Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-10

sawmill up the creek, was a stalwar
person of easy manners and the scars
of fair fights.
Every day Mt the same hour he came
sauntering in and straddled the bench
not far from the sandwich board where
Mrs Taylor was always busy slicine
bread and butter.
Her long. oddly sIanting, light gray
wise eyes gave him a look of imper-
sonal friendliness as she nodded good
morning and briskly lifted two thick
sandwiches to a crockery plate and
without losing a motion poured a cup
of coffee These she placed before him.
He breakfasted leisurely. AS he ate
he talked with the cook.
"D'you know what day this is 90 he
asked one morning.
She fiicked an inquiring glance at
him, drove her knife through the loaf
and repeated:
do I know what day it is? Sure.
It's Friday" And she smiled. She
had battling, secretive smile.
The man smiled, too, watching her
| face.
"Dyou know why I call you Mona
Lisa?' he drawled banteringly.
Friend of yours 1 remind you OFF,
she offered, another smile lurking in
| the corners of her mouth.
you've guessed it. She had a smile
like yours. 1t was ticklish PROPOSE
ton, that smile of Mona's. You could
never tell whether it was with you or
on you. But what particular Friday is
this?"
1.-THE day of the month? The 10TH"
Correct said the man. (Which
1Oth?"
| She caught up a big wooden bowl
and began piling up the sandwiches
| into it with the automatic speed of
machinery.
She shook her head at his question.
(Which 10th would you say?"
1.-TWO months ago today you arrived
TO open up this haven for the hungry.
That's what happened to turn the
10th into a special red letter day." he
explained.
$50 L did"
land 1 was your first customer" he
reminded.
$50 you were"
"And I've never learned what your |
name Isl he pursued.
'Nor' She favored him with a tail !
eye glance, her hands flying with the !
motion of closing two slices of bread /
and butter over one slice of meat. |
After my saying it to you so often
Mrs. Harry Lane Taylor'-just like !
THAR
She threw out her hands in jaunty,
spread eagle gesture and whisked
around to the stove to replenish the
fire and readjust the jars of baking
beans.
The man smiled after her. He had
said the same thing sixty times-once
every day for sixty days.
In a minute she was back at the
sandwich board, her naturally pale
face fire flushed.
And L am going to ask you some
thing else
Something new?" she queried and
laughed. She had a frank, clear laugh
at variance with her yelled expression
and Secretive smile.
Are you widow"
Seems to me remember you asked
me that once"
Thirty times" he corrected. I've
a reason for wanting to know"
Her long. slanting gray eyes rested
upon MIN LOT moment While Sne
answered with mock seriousness:
Have you? Well, I'll tell you how
to get out of telling if anybody asks
you if I'm 6 widow. You just say you
don't know"
He grinned.
''All right for you! I'm going to keep
on asking till you answer. I'm coming
once an hour and ask till you answer"
hot /
cution," she protested, turning to hang
up the sandwich board.
McGehee slipped a coin. the price of
his breakfast, under his cup. swung
his feet over the bench and stood up.
III be back in an hour" he prom
ised.
More than half an hour after he was
gone n stranger entered. letting the
door blow backward and charging the
room with an icy wind.
He was ragged and dirty and gave
evidence not only Of poverty. but of
His hair was mixed with
gray, and he wore sandy mustache
and a stubbIe beard. If ever there was
a disreputable character it was he
And yet there was about him some
thing that gave evidence of a better
past.
He seemed rigid with cold and stop
ped a minute as if he needed to relax
to breathe. then slipped over the bench.
lug,ging his hands together.
Turning with her customary alert
ness, Mrs. Taylor mechanically picked
up a cup. As her eyes fell upon the
newcomer her face whitened. and she
went taut from head TO foot. She
put down the cup.
nirthless smile twisted the mans
mouth.
I've got the money to pay for it."
le said. {
His voice was n mixture of grovel- ;
ng. pleading and sullen defiance.
Did you come here on purposef"
the asked sayagely, stepping toward