Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-07-06
7 h e y a ilv
Short Story
WHAT THE LIGHTNING mn.
BY Alan HinsdaIe.

lightning, which was followed in Soma
instances by almost instantaneous
thunder. He was fearless fellow
and no matter how near the bolts. ba
kept his place. admIring the battle Of
the elements.
Clara was below in the drawing
room with Hammerslev Sine was en-
gagged 10 YeardIey, but was I'm love
with Hammersley. Yeardlev possessed
fortune, and HammersIev was Moor
The wedding between YeardIey and
Clara was to come of that dav week
Clara had insisted that he make uIn
in her favor before the weddirs SET
Elements are not common in America
but Clara argued that her hance had
lot Of relatives who ln case Of bgz
death would make trouble Without 4
VIII she would receive only a widows
thirda and that would not content her
YeardIey had a cousin, Lucia who
had been left an orphan, and he had
since then provided for her. When he
made his viii he left q small income
10 Lucia. But Clara objected % this
prererring that clause he put Ia in
stead stating that the testalor ak
pected his widow to support Lucia our
of the income of the estate lin every
comfort The bride TO be convinced
her eXpeCtant husband that this would
be the better way, and since she
promised him to obey the Injunction
faithfully In case he died before her.
he yielded the point.
During the storm Clara who had
nervous dread OF lightning. was 81
agitated that HammersIey nut an arm
around her to Boothe her. While thew
were IN this relative position there
came binding fash, and amid the
roar OF the thunder they heard some
! thing fall in the room above Ham
mersley went quickly upstairs. fol-
/ lowed by Clara. Yeardley was living
I by the window motionl8ss. Help was
summoned, and he was laid on the
I bed. The doctor came and pro
uounced him dead The room was
closed and the body left alone.
The thunder was muttering IN the
distance when the door of the death
chamber opened and Hammersley and
Clara entered. Approaching the bed
/ they looked down on the marble face.
Then they went TO the window and
stood looking out talking in a low
/ tone Hammersley drew Clara a. aim.
and her cheek rubbed against him.
After a few minutes they went out
closing the door softly behind them
Hammersley and Clara went back
20 where they had been standing when
the storm broke. Clara tried TO look
/ like girl who had Just lost her
/ fance. but failed. HammersIey did moi
even try to look mournful. Indeed. G
smile lowered about his lips Clara
+ would now be his,
Later Lucia entered the room and.
approaching the bed, sank on her
knees buried her face in her hands
and sQbbed Then she arose and
looked down through her tear dimmpd
/ eyes upon her cousin. In another mo
ment she passed ont. sobblng con-
/ vulsiveIv.
/ Two hours after Yeardley had been
+ stricken an electric bell rang out
sharply, The register indicated that
/ it had been rung from his room what
+ could it mean2 If any one was there
who wanted anything. surely be would
not have rung the bell
The butler was sent up, and pres
entity returned with his eyes wide
open
mfr. Yeadrley isn't deadg' he ex-
claimed
+ what do YOU mean2' cried Clara
( He's sittin up in bed.
! All fastened up the staircase and
before entering the room saw, through
the open door, YeardIey iu a sitting
posture.
! What's been the matter with mee'
he asked TIA a. dazed fashion. ] feel
as if j had been keelhauled
Clara ran out of the room Ham
mersIey followed her. Lucia came in
and, seeing her cousin alive whom she
thought dead. seized his hand and
! kissed 1t
/ Electricity is a curious antagonist
/ Sometimes it kills outright sometimes
it viii strip a coat Of q mans back
with but trihine injury 90 him. and
sometimes it viii throw him into q
coma for hours YeaFdslevs bodily
faculties had been temporarily para
lyzed
/ Clara returned 10 the room where
her betrothed lay and expressed her
joy that ne had returned to iife But
it is difficult 70 express joy when one
feels regret She explained that She
bad been SO suddenly cast down and
I relieved that she could not COntrai her
+ feelings.
/ Nobody ever knew whether Eaard-
ley had been struck By the bolt or
stunned by it's proximity The question
now uppermost In his hancee mind
was whether he had retained con-
! seriousness. But she dreaded 70 ask him.
and he RETAINED from speaking OF The
matter.
The next day XeardIey was all right
again He sent for his hancee and
told her that ne had decided NOT 70
make viii before his marriage He
had made a VOW ID leave his property
to found an institution for the study
OF electricity and methods 20 protect
human life from its bolts
Clara saw the handwriting on the
wall He had retained sufficient con-
: seriousness to be aware Of her actions
! in his presence when she thought him
dead. She made no objection to bis
plan for the disposition of his prop
erty. bur told him she had discovered
after all that she did not love hIm
well enough 10 marry him.
! Year4Iey was married ON the APP
+ pointed day, but % his cousin Lucia.
EUROPEAN CIVILIZATIONS.
The first pavements IN Paris #ere
10 ok