Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-06
The Daily Story
weathered-By Erminie Holland.
Copyrighted 1914 by Associated Literary Bureau

ment from her task-"he would never
to It They were always teasing and
taunting, nagging and grumbling, until
he got sick of 1t ALL"
She resumed her work-the kneadine
of doury mass OF dough-with the
energy of an unnatural force within.
"They thought because they had saved
some money from the fruit of their
hard labors they would make a gentle
man of him, being the only one they
had. And when they had done that
they gave him no peace until he mar.
ried her. 1t didn't matter about me.
1t was nothing to them that I had
grown to think Of him all day long and
dream Of him at nights. 1t was moth
ing to them that 1 went to school long
er than we could afford and read books
and studied nights that j might not be
too ignorant And i would have gone
| away to be a nurse and left them
alone. old and feeble as they are, for
his sake"
She spoke in a voice that was fndis-
tinctIy audible, for there was none to
hear. The deep breathing from the in
ner chamber told her that its occupants
could be awakened by no such sounds,
and she was tired of her silent thoughts.
'I scarcely get time to think in the
daytime" she continued, with the
work and the looking after them, but
at nights it is different. And on nights
| like this, when it is blowing hard and
/ the wind means and the snow drifts
and drifts, then it comes into my head,
| =
it away with sleep, for sleep is hard to
| bring these nights
She finished in silence, placing the
| spongy material in a dish and covering
it with a white cloth for the night
Then she went to the door and open
ed it cautiously. 1t was wild and
stormy without. A snow laden blast
swept into the room, making the lamp
fame flicker almost to extinction. She
closed it hurriedly ere the drift at its
base should fall inward.
at gets worse and worse" she muir
INJURED. '0The Lord lend his aid to any
one abroad in the hills tonight. The
storm would blind and freeze and the
road would sure be lost. 1t reminds
me of the blizzard Of six years back,
when 1 was teaching in Cedar Valley.
The storm lasted three days, and
She stopped suddenly to listen. An
unwonted sound in the wind had
caught her ear, like a voice, a hail
Again it came, assuredly a call and
close at hand.
In an instant she had opened the |
door once more and stood peering out |
into the night
fnrsYv
emerged from out the darkness and |
the clouds of swirling snow, and a man
paused at the stoop to unloose his
snowshoes and stamp the white clods
from his moccasined feet Then, with
a muffied greeting, he stepped past her
into the room
Its you. doctorY' she exclaimed.
YES" he said, ST am forced to give |,
in at last 1 tried it on foot from
Browns, but lost the road just be-
yond here and all idea of direction"
Its the worst for many and many |
long year." she replied. And you're
new at the Glen. You're not wealth
cred
81 hope and pray there is no one in
sad distress this night, doctors" she
asked anxiously.
TT is Mrs. Graham of the Ridge.
She has pneumonia and weak heart.
They think she cannot get through the
night" He walked restlessly to the
end of the room, and back. 81 fear
they are in sore need of assistance"
The girls heart beat with great force
at his words, but her face showed no
sign. She placed chair for him. filed
his cup with tea, pressed him to par
take of the cold venison, then sat down
on the settee and looked steadily at the
fire as it reared and sparkled up the
chimney.
1T is a bad trouble" she said at
length. Then, as if a sudden thought
had come: You're DR.. Graham. Might
you be kin of theirs?"
NO But 1 used to know DR.. Jack.
We were at college together"
HAS he been sent for?"
at believe so. But it will take some
days to get here If this state of wealth
er continues"
He went on: 'I understand he has
opened up practice near my old hons
in Port Arthur. 1t is rather strange
hat should have done the same thing
DOWN here-near his"
Have you ever Seen-hlS wlreE Inc
girls voice faltered on the last words.
II have not" he answered. 1--WE are
entirely out of touch lately. / did not
know be had married"
The paper said she was talented.
md his mother told me that she was
rich"
4 long silence fell between them.
rhe doctor leaned back in the old arm
,hair and soon dozed. The girl sat
straight up, with her hands clasped to-
,ether in her lap and her gaze still on
he fire. She was thinking, thinking.
Every throb OF her heart seemed to
epeat two words, His motherr Had
Ter time really come. then? She had
made one life scarcely worth the Nv
ng For that she deserved to die. ave. :
miserable death, without doctors