Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-05


house door with little sigh of relief
and wal.ed slowly down the village
street toward home.
J There came q CHATTER Of hoofs on the
road. and Lionel Forbes rode calamity
| around the bend and pulled bis Dig
black horse TO a standstill beside Mar
| thena.
"How do you do. Miss Jude 10
asked. smiling down at her from his
brown eyes.
Marthena's eyes were dazzled by
| Lionel Forbes and his too evident
beauty The sudden interest of Shar-
on's richest young man in the humble
schoolteacher wac gathering. Marthena
Judd was pretty in a pale. delicate
! way, but one always thought that she
gave promise of greater beauty when
she could have a rest from teaching
the robust youngsters of the village
school.
While Marthena smiled and blushed
under the bold glance Of Lionel
Forbes, Miss Myra Finney, who kept
the postoffice. peered from an unob-
structed corner of the window and
made comments to her sister Susan
eff 1 had a child in Marthena Judd's
school 1 would put my foot down
about one thing" said Myra after
Lionel and Marthena had walked
slowly on.
whats that?' asked Susan lazily.
I'D put q stop to her Irritation with
Lionel Forbes. 1t sets s, very bad ex-
ample to the children. Why, Susan,
she's all took up with him SOS she's
forgotten to come for her mail. and
here's a letter from her brother Henry
way out in wyoming. He don't write
very often. / wonder If there is any
thing the matter"
"Marthena writes to him every Sun
day" remarked Susan. Let me see
Henry lost his wife. didn't hep"
Marthena blushed and then paled
when she read her brothers letter.
Dear Marthena-I am wondering IL you
can't take pity me and come out here
and keep house for me. You needn't do
any real hard work: Lee Sing, the China
man. does that, but II does need wo-
mans hand out here. and I'm plain lone
some for you. 1t was different when Ida
was alive. but you know how it is III
pay you what you get for teaching the
Sharon kids. and you'll have a horse to
ride and anything else in reason that you |
want Do come. Send me a telegram and
I'll meet you at Bitter Tree whenever you !
say. Your loving brother, HENRY.
Marthena's face paled as she read !
the letter. 1t was so plainly her duty |
to go to poor Henry, but her dawning /
love for Lionel Forbes held her back. |
If she went away now his too tickle |
heart would seek another. Yet. know !
ing this. she yearned after him. He |
had opened the rosy doors of romance /
TO Marthena Judd. He would forget |
her If she went. And yet it was her |
duty to go to her brother.
She would let Aunt Hepsey decide.
Aunt Hepsey was a large. capable wo-
man who ruled her family of grown
sons and daughters with an iron hand.
She had spared a small gabled room
for Marthena Judd. her orphaned niece. |
and Martbena's board money paid for :
music lessons for the three girls.
Aunt Hepsey read the letter and then
settled her gold framed spectacles on /
her nose.
"Marthena. it's your plain duty to go
to Henry" she said. Hes doing
splendidly out there ON the ranch. He's
getting rich. so Larry Barnes wrote to
George. You know Larry went out
there. and Henry gave him work on
the ranch. Seems Larry's a foreman
or something out there. 1 s'pose you've
forgotten all about Larry Barnes now
that Lionel Forbes is sweet on you;
but, Marthena. you can't place any de-
pendence on Lionel. He's a butterfly.
always running after some pretty girl.
and-now. don't get mad-you asked
my advice and
Aunt Hepsey looked after Marthe-
mas flying form with disapproval in
her eyes
Don't IT beat ALL she asked of the
empty air. show folks will ask your ad-
vice and then fly all to pieces if 1t
don't suit their idees:"
1t was a heavy hearted MaFthena
who packed her trunks and babe fare
well to the little Maine village where
she had lived all her days.
The train left Sharon and the old
life far behind. While the ache OF
parting was still in Marthena's throat
the novelty of travel interested and
comforted her. Five days later Mar
thena entered upon the rolling prairie
land tfet TO her eastern eyes seemed
Ike dust colored sea bounded by
the purple hills rising and melting
sped on.
At Ritter Tree her trunks were
dumped out on the platform. and the
train went on into the golden glory OF
the sunset. while Marthena stood there
feeling strangely small and forlorn
until Henry's big voice and Henry's
strong arms greeted her
She looked at him with wondering
eyes. Henry Judd had gone forth
from Sharon village tall. lanky New
Englander dressed in i'll fitting store
clothes. The man before her was big
and stout. and his cowboy Int and
shirt and his corduroy trousers tucked
into high heeied boots gave him the
ook or stranger But the old merry
ook was IN his eyes rs he put his lit +;
le sister into the huckhOard and took L