Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-07
The Argus Daily Story
His Fellow Passenger-By clarissa Mackie.
Copyrighted 1919. by Associated Literary Bureau


dence. At present we are in great
trouble"
Burnell looked interested as he
lighted the cigar Mr.. Ridgely offered
him.
Il have a daughter. an only child,
beautiful girl said Mr. Ridgely. his
voice trembling with emotion. She
has been reared with the greatest care,
and my sister has been Il second moth
er to Frances. Four weeks ago you
can imagine how shocked we were
when my daugbter-she is only eight
een-confessed that she wanted to
marry her music master, a young Ger
man, clever enough in his way, but Of
whose antecedents l know nothing. 1
forbade the match. of course, until the
man could give some account of him
self, hut he must have exerted some
influence over my daughter, for few
days after her confession of love for
the musician Frances left home, taking
only Il small sum of money with her.
She left n note saying that she would
go away and earn her own living until
Felix could afford to marry her.
you can imagine our grief and con-
sternation. OF course l put detectives
on her track Immediately. and she has
been under surveillance ever since. 1t
seems the fellow went TO Providence to
play in some orchestra there, and
Frances has seen him only once since
she went to New York. She has been
working in a department store until
yesterday afternoon; then | received
word from my agent that she had left
the employment of the firm and had
told her landlady she was going to
Providence to be married. Somehow
Alden, my agent, lost sight of her. and
she has slipped off to meet this fellow.
IF only could catch her. am sure
she would listen to reason. for she
loves us dearly, but her Ridgely pride
has been reused, and have been let
ting her fight it out alone. hoping she
would tire of it and come back to us.
But let it go too long. This German
chap undoubtedly is after her money
as well as herself"
Il think l can help you out, Mr..
Ridgely," exclaimed Burnell. II be-
lieve your daughter came down on the
train with me last night" And he re-
lated his adventure to the impatient
father
1T is Francesw cried Mr. Ridgely,
reaching for his hat. 81 thank you a
thousand times for your kindness to
my child, Mr.. Burnell. Now, if Alden
will only come along we can get that
1903 and reach Providence in time to
prevent their marriage"
In Ave minutes the detective arrived,
and as they FASTENED down to the
station Mr. Ridgely told the story of
Burnell's meeting with the girl in
black and his knowledge of her having
gone to Providence.
Burnell afterward learned from Mr..
Ridgely's own lips what had happened.
1t seems that his daughter had grown
somewhat disillusioned concerning her
| German lover. but her pride forbade
that she give in, though her tender
heart was breaking for a reconcilia-
ton with those whom she had loved
and from whom she was now parted
| for the first time in her life
Her correspondence with the young
! German was desultory and only served
| to emphasize the difference In their
! upbringing. At the end of three weeks
| Frances Ridgely admitted to herself
! that she was completely cured of this
| fatal fascination for her music mas
ter. but just then he wrote to her and
urged that they be married at once.
He had n steady position and could
support them. His endaaring epithets
! liz
| first lovemaking. and the girl was mo-
mentarlly stirred by his appeal and con-
scented to go to Providence and marry
him.
Mr. Ridgely and his agent arrived
! just in time to halt Felix Hermann on
the steps of the girls boarding place.
She was standing IN the doorway,
gowned I'm that same shabby black
dress in which Burnell had seen her
! When she saw her father she tainted
in his arms. and afterward they learn
ed it was from pure joy at her re-
lease from her engagement.
Felix Hermann seemed to be reliev-
ed Of great responsibility when
Frances returned to her father. and
not long nfterward he married rich
widow who was passionately fond Of
| music.
Robert Burnell painted Miss Ridge
| ly's portrait. but he did not meet
Frances. who Immediately went abroad
with her father for change of scene
after her escapade. But he never
gave up his hope Of one day knowing
her and transferring 10 canvas her
! beautiful face.
When she finally returned he renew
ed his acquaintance with her. and aft
err her first embarrassment in his pres
ence wore off he was overjoyed to re-
ceive commission to paint her port
RAFT
So successful were the sittings that
in the end the painter gave Mr. Ridge
~ the exquisite painting in exchange
for the original, and his fellow passen-
ger for life proved 20 be the same girl
he had met on the train and assisted to
elope with another man.
!
II Jan. z IN American