Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-06
The Daily
Short Story
A FREAK OF FATE.
By Victor Radcliffe.


all l have in the world. There's ON.
ray of sunshine. though"
"And what's that"
Il have paid for everything I had
don't owe cent"
MY brave optimist, you deserve tn.
very best! II you want to rebuild and
start over again I'll finance you to the
limit"
THANK you. Mr.. Rogers" said Pew.
ton. but I'm through experimenting
for time, anyway"
He was a splendid specimen OF I'm.
manity. not yet twenty five. tall, erect
clear-eyed and open-faced. He and his
would-be patron viewed a scene NJ
wide desolation. For as far as the eve
could reach was water, the rearing
Miami river, and every estuary swol.
len beyond tits banks and shattered
houses and barns and great heaps Of
wreckage where the valley dipped. A
flood, followed by bursting dam, had
swept to wreck and ruin half a town
and its environs.
1t came just as Clyde Peyton had
perfected his dream OF business felic-
ity. He had his fad. 1t was chicken
raising. He had saved I'D nearly
$4,000. A poultry fancier and import
er had just introduced into this coun-
try rare species of what were
called cochin pheasants. They were
wonderful layers, they were a sport
fowl, they were Incompatible broilers.
Peyton bought the entire outfit. Then
he had leased few acres of land and
had put up some buildings. The
chicken quarters were palatial. There
was one large shed SO comfortably
built that it had two stories and held
over four hundred Of the blooded
fowl. This had been bodily wrenched
from its moorings and mingled with
other wreckage.
You found no trace OF the chicken
house?" inquired Rogers.
Yes, parts of it strewn here and
there, and such a. body of fowls, even
live stock, massed up where the river
branches ran that hadn't the heart to
look. Poor things!"
So Clyde Peyton started out on the
road, as of yore, as a travelling sales
man. He did not even leave an address
behind him. He tried to forget his mis-
guided speculation. 1t was during his
vacation month that the old love for
animate farm nature came back to
him. There was a state fair, and he
visited it.
His whole interest was centered one
day on poultry annex where full
line of cochin pheasants was on ex-
hibition. At once Peyton was in his
element. He engaged in conversation
with the man in charge of the collec-
ton.
Peyton turned to proceed on his
way, he faced bright eyed. hand
some young lady who evidently had
been an interested listener to all he
had said and showed it in her intelli-
gent eyes.
! Peytons strolled around to the same
place the next day. He found the ex-
hibitor glad to see him. The young
lady was there also.
+ They became very we'll acquainted
and it was rapturous week for Clyde
Peyton. Together they went the
rounds of the fair again and again.
One day Clyde narrated his former
business venture and the circumstan-
ces of the flood that had beggared him.
Miss Barnett gave him a strange
glance that he did not observe. Her
breath came quickly. 1t seemed to
Clyde as though she was very indul-
gent and considerable with him after
that His heart beat high whenever
| he recalled all her little kindnesses.
The next day his emotions went down
below freezing point when, in casual
conversation, the exhibitor remarked
/ incidentally:
Eyes, Miss Barnett Is heiress to a
very large fortune"
THAT settles it," soliloquized Clyde
ruefully, alone with himself. THE
chNces of a poor commercial traveller
for winning peerless creature like
that would be decidedly SLIM"
He decided to end his vacation and
told the exhibitor so the next day.
"Mr. Peyton is going away in the
morning, Miss Barnett" he told the
young lady who owned the poultry
collection, II happened to refer Ia
your being wealthy and it seemed to
dispirit him."
Ina looked conscious and her cheeks
Redeemed.
Il must see Mr.. Peyton before he
goes away" she spoke, almost anx'
iously. There he Is coming now
Won't you please leave me in charge
here? l have some important bus
mess with Mr.. PeytOn."
Important indeed, and when dis
closed to Clyde he was staggered. II
seemed that over seventy-five miles
from their old home his chochin pleas
ant had escaped from their wrecked
house, and to the number of over one
hundred fifty had one morning wan
dered into John Barnett's chicken
farm.
They had formed the nucleus OF the
fortune he had left to his daughter
He had sought everywhere. but vafnly
4 tC locate their original owner.
And always" said Ina, father IN
| SiStcN tNdt IL eNci that oWhCi ""S 49,
!. covered. he could be given an equa
share of the business that his brooe
! had built up" So, Clyde was no long
er poor. He was no longer hopHess
either. 1t was when he visited tn'
. Barnett farm, and with Ina by his side
: viewed the great broods Of beautiiu
cochin pheasants that his love loun.
utterance, and Ina welcomed MI
words as life's sweetest music.
#
OF Mr.. and Mrs. j. H. Hinrichs. passee
away yesterday morning at ~ -.
| - 8ox racidpncR lhQi