Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-04


1T will kill her"
She sighed wistfully. eff be would
| but fall sick She is a splendid nurse >
They turned guiltily at a sound te-
hind in the doorway, but at sight O.
| the queer face looking down at them
i Nine Lecoeur spoke relievedly. @Oh.
Coolest 1t is you"
Coolies Napier was one Of Goods In.
nocents," silent young half wit who
roamed the wilderness, fitting here
| and there as the Grant fancy took him.
The door of every settler from the
straits to Saginaw bay was open to
| him. No one dreamed OF charging him
! for food and lodging.
But he paid in his own way never
theless. He was a mighty hunter. He
! always carried a rife, and his aim was
of the deadiiest. Birds and squirrels
and deer In season he brought to the
! homes of his friends
Now the wide, thin, upturned mouth
was doleful; the small blue eyes were
dull.
you heard, OodlesT"
Mime. Lecoeur and all Of Pere Chene
knew that he loved Therese, as the
love that asks nothing but the priv.
Iege to serve.
The half wit nodded.
yes" he murmured. "Sorry-sor.
ry." He looked to the north after
Therese and Amidon.
where to, Oodles"
Frederic had noted that he carried
rifle and pack.
"Tahquema-south."
Without another word or look he
turned toward the blue hills. Soon he
disappeared in the scrub at the end of
the street.
When the village had been shut of
by tag alders and bushes OodIes' long
strides shortened. Unconsciously be
came to a standstill. He stood for
several minutes in an indecision that
was painful. His lips moved sound.
lessly.
Evidently it was a time of intense
mental agitation, for the sweat burst
out on his forehead, and his hands
clinched until the knuckles showed
white through the brown skin, and the
tendons in his wrists drew ike cords.
At last a resolution was reached.
Heading west, he began to run swift
iy, but with great caution.
He slipped through the brush like
wild thing. His face took on a new
expression-queer and terrible.
As he ran he bore to the north in a
half circle. Presently he came out on
a little knoll, threw himself fat in the
long grass and peered between the
trunks of a clump of jack pines.
Yes. there they stood on the bank OF
the river, near the rapids. The lawyer,
his face alight, was pointing as he ex-
planned the plans OF his company TO
Therese.
The girl was looking up at her CON-
panion. Even at that distance the halt
wit read the unconscious pathos of her
attitude.
With swift ferceness he drew the
rife to his shoulder, sighted carefully
and fired.
Amidon paused in the midst of his
sentence, blank amazement on his face.
Then he tottered and fell.
Therese's scream echoed high above
the bur of the rapids The half wit
ran away, more like a wild thing than
ever.
Therese and her lover, who was also
her husband, stood on the porch OF the
Lecoeur house in the cleaning. Her
dark eyes were pools OF brooding hap
piness.
The man, mimicking a shy school
boy, edged over and took her hand
She laughed and leaned against him. :
Its good to be here" he said.
"Do you know what day It is?"
He looked down at her, eyes round
with recollection.
by Jovev' he cried. ITS just
year-a year ago today"
She nodded. They were silent mo-
ment, and then he went on:
IF it hadn't been for that I'd never
have discovered how much I cared. l
was going away without word to you.
Think Of that.
But you hadn't finished binding me
ID before l was crazy about you, and
he longer you nursed me the more |
owed you"
His arm went round her.
She nestled against him and sighed
''The chap who did it was a marks
man," he continued. There l was,
like Mark Antony, and
llong comes bullet and breaks my
that. 1 wonder who It
vas?
I'D like to know so I could thank
lin. The fellow did me a good turn. I
She shuddered littles
II was frightened-at first. But
i'd come out all right. didn't it?"
1T certainly did," returned Amidon
And now let's talk OF something mora
erious. Kiss me-" he said severely
A chuckle came from the doorway |,
ehind. and they turned guilty. IKE
hildren.
"Oh." said Therese, relieved, 1rs
My Oodles"