Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-08
The Daily Story
The Rest Is Silence BY Frank Condor.
Copyrighted. 1914 by Associated Literary Bureau

|
WaldoboroT
The train stopped. A porter shooed
the New Yorker through the aisle and
Off to the station platform. and, leaving
him surrounded by bags and parcels.
the coaches rolled away into the dis
lance.
Fresh from the roar and clamor Of
the city, Mr.. Tully gazed about him
and observed instantly that he was In
the midst Of an ocean of quiet Peace
and silence surrounded him. A man
who drawled and accented strange
parts of his conversation spoke a few
words to the city stranger, and sub
sequently Mr.. Tully found himself
upon the highest seat of a carry-all,
which is a Maine wagon designed to
eliminate the rough spots from a citi-
zen's anatomy by the simple process of
knocking them off.
Leaving Mr.. Tully on the wagon
and in ascent of a stony hill a mile
long and eight miles high, we will re-
turn at once to New York and look
into this strange affair. Why was Mr..
Tully In Maine at all?
Doc" Mr.. Tully had said to his
| oldest friend, want to know what's
wrong with me. I'm run down, and
my nerves hurt. I see strange things
creeping along the wall at night"
| David" the doc answered, "you
need peace, rest and quiet Of the
| quietest sort, and 1 know just where
! you ought to go. I've got an aunt in
East Waldoboro. Go up there and get
| back your nerves. If you don't go
you'll de-
| He disembarked from the station We
hicle at the risk of life and limb, found
Dr.. Gregory's aunt a fine, pleasant,
| kindly old lady and put away his trav-
cling impedimenta in the largest room
he had ever seen, in the middle OF
which was : bed, which was twice as
large as regular bed.
I'm going to like this place." he
exclaimed enthusiastically. when a
man needs quiet he wants to come to
Just such a place as this. I'll bet I'll
be perfectly well in no time"
Besides DR.. Gregory's aunt there
were others in the house, and at first
Tully concluded that somebody was Ill
in an upper room because of the con-
tinued quiet about the place and the
noiseless movements of its inmates.
I'VE are free from the noises OF the
village" his hostess said to Tully on
the first evening, land we are so far |
from the main road that you will not |
be disturbed by passing motorcars. |
There are only three OF us now-my- |
self, my niece and the man who looks
after things for us. am sure you will
find nothing to disturb you"
l. Tr,II
positive 1 shall improve very quickly
in these peaceful surroundings" He
was beginning to feel embarrassed by
the attentions shown him.
That night as he lay between the
sweet smelling sheets his ears fairly
tingled. He endeavored to corral some
stray, faint sound, but there was moth
ing except the soft rustic of the leaves
outside his window.
In the morning he awakened, fresh
and vigorous, after a sleep a dead man
might have envied. During breakfast
Mrs knight sent the hired man into
the yard to shoe away bevy of rob-
ins which had met in convention as
sembled under a lawn sprinkler and
were chattering over the minutes OF
the last meeting. Tully watched the
hired man in establishment
1.-The robins are so noisy" Mrs
knight said to him. I'VE must try to
keep the place quiet for you, Mr.. Tul-
ly." Tully began to wonder exactly
what Doc Gregory had written his
aunt about him He began to wonder
whether he had not better bury his
watch under a rosebush on account Of
its tremendous ticking.
He observed curiously that Mrs.
Knight and her niece moved about
without producing the slightest noise
and that the hired man evidently ran
upon pneumatic tires. The huge
clock in the dining room
ticktocked in a low. almost inaudible,
tone. The screen doors swung noise
lessly against rubber Tenders.
The floors were somewhere under
meath the thick rugs or carpets. The
entire house represented the word
quiet worked up to the nth power.
The last pocket in an abandoned coal
mine was a noisy racket compared
with it.
Mr.. Tully. feeling refreshed and
sauntered forth. He pluck
I'd red, red rose and placed it in his
He shifted the morning [
breeze and held out his hand to take
bearings. The hand was almost steady.
He examined the blank atmosphere
or his little pals. the starfish spots he
lad been accustomed to seeing in New
FORK. but they had already diminished S
n size. He gazed at the side of red I
,arn in hunt for the moving objects
hat blank wall usually supplied and
lad great difficulty in finding them.
This is most wonderful spot and q
most wonderful improvement" he
huckled in pleased way. Here I've /
een around only twenty hours, and s
an see q change tsr the better. b
hanks. Hank Gregory"
Tuliy,s appetite increased at once
He consumed quantities OF fresh
lilk. corn bread. bacon and eggs. veg