Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-28

oy breath? Mine shattered when
Alfred went away TO find something
be could do 10 make a living. and
Aunt Adeline gave the hard. green
stem to Mr.. Carter when she married
me to him. Poor Mr.. Carter.
No. wasn't twenty. and this town
was full Of women who were aunts
and cousins and law kin to me. and
nobody did anything for me. They
all said with a sigh of relief, 1T will
be such a nice, safe thing for you,
Molly" And they really didn't mean
anything by tying up a gay. dancing,
fTolickfng, prancing colt of girl with
a terribly ponderous bride. But God
didn't want to see me always trotting
along slow and tired and not caring
what happened to me, even pounds
and pounds of plumpness. so he found
use for Mr.. Carter in some other place
but this world. and i feel that he is
going to see me through whatever
happens. If some OF the women in
my missionary society knew how
friendly / feel with God they would
put me out for contempt of court.
No, the town didn't mean anything
by Christening my spirit with Mr.. Car
ter, and they didn't consider him in
the matter at all, poor man! OF that
l feel sure. Hillsboro Is like that
1t settled itself here In a Tennessee
valley a few hundreds of years ago
and has been Matching and clucking
over its own small affairs ever since
All the houses set back from the street
with their wings spread out over their
gardens, and mothers here go on hover
ing even to the third and fourth gen.
Grafton. Lots of times young, long
legged. frying size boys scramble out
OF the nests and go of to college and
decide to grow up where their crow
will be heard by the world Alfred
was one Of them.
And. too. occasionally some man
comes along from the big world and
marries plump little broiler and takes
her away with him. but mostly they
stay and go to lowering life on a cor
ner of the family estate. That's what
l did
was poor little lost chick with
frivolous tendencies, and they all cluck'
ed me over into this empty Carter nest
which they considered well feathered
for me. 1t gave them all a sensation
when they found out from the will just
how well it was feathered. And it gave
me one too. All that money would
make me nervous if Mr.. Carter hadn't
made DR.. John its guardian, though
sometimes feel that the responsibility
of me makes him treat me as If he
were my grandfather-in-law. But
| all in all. though stiff in its knees with
aristocracy. Hillsboro is lovely and Low
ing, and couldn't inquisitiveness be
called just real affection with a kind
! of squint in its eye?
| And there | sat on my front steps
| being embraced in perfume of every
| body's lilacs and peachblow and sweet
| syringa and affectionate interest and
moonlight with Il letter in my hand
! from the man whose two photographs
and many letters had kept locked VI
in the garnet for years. Is it any won
| der tinSled when he told me that he
had never come back because hi
couldn't have me and that now the
minute be landed in America he was
going to lay his heart at my feet?
added his honors to his PROSTATE hear
myself, and my own beat at the pros
pect. All the eight years faded away
and l was again back in the old gar
den down at Aunt Adeline's cottage
saying goodby. folded up in his arms
| That's the way my memory put thu
| scene to me, but the word folded
made me remember that blue muslin
| dress again. ! had promised to keel
it and wear it for him when he came
back-and l couldn't forget that thu
blue belt was just twenty-three inches
and mine is-no. won't write it.
had got that dress out of the old trunl
not ten minutes after had read tn,
letter and measured it.
No. nobody would blame me for run
ming right across the garden to DR.
John with such q real trouble as that
All Of a sudden / Rugged the lettel
and the little book up close to my
breast and laughed until the tears RAJ
down my cheeks.
Then before | went into the house
assembled my garden and had famil!
prayers with my flowers. 10 that be
cause they are all the family I've got
and God knows that all his budding
things need encouragement. whether 1
is a widow 'or SNOWFALL bush. Hell
give it to us.
And I'm praying again as sit her,
and watch for the doctors light TO e
out. / hate to 60 TO sleep and leave
burning. for he sits up so late. and b.
is so gaunt and thin and tired lookinj
most times. That's what the last pray
er is about, almost always-sleep 70
him and no night call!
| F-s-l
--Ig- LEAF SECOND. TET-