alb
f stracted air and turned with absolute
: eagerness towards him.
One moment" said she You are
l a stranger and l do not know your
t name or your purpose here. But l
= cannot let you go without begging you
not to mention to anyone in this town
L that Mr.. Brotherson has any interest
in the lady whose name we must not
d speak. Do not repeat that delirious
Z cry you have heard or betray in any
/ way our intense and fearful interest
J. in this young ladys strange death
You have shown me a letter. Do not
d Help us to retain our secret a little
/. longer. Only the doctor and myself
IL know what awaits Mr. Brotherson Il
J. he lives. | had tC tell the doctor, but
S 4 doctor reveals nothing. Promise thai
you will not either, at least till the
a crisis is passed. It will help my ia
k Their and it will help me: and we neet
d all the help we can get"
t Sweetwater allowed himself one
e minute of thought, then he earnestl!
replied:
Il will keep your secret for today
and longer, if possible"
Thank you" she cried; thank you
| thought l saw kindness in you
face" And she again prepared to clos
Il the door.
vi But Sweetwater had one more ques
II ton to ask. Pardon me-" said he. a
/ he stepped down on the walk "yo
say that this is a critical day wit
your patient. Is that why every on
4 whom I have seen so far wears such
3 look of anxiety?"
4 Yes. yes" she cried. giving hir
J? one other glimpse of her lovely, ag
in town today. but one hope. and. a
! believe: but one prayer. THAT tn
man whom every one loves and ever
one trusts may live to run thes
works"
Edith Edith" rose in ceasclea
reiteration from within.
But it rang but family now in IN
= ears Of our detective. The door ha
; fallen to. and Sweetwater's share /
the anxieties of that household wa
over
n Slowly he moved away. He was
&C a confused yet elated condition {
y. mind. Here was food for thousan
n new thoughts aud coniectures An O
ar lando Brotherson and an OswaI
Brotherson-relatives possibly, stra
us gers possibly; but whether relative
or strangers, both given to signir
ne their letters with their initials sir
Ia ply; and both the acknowledged a
i'd mirers of the deceased Miss Challo
sh er. But she had loved only one, ar
-st that one, Oswald II was not difficu
lis to recognize the object Of this hig
IN hearted woman's affections IN tn
an man whose struggle with the maste
lis destroyer had awakened the solicituc
OF a whole town
We
ng CHAPTER XIV.
he