Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-10-24
t h e ID ally
Short Story
THE SHADOW LIFTED.
BY Ruth Evelyn Lee.

GA "a Dc &tad Nipe0 DIG Darius
Morse and he grinued and chuckled
as though enjoying concesllng tba
reson why
His son-in-Iaw Of month. bmF
hearty, supremely .contented. griuped
the shoulder Of the old man hi a pIav
tul, aHectionate way
VI ma glad now he cried enuzfvefr
'the Eladdest man la the world NJ
was much gladder ia sing and dance
instead of wrestling with this stub
born, hard-hearted patch oil land
Father Morse This rs home and ire
dream OF glory to he with Lette All
the time. but I will say tharyou cant
make the garden part Of it blossom
like the roset"
Never mind; it gives us enough Ia
eat and with what you earn welI man
age quite comfortably ia tgddle
along
what the venerable PHILOSOPHER con-
sideTed glad" for Mark Wilson was
that the latter had married the -oto
companion of his later years. gentle.
mOtherless Lettie It had been j real
love romance but whenever the ola
man realized that the infatuated vounz
man had given up quite a social and
business position In the city TO settle
down into new, humble bumdrum
sphere, he was wont TO enunefate thar
mysterious propaganda OF eja3nass.
Mark paid no attention to- taia pre-
nunciament0 of his aged fathcr-n-
law
One morning Mark arose to attend
to the COWS and chickens before ua
went to work in the town. As Ha
passed the room in which Nh Morse
usually slept. he noticed that the bed
was untenanted. but the clothing of us
usual occupant was lying across
chair. Mark went down stairs. 10 ind
the rear door open
Arrayed In his night-dress, living on
the ground near his fav0rite chair
under theshig elm tree was Mr. Morse
He cIasped 8 Ratchet In one hand
Mark hurried to his side The old man
was dead
Tt was lonely and strange about the
old house after that. but time and new
anEietjes subdued the sorrow Of Lstts
and her husband a little child was
born to them and a hard winter began
for the local factory where Mark was
bOOkkeeper burned down and did
not resume business. They began &c
feel the pinch of poverty
Il fear I shall have to try and end
work in some other town. suggested
Mark auEiOusiy- The potatoes are ali
gone and the last of the bacon might
60 somewhere else and send you what
I earn to get along on, until we make
q final move in the spring
No. no, don't leave us alone. baby
and I'll. pleaded Lettie let as stlcA
together till the winter ends. We viii
manage 20 pull through some way.
Then a piece of rare fortune came
their way just at the edge of their
. ~ - ooh
One morning 2 freight train buckle
in going down a curviug grade TIVE
cars went off the rails into the ditch
One Of them was loaded with potatoes
split IN two, and the precious tuber
were scattered broadcast.
The Wrecking crew cleaned uu the
twisted iron and splintere1 wood and
abandoned the scattered potatoes
Mark spread the glad intelligence
among his neighbors and aH hands
We're provided with half year sup
ply of the coveted vegetable
Then came a long cold SNAP. Tr.
two coal dealers found ir difficult fl
supply their customers.
I've got to do it. Lettie dear" I'D
announced s0rrowuIly one morning
coming into the kitchen with the dooa
ak The Old tree has got 90 go"
Lettie choked a sob
You see. the tree is half dead auE-
way pursued Mark. cit seems like
saCrilege. when Father Morse Thought
so much of it, but we can tfreeze THe
old tree lis our last resource
So the dying elm was felled and they
had q blazing fire for the FIRST time .u
weeks.
'Lettie," said Mark. hurrgng lato
the kitchen a few days after that
i Ia
As he spoke Mark extended q small.
package done up i'm oilskiu His voice
was husky. his eles Dit up with The
animation Of uncomfortable excite
meut
rs fell from the hollow tree lgg
i was splitting. explained Mark
opened it,"
What is #. dears" inquired Lettis
Papers YOUR father must have
hidden in plugged-up cavity III 5ha
old elm, enlightened Mark. ..etHe
our fortune has come - he prououne
ed and sank into chair overcome
Father Morse told me ] would ba
glad Oh Z am. indeed glad. brave
little woman. for your sake and the
baby s. When your father wandered
ouE that morning with the Ratchet hs
must have intended to PRIV out The
plug in the tree and get this packet
probably feeling that his time had
nearly come and intended To rerea.
to YOU his secret"
His secret ?" repeated Letds vague
Iy
Yes, a letter ia the packet tells Of
how, three years ago. his brother ietl
him his splendid farm in another
state
IT. was true. and long before spring
the loyal husband and patient uuc9W-
planning wife and mother. and sweet
darling little Dot were domirEIs1 AMID
comfort and plenty in new home
CANADA rs TO HONOR
WHITE HOUSE SINGER