Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-27
The Daily
Short Story
THE FAITHFUL sTEWABD
BY Meryin Lee Hunter

ed, a bundle under his beaA M.
clothes were common and eos,,a
but neatly patched and clean
His lips twitched and gnivs..4
as though in mis- dreams some N,
I pleasant theme intruded. Then
smile Wreathed his face. II was
rapid transition from a hauntI,s
memory Of five years passed Il
prison cell, followed BY a rersr.
brance of the kindness Of a wbols
hearted chaplain. .
He had been number-1f42 II
once more had a name, Alan Wilde
He had paid the penalty Of the law
in full, had suffered for a nisstss
not a crime. He was free Of -
old life, forgotten, the world an
before him; he, Alan Wilde, at %
emerging into a world Of sunsbins
and freedom
A man stepped from a WOODLAND
path, bearing a satchel, and PAUSED
where what was left OF an old-tipa
battered bridge bore the sign.
Danger. This Structure is Con
demned." His purpose vas to gain
the other side of the stream. ~
set down the yalise and CAUTIOUSLY
tested the rotting flooring Of the
bridge. Suddenly he was sweut
forward. His weight carried the
dismantled structure to utter ruin
He discerned his perilous position
From his lips involutarily rang out
the shrill echOinp cry.
Help"
The piercing call aroused the
sleeper. l nan instant he was On
his feet. He saw sinking timbers
enmesh the victim. F'leet-footed. he
dashed for the bridge. Into tbs
abyss below it's embankment he
| glanced quickly. Across some jag
ged beams lay the man. He was
bleeding from a wound in one side
of his head and lay barely support
ed by the floating fragments Of
timber
Hold on, I'll reach you!" shout
ed the rescuer, tearing of his coat
Then he noted that the man below
was stunned, and then swirl Of
( the swift central current separated
( the supporting timbers and ssank
/ Wilde leaped boldly into the water.
but diving failed to locate the van
/ ished man. He ran down the shore.
! eagerly scanning the stream Then,
half exhausted, he gave NJ the
! search. Returning to the bridge,
he observed the satchel. he doubt
ed not that its contents would re-
veal the identity OF its lost owner
| The thought came 10 hin to take it
/ to the village, tell the story and
/ place it in the hands Of the police
/ The fact that his past might be
disclosed and suspicion. directed
against him prevented this. It be
gan to rain, he sought shelter and
! found it in a wretched ruin Of an
old hut. The next morning Wilde
| again went up and down the river
shore, vainly seeking a trace Of the
missing man. Later he decided 10
open tn vealise. Its contents not
only enlightened him but present
ed a suggestion that fascinated
while it startled him.
! According to papers found in the
satchel. the drowned man was
Ward Bradley. He had come from
! China, where he had worked for an
English trading house. Among the
papers was one signed by John
Burt, a lawyer at Belleville, in
/ forming Bradley that an old friend
of his father had left him a large
| fortune. There were papers iden-
tifying Bradley as to the heirship
in question There were several
sheets the young man had written,
which interested Wilde strangely
In these Bradley had outlined what
he would do with the fortune. His
mind must have been of a high or
der, for all his impulses indicated
deep interest in lettering the world
and benefiting his fellow man
There stole upon Wilde the tempts-
ton to assume the identity and take
the place of the dead Ward Brad
ley.
One year later Alan Wilde was
fixture in the town OF Bellevue.
He had appeared there, had been
accepted by the lawyer as the real
heir, and had at once been placed
in possession of a large estate. be
had made a holy vow that the pro
gram the drowned man had out
lined he would religiously follow
out There followed for him a ca b
reer that ennobled him with the
townspeopIe 1t spread the record
of his charities far and wide. ne
founded a school, a hospital; ne
donated literally to the church he
was at the head of all pubic anu
philanthropic movements.
Ethel Burt, the daughter OF me
lawyer, became a glad and willing
helper in the field of charity. ThsI
love was mutual, and ar the end o.
two years they were married.
One day the real Alan Wilde, me
false Ward Bradley, was electrineS
to have a visitor. al the sight o.
whom he sat dazed and overcome
the real heiri The latter was thlh
and pale, palpably a man not long
for this world. He had escaped
from the river. and. his brain al
fected by his injuries. until month
previous had been an aimleSs, nan
witted wanderer. Within the ioeA-
ed room those two told each MS
story
Il have learned all Won have ooHs
here" spoke Bradley All. isi.h
full steward. YOU shall go on Win
the good work so devotedly begun
shall not live long Let me DC
friend. a guest. sharing in your "
BILE work, thanking you for taklhs
pu my plans and so Loyalty carr
ing them out-oh, my brother
And Ethel never knew. and tae
world never knew, hut heaven knew