Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-14

often sadly surprises people that two
| and two will not make five was star
| Ing the AnsleIn girls in the face.
1t was a year after the death Of their
| father, and many evasions and putting
| off of the fatal day had gone for
naught They were face to face with
| the knowledge that they could no lon
! ger afford to keep up the old family
| home and. moreover, must do some
| thing to add to their infnitesimal in
| come.
"In some way" said Regina, looking
up rather YEARLY from her pencil and
| paper-''in some way we've got to have
money. We've got to go to work"
Regina was twenty-six, with rebel
lious dark hair and a firm chin, which
always amazed people by the dimple
they discovered I'm 1t. Regina was the
one who always did things in the fam
ily. Nobody had ever taken time to
call her beauty, SO she had never
quite realized the fact that she came
very close to being one. and could de-
vote her leisure to accomplish results.
OF course with Esther it was differ
emit Iue I1IIle lCl Va
golden hair had made itself manifest
and her big blue eyes had first glanced
appealingly at humanity 1t had been
decided that Esther was beauty, and
the decision had chung to her through
life, though at maturity it is doubtful
if she would have been thought more
than an ordinarily good looking fresh
young girl had not those around her
been so educated in the other view.
But as a beauty Esther had always
been waited on and put forward, and
even when time. went on and girlish
petulance and fickleness and caprice
degenerated into pettishness and self
ish inconsiderateness nobody ever ex-
pected Esther to do anything but ex-
list.
And now she was thirty, for in spite
of belledom the men who had wooed
her seriously had been few and, with
her aspirations, beneath her considera-
ton. At her sisters fat Esther drew
her brows together fretfully.
Work" she said. you are ridicu-
lous! It's all very well for you to talk,
but how can 1 work? What could I
do? Regina"-
She hesitated little, for there was
something in the straight browed face
meditatively surveying her as though
she were seen for the first time that |
bid her pause. "Regina-if you would |
it would be very easy for you to place |
both of US beyond all money cares for |
ever. I'm sure
The voice died away before the spar
kle of anger in the dark face across the |
n L. L. Oh. =
spoke in a repressed voice. 81 won't !
pretend to misunderstood you," she !
said. Its like you to propose offering
else than yourself! Under
stand once for all that I'll never marry
DR.. Brightright! He is selfish, he has
cruel and vindictive nature with all his
surface polish, and he is sixty years
Old
ALSO he owns the most magnificent
country place in the state and is mil
lionaire," breathed Esther as her sister
stopped. Really, Regina, for a grown
up person you are diStressingly sillyI
I'm sure DR.. Brightright is no worse
than lots of men, and think what you'd
haver'
(which you, of course, would SHARE"
said Regina coldly. Her face took on
an immobile expression as she looked
down at her sister. Understand, I'll
never marry him. I'll find work to do"
Its Neal MAXWELL" the older girl
dashed angrily. You'd be glad of the
chance if you weren't eating your heart
out for man who threw you over and
never cared anything for you! You
But Regina had swept from the room,
her head. in the air, her hands clutch
ng mechanically the papers covered
With their rows of discourage figures
She was hurt as only a proud person
AN be hurt, and the sure knowledge
leep in her heart that Neal Maxwell
lad indeed, beyond all doubt, cared for
Ter, in spite of the opinion voiced by !
Ter sister and shared, as Regina knew,
" nearly all Ter acquaintance in the
own, did not help much in bearing the
aunt. :
1t was year since Neal had gone
broad as foreign representative for his
irm and eleven months since his let
ers had stopped abruptly, without .
Her two letters Of inquiry :
ringing no response. pride had step :
ed in, and she had made no further =
fort to hear from him beyond learn :
ng from his firm that he was alive and (
yell. :
And when he left they had been en- :
aged. She could hardly remember :
7hen she and Neal had not intended TO :
larry one another, so many had been :
ne years of their more than friend s
hip. In spite Of her indignation and Z
er secret grief. in spite of his mystic
ous neglect. Regina still chung to the Z
ceiling that. wherever he was. what s
yer had happened. Neal still must care .
'r her just as day must follow night. :
And she was of too strong a nature q
seek to cover her jilting by accepting 3
lie man who had haunted her foot q
cps for the past year. DR.. Brightright. :
HON she instinctively disliked and q
eadily Stunned. to the furious exas- =
,ration OF Esther. This had not been =
'ked for her. He was received in thu
irlOr, and Miss Mills ca,na dovvp ua II