Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-11-20
CHAPTER Xii.

One OF her knees tnFopbN1
painfully, for somewhere along
the Rad she had stumbled and fallen.
In bed she gould not shut her eyes.
TIE voice OF the man had awakened
the half forgotten terrors Of the past
The peace aud serene happiness OF
the white walled convent, the beauti-
ful gardens, such as only Europe has
had tine to prepare and fulfill, and in
her innocence she had dreamed that
the world outside the huge iron gates
was q grand fairy story waiting to be
read
Then into the world. the great house
With It's paintings and rugs and tapes
tries and marbles; the coming of the
young men, Of middle aged men, OF old
men. and the fever Of card playing;
her beautiful gowns and gems, and the
vaguely growing wonder why the men
never brought their wives with them,
and then came the thunderboit.
A young man much in wine had
thrown his arms about her In the ball
and kissed her Her indignation. his
BdUEutBE, Tue ttfIIbft fFftihtiNIls
ssOh. come now! Don't be a prude.
Do you suppose we chaps would come
here but for q chance to see you and
talk with you? God in heaven. you
mean to tell me you do not know that
this Is & private gambling house? The
low. abominabie scoundreIs"'
From her varied wardyobes she had
chosen the simplest hat and gown. TAX
en- only the money In her purse and
fed
It was almost as If she had fed with
her hands TO her ears and her eyes
shut. The gradual disiIlusioning from
which humanity draws its experiences
and profit was denied her.
II had beaten down upon her with
TIE suddenness of an avalanche. For
days after there had been mental
nuubness. Dry eyed and franchise
she had gone from place TO place for
work God forgive them; never would
she
Began the battle with the world
Warned, she learned quickly how to
deal with men and half men and
heasts-learped to hold them off at
arms length without repelling them,
to meet rebuff with trmness and gen
tleness, harshness with patience. guile
with disarming honesty The fairy
story she had dreamed of reading there
behind the convent grille was a grim
hag's tale In these teemlng six years
many had been her occupations-shop-
eiri, stenographer. nurse. governess,
companion to old ladies, stewardess on
the Atlantic liners which she still fol-
lowed ostensibly. but In reality as a
blind for more daring business.
And now the hurt she had always
succeeded IN Guiding had finally come.
Here in this quaint, low ceilinged room
she faced 1t honestly.
She cared more for this comparative
stranger than was wise, and the issue
was how to leave him, to forget him
and make him forget in turn.
Quarter after 10
smend is playing solitaire and pau.-
Ing from time to time abstractedly. for
here and there the face Of card dis
solves and vision comes instead.
Crawford is smoking his pipe. and
in the pillows Of pearly smoke vi.
sions. In the hotel baroom the man
who calls himself Hsnchett has his
visions. To the young, sad eyed wo-
man In Watertown visions troop back
and forth past her star enameled win
dow. Visions surge about the pillows
Of the young woman In the farmhouse.
Quarter after 10
In house In the great city clock
In hallway struck the quarter hour.
The soft boom of 1t penetrated all
the lower rooms Of the big house. By
the library reading table the gray hair
ed man laid down his newspaper and
looked at his watch.
Wonderful how that old clock keeps
time" he said to the white haired wo-
man opposite. Hundred and fifty
years old. aud yet IT is still rs accurate
as this Swiss piece"
He returned the watch to his pocket
and was about TO resume his reading
when he saw something sparkle on the
cheeks of the woman. What's the
matter. Jane?'
She dabbed at her cheeks with her
handkerchief and fumbled the leaves
of her book. Nothing"
Nonsense, That's not the truth.
What's troubling you?" kindly.
That which is always troubling
nie. hraveiy, since she knew IT must
be said
The mans features seemed to draw
together almost itnpercepubly.
The eyes narrowed: the nestriis. the
lips became pinched She could hear
the long drawn breath
You are always thinking OF her"
i can't help 1t. She is flesh of nv
flesh, blood OF my blood am her
mother
Aud am not her father?"
She smiled wanly. That Ia not
quite the same thing.
You are without stick OF pride"
No. no. | have pride. but it Is the
pride Of pity, the pride OF love, | can
not crush out either AT command from
you. II is i've years since you denied
her,
Abr He was one OF those men
whose faces grow white when angsred.
All the blood went with rush to his
hoar$ Iaaytru ht= mind ctaar arS Ia