Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-16
T h 9. ID ailv
Short Story
y aBRoIT MATCH MAKER.
BY EI.IN0R MARSH.

Mrs. Crawford was wealthy widow
with no children. Tom Erkine her
nephew. was the most likely person
10 inherit her property, but he had
never received any intimation THAI
she would leave it TO him. He di5
not live with her, nor had she ever
| especially favored him. Still. he was
/ her only near living relative. so II
was inferred that he would be sub
stantially remembered In her viii
One evening, on going to his bach
! elor room before dinner, he found
package there with a note from his
aunt The note read:
Dear Tom; / saw this smoking
Jacket at the womap's exchange TODAY
and It occurred 10 me that il wousi
lit yon. I hope you will enjoy many
/ an after-dinner smoke in It.
Your affectionate
AUNT ELIZA"
What under the sun had induced
his aunt to give him smoking Jacket
Tom could not understand. His room
was simply a sleeping place for him.
and with no one there but himself
he would never have thought of re-
naming in it for any other purpose.
When Tom came from his club thar
| evening. before going to bed he
thought he would have a smoke. So
/ he lighted pipe, and putting on the
smoking jasket. after looking at him
self in mirror, he sat down to eniov
his final days Whit. Naturally his
hands found their way into the side
pockets and in one Of them was
crumpled bit of paper. Taking it out
he saw writing on it, which he read,
as follows:
IF this Jacket falls into the hands
of a bachelor, / can give him some
thing to think about. 1t was made by
a girl 90 years old, who is forced to
earn her living with her hands. That
| is all I have to say about myself.
Your imagination may do the rest II
You are disposed to pursue it"
That's a pretty plain bid for 8 hus-
band" said Tom to himself She
knows that all have to do is to go
to the Woman's Exchange with the
jacket ask who made it, enter upon a
correspondence with her and, prestoi
We are changed from two lonely per
sons to one happy couple. But not
for Tom: he has all he can do to pro-
;, vide for himself, without furnishing a
living for q family"
But his curiosity had been kin
; died He wondered what sort of j
u looking girl she was. Blonde or bru-
nette2 Tall or short? What harm
{ could come from mild Irritation with
:, her? There is always pleasant an
Z ticipatiou in an expected meeting Of
I this kind At the end of a week Tom
Il took his jacket to the Woman's Ex-
Z, change and asked the manager
e business-like woman-who made it.
e We never give the names Of those
ID who deposit goods with US for sale.
7. was the reply.
d Tom saw at once that he was
n baked He could think of no possible
.e maker Of his jacket He gave the
L matter up reluctantly. One day he
e said to his aunt;
Is AUNT Eliza. found in the pocket
ie of that smoking Jacket you gave ne a
to note from the girl who made it,
ID Tom gave the good lady as nearly
as he could remember the reading OF
* the note. and told her that he had
$ been refused her name at the Nom-
a ans Exchange,
N Mrs. Crawford explained TO her
I'd nephew that goods were left for sale
in at the Woman's Exchange by persons
of who had been brought up in comfort
10 and some OF the depositors were re
er ceived in the best society Many OF
r these did not care to have il know
in that they made money in this way
though there was no disgrace in VIVA
they did. Il think they will tell me
& at the exchange added Mrs Crsw
p ford. "the name you wish 10 know.
RI will get it for you and introduce yo'
RI to the girl, but you must promise M
lie TO keep to yourself the fact OF YOU
7 knowing her secret
y Not long after this Tom was invite
n to dine with his aunt, and on reachiH!
# the house found there young lady
nd He asked Mrs Crawford if she va
7, the girl who made the smoking jacket
n and was informed that she was.
N The girl was evidently lady Sh
Il was plainly dressed, but in exceilen
az taste: and when Mrs. Crawford re
RI marked that she made all their owl
da clothes, was not too proud 70 &c
knowledge the fact
Well. to make a long story snort
rs few months later Mrs. Crawford, find
en- ing these two in love with each otael
he made a settlement on Tom which en-
TT able him to marry.
in Immediately after the weddins
rs while surrounded by his and his wife
lrt relatives. he took from his pocket Oh
by note he had found in his smokin
or. Jacket and handed it to his wife.
en-. Whats this?" she asked.
et. 'The note you wrote to catch
nd husband"
ire 81 know nothing about it. I nevs
.ch saw it before.
What"
Then Mrs. Crawford stepped in an
de- confessed that she had written tf
ize note herself. and had slipped it ln'
ew the pocket Of the jacket before seu'
all ing it to Tom.
-ho 7 have known your wife" 81
iu- added. ever since she was litt
)es girl. / set about making match d
his tween you two and have sncceede
for Together you will Inherit what
OBJ possess.
OF
in