Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-21
The Daily Story
ABELs REBELL1oN-BY cLARIssA MAcKIE.
Copyrighted Literary Bureau

] ed crimson at the Opprobrious fer,,
The front door opened and =.
little woman came out drvin~ -
hands on her gingbam apron. sbs -.
obviously just concluded washing -
Sunday dinner dishes, and She -. -
into the nearest rocking chair wiss
weary sigh, removing her apron -
tossing it aside all in one swift !. ~
/ ture.
"Howdy do?- she queried withon, :.
terest as she surveyed Abe.'s imm,e-
late figure. Won't you sit dow
spell? Pas over to Westwood toS,.
guess you're the new preacher fr0.
North Tel6eet, amt you?"
Abel Durham stared at her nj.
faded little gray haired woman ~,
the mother Of the girl he had taken 4.
Amy. So this must be Amy. An.
must be married. A chill feeling ~
possession of his well ordered ba;,~
and he suddenly thought Of his room ].
Miss Pollock's, and great fear ssssf
ed him that Miss Anastasia might ron,
the room to some one else before be ~
turned.
I'm not the new preachers he saia
with a stckly smile. I'm Abel Dur.
ham. Don't you remember me?y
The woman sat up and peered down
at him from Amy Cox,s beautiful blus
eyes. label Durham." she gasped Al
last. 'To think of your catching ma
like this. I'd never have known you--
you've grown so fatr'
"Fat?" echoed Abel helplessly.
She laughed with amusement. "Don'f
you know it? My, don't you remember
how thin you used to be? The bows
used to call you skinny Durham.
remember once Jake Fenlow called ron
that and you struck out at him and
you had an awful fight. You licked
him. too. although you was such
skinnr little fellow, You couldn't lick
him now; you're too fatr' laughed Amr
81 couldn't, Ell? What has become
of Jake Fenlowf" demanded AbeI
fiercely.
81 married him." said Amy calmly
There was a long silence.
give got to be going" said Abel sud.
denly. ST was just looking around the
mountain, and 1 thought Id drop IN
and see you
"Glad to see you. Come In when.
ever you're passing by" invited Mrs
FenIow ambiguousIy. Jamie, Whist
are you up to in there?" She darted
inside the house, and Abel Durham
took advantage of her absence to de-
part.
He hurried down the mountain road,
painting and putting with the unaccus
toned exertion. He overlook the shit
ing new buggy and noted with sick
ening recollection of his own lost youth
that the young man in the red necktie
had his arm around pretty Amy's sen
der waist. He heard the girl giggle as
he rushed past them in cloud of dust
raised by his own hurried feet
Along by the river bank he overlook
the stage making its lazy way toward /
the station, and he buried himself IN +
its musty depths with sigh of relief. T
All the way back to the city his mind +
was busy with plans for the future
so that when in the quiet Of the Sun
day evening he presented himself al
Miss Anastasia Pollock's parlor door
he was not only Immediately garbd,
but his mind was set in order as well
Anastasia was reading by the light
of a pink shaded lamp, and PINK
shawl was thrown about her shoulders
lending a fictitious glow to her p'f
cheeks. Her fair hair was slightly
loosened and softened the sharp our
lines drawn by relentless time.
For a moment Abel Durham watched
- orru
to protect Anastasia from the storms
of life disturbing his heart Remove
Miss Pollock from this boarding hous
atmosphere, place her in charming
home. let her rest and rest again-wn,''
would be handsome. ne
longed to do 1t, and the desire had been
born in him way back there on lns
when he had realized fnM
it was too late to take up the broker
threads of youth. The threads OF hs
middle age were interviewer win tas
threads of Anastasia Pollock's life. ~
gether they would make fabric o.
gray and silver, with the rosy tnss-s
Of romance running through!
"Ob, Mr.. Durham," fiuttered Anasia
;ia as he closed the door and came i0f
ward.
q can't go away. Miss Pollock saa
Abel firmly.
''You said you were going to he mar
led" murmured Anastasia. i sup
bose you'll want to bring the ia~
lere:"
Abel shook his head.
II shall never marry any one unNp'
ron will have me, Miss Pollock. ana.
asia. 1 should say he said. 4 hoN
-ou dou't mind IL l call you Anas''
ia 2"
1t took the bewildered Anastasa
alf hour to understand that Apei ~
am really meant what he saa,
hen she dropped her tired head ~
aid that Abel might call her snytDm'
e liked
'I'r call you wife, them SAID
Oddly as he kissed her cheek. -
And it Is significant fact ina, ~
'urhams never viii permit cisn
orned beef hash at their cosy ofee'
ast table.
A