Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-07

gloomily thinking. He had just com'
from Mildred Thorne's. He had pro
posed to her and had been refused.
His refusal was more bitter disap
pointment to him because he had ex
pected an acceptance. There had beer
n good deal of backing and filing Oh
Mildred's part, but that is not unusual
in courtships. Hackstaf had noticed
that If he met one OF her balkings By
baking on his own part she had
come round very quickly. But all the
while Mildred was listening to the die
tates of her heart Her mother was
telling her that If she married Hack
staff she would prove herself a fool.
Mrs. Thorne was an old woman.
| She had accumulated some funds by
saving-no one knew how much. She
and her daughter lived in the house
on the hill where Mildred had been
born and lived very plainly. They
owned the place and raised on it all
they ate. Consequently their expenses
were confined to what they wore, and
| they seldom bought any new clothes.
| Mildred knew q great deal about her
mother and her mothers affairs that
! the world did not know. She knew
| that her mother was a miser; not only
| that she was a miser, but that she
was in constant terror lest she should
! lose her savings. Her husband had
been unluclky as an investor, and his
wife had no confidence in ever getting
back any funds that were put out at
interest.
But Hackstaff knew nothing Of all
this. He was young farmer much
interested in putting his farm on a
paying basis. His was not the hap
hazard way of the uneducated farm
er. He had taken a course at an agri-
cultural college and when he put seed
into the ground, barring effects of
weather, knew exactly, what 1t would
produce. He was aware that Mildred
was obliged to live economically and
supposed that this was because she
had very little to live on, which, since
there was no income except what the
place produced, was true. Hackstaff
lived alone. If he could have won
Mildred Thorne the world would have
looked very bright to him, for he had
everything to make a home except a
wife, and, having set his heart on her, |
he would be satisfied with no one else. !
he sat on the night of his proposal |
brooding over his disappointment and
thinking of the dull, lonely life before |
him. Mildred had accompanies him |
to the door and hidden him adieu /
there. She seemed to share his disap-
pointment or, at least, TO sympathize !
with him in it. He had not gone far |
from the house when he heard Hector.
the watchdog she always let loose be-
fore going TO bed, bark. Then all was
still.
At 1 o'clock in the morning Hack
staff still sat breeding. He did not
go to bed because he had no desire for !
sleep. Suddenly there was a ring on |
the telephone bell that sounded at that |
time of night when all else was still |
like an alarm. Wondering who could |
be calling him at such an hour, he |
sprang TO the instrument and took |
down the receiver.
Shrieks and the bark Of dog.
Great heavens, That was Hector's |
bark" It had been the last sound he
had heard from the Thorne place after
his departure, and there was no mis-
taking it for Hector's. The shrieks,
the barking, the sounds of a scuffle
receded as though to another room.
Hacl1star called, but received no an
swer. The only sound he heard was
the ticking of a clock.
Out into the night shot the young
farmer. descended the declivity into
the valley between his house and the
ThorneS' and ran up the hill. He found
the front door. open, but all was dark
within. Climbing the stairs three steps
at IL time, he stood in the upper hall
and listened, for he could see nothing.
lie always carried a box of matches in
his pocket and. striking one of them,
opened a door.
Mildred was lying on the floor. The
light of the match glimmering before
her eyes reused her, and, seeing Hack
staff bending over her, for an instant
she seemed to be trying to collect her
faculties; then she grasped Hackstaff's
wrist with a frantic grip, and the
fame of the match went out.
There are matches on the bureau"
she said, endeavoring to regain some
thing of her equanimity.
"Are you hurt?" asked Hackstaff.
cropping.
81 think not I must have tainted"
Lighting another match, he lit a
candle standing on the bureau. By
this time Mildred was on her feet, but
she seemed unable for time to collect
her faculties. Hackstatf begged her to
tell him what had occurred, but she
made no reply.
Then came the muf1ed moan of
dog. Hackstaff was sure it was Hec-
tors bark. 1t served to recall to Mil
bred what had happened. She at
tempted to break away from Hack
staff. but he held her.
Tel; me what to do" he said. land
VIII do it. You are not In a condi-
ion To act yourself,
LET me CO." sho said Historically. I
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