Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-28


my heart" he said passionately.
Across her face passed the look of
fairy usefulness that was all her own.
NO" she said. lit would be better-for
both OF us-that you should forget, for
the time"
He leaned over her:
What shall assuage the unforsotten
pain
And teach the unforgetful TO forget?-
he quoted very low.
! And yet" she persisted, 1T would
be easier. now that 1 am going away"
| Going away, For long?'
She nodded with compressed lips.
Sedgwick turned very white.
"Oh. don't look like that-' she fall
1 tered 'I can't bear II. Can't you see
that after what has happened 1 must
! go? l must have time to forget
/ There is so much to forget, Surely
you can be patient-and trust"
He drew her gaze TO his own, held
| it for the space of a heart beat and
was gone.
Summer had waned from the coast
4 and with il had passed the keenness
/ of local interest in the strangest vic
tim OF Lonesome Cove. Other subjects
OF absorbing interest supervened dur
ing the long winter, among them the
/ rurnor that Hedgerow house was to
! be sold before summer
And young Blair's body along with
| II, expect" remarked Elder bennett
malevolently. Seems to me, If 1 was
a millionaire like Alexander Blair.
wouldn't sell my own flesh and blood
dead or alive"
OF Alexander Blair himself nothing
had been seen in the neighborhood
since mid-July nor of his daughter-in-
law. Hedgerow house was in charge
! of Gansett Jim as caretaker. Profess
sor Kent had left about the same time
as the Blairs. but Francis Sedgwick
had stuck to the Nook. Though his
work prospered. the worker had paled.
Wind borne on the blast of a mid
March gale. Chester Kent dropped
down at the door of the Nook one wild
afternoon without warning. AS al
ways, he was impeccably clad. though
his stout boots showed the usage of
recent hard wear Throwing open the
door. he called his friends name.
Instantly the artist came Looping
down the stairs and had him by the
shoulders.
I've got a caller up above" he said
after the usual greetings and ques-
tionings were over.
Yes? Have you gone in for local
society,""
Not exactly local. It's Alexander
Blair
"Hel-Io"' said Kent in surprise.
What brings him?''
why. he came down to Hedgerow
house to look after certain books and
papers and ran over here to make his
amende honorable in form. Chet, |
hate being apologized to-
"Of course. Every one does. New
ertheless. it's good exercise for Mr.. A.
Blair. Esquire"
Hes the grim jawed. hard bitted
Blair of old. Just the same. he made
his apology as handsomely as need be.
Ill bring him down here
The fabric magnate descended from
the studio and greeted Kent briefly,
then turned to his host You will ex-
suse me il ask Mr.. Kent to step out
side. have some business with him"
stay here" said the artist. III go
81 need your assistance. Some one
has been tampering with my sons
grave" said Blair.
you mean the grave at Hedgerow
house?"
Yes. Gansett Jim reports that there
are signs of recent digging. IL looks
as if ghouls had been ut work there
with the idea of getting the body and
holding it for ransom. They would
have had a fine surprise if they had
got the coffin outr'
Because they'd have found no body
in it, you mean:"
Certainly. But suppose they discov-
cred that there were no remains. moth
ing but punctured sand bag? Do you
see the potentialities of blackmail?''
do you know of an old lady named
Orcutt in Annalaka 2" asked Kent
mo"
"She owns the house just next to
AnnaIaka churchyard. where your son
was buried as Jane Doe. She is n very
worthy old lady. But she suffers Sc
verely from asthma. In fact. IL keeps
her awake most of the night. So some
interested persons have subscribed /
money and sent her south to a sanaTo- /
rum. I'd like to get you interested in \
her case"
You wish me to subscriber
"Oh, more than that I think it would |
be a good idea IL you were To assume |
the entire expense OF the proceedings"
You mean reimburse the subscrib-
ers?'
Exactly"
For n few seconds the millionaire
studied Kents candid face. Very
we'll" he agreed. How muchT'
Sheriff Schlager can tell you. He
IS keeping the accounts. You see. it
was necessary to get her out Of the
way. Her windows overlook the
$50 you took occasion to indicate be-
fore"
"Repetition Of really relevant point
s excusable. She left two weeks ago,
yery much myStified but pathetically