Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-04

whispered here and there .bs.
| was tired of Olivia and was - ~
that way OF getting out of his enc.
| ment.
Olivia was thinking Of all a.
things as she sat there alone. lo,s.
at the sea, with the mahogany H.
her lap.
Presently she looked down At A.
box without a key.
II wonder" she said dreamiIv.
wonder If he took my letters wbs.
went away or If he left them behlrs~
She went to a small table. and 4.
the dra wer she took a bunch ~ 81.
of assorted sizes. Finally one =.
twisted key fitted into the little ~
The bolt moved. and in rexpopa. !.
Olivia's touch the cover OF the I.
was raised.
For long time she sat s,.r.
down at the contents Of the mahorz,
box. They were so unexpected.
Instead Of a bundle OF old crea.s
and yellowed love letters there I'M.
little heap of unopened letters. s,..
were the letters she had writtes
Zebedee during the winter she srsa
with her aunt in Lansing, and oths,
were his letters which she had psrp
received because they had never pa..
ed through the postofice, and Il I'm
on her return to Wayboro that i.
learned that Zebedee had gone avn
and that she was Tilted. At that H.,
Ada Paine had been assisting in 4.
postoffice during spare time from hs
duties as her Uncle Zebedee's hopss
keeper.
Olivia wondered II there was sp-
connection between the two circ.n.
stances.
There was the evidence that zete54
had written to her. He had been fam
full, and at last convinced Of her fess.
ness he had gone away to sea to h<
his life in shipwreck.
From her seat in the window Ofsh
could look down the grassy road. n.
presently she saw Ada Painz's ster
dumpy form hurrying toward the CT
tage.
Olivia gathered up the letters a.,
concealed them in a locked trunk il
the spare room. Then she made he
way downstairs in time to open the
door to Ada Paine's insistent rappina
"will you come in?' asked Olivia
stif1y.
"Yes." painted Ada Paine as she bur
ried into the sitting room. Her black
eyes darted here and there and fnaAy
rested on the mahogany box.
She crossed the room and held the
box close TO her breast.
"How dare you come to my house
and buy this?" she demanded derceiy
Olivia surveyed her coolly.
at was a public auction. l had
perfect right to attend and to buy AM |
thing that was put up for sale"
This is 4 mistake. 1t was not ID /
tended TO be sold 1t is mine-my per
sonal property" There was anxious +
inquiry in Ada's sharp eyes as sha f
looked at the pale. composed face o.
the woman she had wronged.
eff 1t is your box. Ada said Olivia
"why does it contain letters that be
long to me-letters that never recelv-
ed from your Cousin Zeb, letters tnal
he never received from me-wby:'
Ada Paine gazed in horror at Oi-
via.
She dropped the box with bitta
cry and flung her hands over her faes
For long time they stood. thus
They did not hear footsteps Approach
ing by the grassy road and enter 'ns
house by an open side door.
Ada, why did you suppress my e,
.ers to Zeb? Why did you wifnno@
my letters to him? l never couid uf
derstand his desertlon. | believed D..
tickle, and he was true TO me. am
Ada Paine, you have much to ansEe'
for. / loved Zebedee Paine, and rs
went to his death believing ne 70
false to him." Olivia's self control va
vered. A voice came from the d0'''
way-a mans deep throated toDes
thrilling with emotion.
'No, Olivia, l didn't go to my dea'-
I am very much alive, dear. iuau.
God, / have returned in time 10 sac
NV old home and, what is more iIe
cious, my sweetheart. my only love.
Olivia turned TO find herseir ~ Wv
arms of handsome middle aged "
dee. sun Drowned under tropic shies
where he had been held prisoner y
savage tribe of south sea isianus.'
for the past three years. so th"' II
self enforced exile had become ae''A
:,
While he whispered in oliyias ~
ng ear the wretched woman wno Ia
20 foully shadowed their lives suausD
V dropped the mahogany box ana nov
rom the house.
And it was sign that the ysa.s -,
had not embittered u ".
hearts that Olivia and Zebedee ~
taste to find Ada and to assure se.
heir forgiveness. ,s..s
And wayboro people. agog ove' ~. ~,
udden happenings. whispefea
vhen Olivia Deering bought lhs -
,ogany workbox she certainly
ound a prize package. but tnis 20
oMd only guess because oil .ns
ultant happiness for all eono -.
or no word OF these things ever -
d the lips Of Olivia or her husoaD.
heir much chastened cousin.