Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-14
The Daily Story
Copyrighted Associated Literary Bureau

Gee tue caIyec ivory handlss :.
foreign knife. Where ~ u
lately-China? Maybe ifs e
knife. Look out in the sna- .ira
tracks of Chinese sboex ~, w
anybody has seen a cbIns.a !. ~
Hurry, Ben Dale. or he VIII =. si'ss
So great was Alvina's ensrs- =. s1s
within the room were imbpaS Ia .as
enthusiasm. In moment ~
scattered and left Alvipa 49,
the man in the chair.
When she was alone AIv,-
and knelt there and said lI,,Ia
words that no one could hear -.
one ought to bear save the -, -.
whom they We're INTENDED -
thought his ears were cIosss - -
voice forever. b
But suddenly he sighed deersv
Alvina screamed. but no ons
her. e
Again he sighed. and this t,,-.
vina did not scream. She bens
to him and saw his eyel,ss -
Then she few for restorativss !.
doubtful If any one save Alvin. =
where old Philo Blatcher had -.
Scotch whisky and Holland i.
Jamaica rum in the little corner
board In the west parior.
Alvina knew. and she brouoh. :,
tie and a crystal glass and pat.
man in the chair to drink Of he {.
liquid. holding his gray head 49,
her breast as she coaxed him
Presently he opened his evs.
smiled at her.
~ almost knew you'd be wa,f,,, u
me, Alvina," be said weaklv ;.
was indeed young Phllo come &.
after his long exile.
They talked for a long time
Philo sat up in his chair and AZ
dressed the deep wound in bis
arm.
When Ben Dale and the Others e,-
trooping back, they paused outsids a
closed door. Within the room n
could hear Alvina's voice tsltI,
They heard her address some one
"Philo," and Ben Dale SHOOK
round head.
Crazy as LOOM he tod tss-
although she was bright engurA
about guessing it was Chlnau,(
who done the job. Wonder VII
she'll say when / tell her we fou,
him asleep in the old mill and boz
when we tried to get him, be tump{
into the river and was drowned sh.
go plumb crazy"
But they were the ones who al
demented when they opened the ID
for there sat Alyina Petty. pink Vi
talking animatedly to 4
erstwhile corpse, who was sippirs
glass of hot toddy as calm as
please.
Alvina had kindled a fire from
contents Of the wood box beside
hearth, and she had heated pannlA
Of water. There they were as sd
BILE as anything and looking rat
annoyed at the intrusion Of Ben D
ind his companions.
81 thought you was dead" said
Dale when, after a hurried retreat a
Tentured to put his head into the 10
Not quite" said young Philo q
y. although that Chinaman ain
made a job of it-robbed me OF &
n Shanghai and then when prose-
ID him followed me here to get bis
'enge. Has any one seen him.
I'VE saw him, aud then he went
Ter the ice in the river. With
hannel flowing swift, be must
lown to Rivermouth by this in
aid Ben Dale grimly. Cues
Won't commit no more murders =
If the report of the murder afu5
he good people of Lyudhurst It b
ain that the discovery that 1t Va
murder at all. but that Philo Blu
r had returned home to marry An
'etty and open the old house that
cen closed so many years, cs
reater excitement. n
Philo soon recovered from bis voc
ut he was very grateful to
,reen. whose adventurous spirit
eel the cause of Philo's diseo'S
lie might have died from loss Oh
nd his body have lain undiscHs
DR. months had not Billy's hum
,icles resulted in the finding q
ian in the front room. 50
catcher rewarded Billy Breen :
lost substantial manner.
No one ever knew why Philo BIZ
: had remained abroad for tss
ears after his fathers death; %
new save Alvina. and she neFa
lie story of the son who hao
great sacrifice TO save the az
onor and that it had taSel
years TO make resutunN
IS futher's shortcomings in Lyna'
ow Philo had come home % ~
Is own need of happiness
So now Alvina reisns IN u
Iatcher homestead. Instead q
lA village seamstress she Is tne
dy In the village, and to the rem
the affair is added the myss
e reTengcful Chinaman Whg
ossed the ocean and connns
Ike life and who in the end "
vn.
But to Philo Blatcher The pes
the story Is that Of AiviM
avering faith in him ana the
that some day he would ra
aim her.