Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-07

er fresh. but it was still with me- | O.
still felt that certain perfection,
Complementary condition thai would
have been mine with Angela, was want
ing. ! was the same being ! had been
before. but under a different develop
ment. an incomplete one l took no
thought of supplying the deficiency by
becoming interested in another wo-
man. for such seemed no more posi-
bic than to change my being to be-
come a different individual 90
Nevertheless | felt certain exhilara-
ton yelling within me on this beautt
full spring morning. wondered where
my happiness came from. l had expe-
rienced it under the same conditions
before. but not after l had lost An
gela.
felt within me a desire to go down
on the beach and walk there. Nearer
the ocean l would get the odor I loved.
that salty emulation so different from
what we have in the interior. l stroll
ed along the road, crossed the dunes
and down on to the sloping sands
stretching far to the north and to the
south. A few sails were standing APP
psrently motionIess far out on the
horizon. though one was n trihe nearer.
and by fixing my eyes upon it could
detect a rocking on the waves which
were themselves undesirable.
! Then there arose a distant white
cloud bank. 1t grew in height and
/ density. and soon saw that it was an
I approaching fog. Then the sun was
/ dimmed, the air was dampened. and
/ the beautiful morning had changed.
/ Still. after being enveloped in the
mist l continued my walk. l could
see nothing and could hear nothing ex-
/ cept a light splash OF spent waves.
Notwithstanding that the sun had
/ ceased TO CLINT on the water, that the
| gulls had disappeared. that tie air
was wet and chill. felt that sah4e ex-
hilaration l had experienced before the
mist came. l thought of my friend
who had died on shipboard. and what
he had said about the higher beings
who were directing the current OF our
lives, and what he had meant by the
words Il will send her"
l saw something taking shape in the
fog, and almost before | realized its
before me. Standing almost near
enough to touch her. | saw Angela
Coming out OF the fog. wearing on her
face a sad expression. | could not for
moment determine whether she were
really Angela in the flesh. Angela Il
spirit or Angela a creation of my im-
agination. Then rs she recognized me
her face lighted up. smile took the
place OF sadness. and she put out both
hands to me.
Angela" | exclaimed. What do
you do here?"
walking on the beach. to be sure"
"Who sent your
"Who sent me-? What do you mean?"
"Ths is very strange"
"A coincidence. came down here
in the early spring to get rid Of the last
! cold breath OF winter. just as all the
others have come, rs you doubtless
have come. There is nothing very
strange about it. though admit we
might have passed our lives without
ever meeting again"
Her voice lost something of Joy at
this. | stood looking Mt her with a
sort of wonder. \ marvellous mean
ing came into the death words of my
friend-'T will send her" The people
not in the grave. but in the world
above us and about us. who are con-
trolling our dcstinies, had suddenly be
come real things to me-not faith be-
ings. but demonstrated by Angela's
coming following upon the words. Il
will send her"
You are changed" she said. with n
slight tremoIo i'll her voice.
Il changed? How? What do you
mean"
why, you seem TO Ice so absorbed with
some one or somebody else that you
have no pleasure in meeting me again.
Are you thinking OF "A sweetheart or a
wife?"
Her complaint recalled me to my
self ! drew her toward me We were
under the dome Of the heavens beside
the broad ocean, yet the friendly fog
concealed us from mortal gaze. In the
midst of our transports It occurred to
me that the friend who had sent her
to me was contentedly gazing upon us.
Angela had changed fFOIn a girl to a
"OHldh- one l'tu never recovered any
more than l from the parting and. as
she grew in individuality and indie
pendence, resisted the efforts Of her
mother to choose husband for her
and resolved. II she met me and were
. free and unchanged. what had been
should be again.
Naturally the words Of my dying
friend and the seeming fulfilment OF
p, his promise have had lasting effect
upon me. ! have drawn no absolute
: inference from the circumstances. but
what he considered certainty I have
come to consider a probability Two
!, facts contribute TO this view-we can
not see a human companion cut off by
death and realize a consequent nOnex
istence. and we must be guided by
something without ourselves Why
:, should there be an infinite gap between
= US and the great Crcatori
Q
. Feb. z in American