Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31
The Daily
Short Story
BEAUTY AND DUTY.
By Alvah Jordan Garth

! become jealous. cynical and bitter
and called him to time.
Reginald Walton" she had said
/ in that final arrangement, there -
going TO be a change. You have
done nathing for a year but groom
Yourself after a late breakfast, and
sit around to be admired by the
silly old maids and languishing
yong widows among our clientele.
/ / am working my life away from
morning until night; poor Marie
our daughter. comes home nights
worn out with her steady work as
a stenographer, and you do not
contribute one cent to the family
| income. There has got to be Il
new order of things or l shall give
up the boarding house and force
you back to honest work.
MY dear Lucie." responded Reg
fnaId Walton blandly, 'yC1 know l
have been slowly recovering from
! that fit of sickness last winter; in
! fact an invalid. ConvalesCent now,
but, for all my idle time, you must
admit that | have done all in M
power to maintain the dignity
"Fiddlesticks!
and attract and hold your
| boarders, specially-ahem- tho
ladies. l am no man fiirt, my
hearts devotion is yours exclusive
/ ". but | cannot help attracting at
/ tention from the other sex Don't
be cross. I revere you as the
truest helpmeet man ever had.
| Don't make me mourn, for life is
/ one perpetual round of joy bask-
ing in your love"
1t was true, Reginald Walton
was no man flirt. He was courtesy
itself to his wife's boa-ders; he
shone as a distinguishing mark in
the little household. Petted, idle,
living on the best of the land, work
had become an aversion &c him. He
had no idea of becoming again 4
toiler, and within a few days his
wife's Inconsistency was renewed
and ended in d scene in which Mr..
Walton swung from the house with
the dramatic word:
Very well; you turn me from
nv home out into the cold world.
II shall not return until can
bring you what you seem to think
more of than myself-money.
crude, common CASH"
Then he was gone-and did not
return. In vain mother and
daughter awaited his meek comlnS
back with the morning A week
went by-Mrs. Walton vas fairly
distracted. 1t was all that Marie
could do to solace her. Burt Daw-
son. her fance, made a wide search
for the missing husband and
father, but fTuitlessly.
Then came relief of mind A let
ter arrived from the truant post
marked at a distant city. No adj
tdress, no particulars, only the
words:
q am following your advice and
working hard. When I'm worthy
of it, I'm coming back to eat one
of your glorious Sunday dinners"
What Reginald Walton had done
was to seek and find work in a
munition plant He earned most
liberal wages and saved them.
With exercise and an object in life
he did not regret the transition
from his former yapid and profit
less existence.
One day Reginald Walton did a
FdlldLlL AEtus n LCa y Vi - eSiAAH -
derry refuse had caught fire and
blazed up against the side of low
frame building where some so girls
were employed filing cartridges. A
mere spark would have meant de-
structiOn and possibly death. The
only man in the vicinity was Wal
ton.
Directly in the path Of the flames
on a narrow trackway was small,
truck bearing half a hundred large
shells filed with high explosives
Already the truck was blazing.
Walton realized that once the
flames communicated to the shells
an upheaval would result that
would bring the adjoining building
down in ruins with all its now ter
Tilied and penned-in inmates.
IT'S their lives or minei" he
muttered doughtily. Here goes!"
Walton ran at the truck and sent
it forward down the trackway.
There was a terrific explosion, and
amidst the mighty fare Walton
went PROSTATE, singed, blinded,
wounded in a score of places by
flying fragments of shrapnel, but
the plant was saved.
One evening two months later
Mrs. Walton, Marie and he fiance
were seated in the parlor of the
boarding house Only four OF the
former II lady boarders were now
guests in the house They were
discussing the advisability of Mrs
Walton giving up the business
when the door opened and with a
hearty "Helloi" the truant entered
! the room.
But what a Reginald Walton!
His leOnine name OF hair and mag
nihcent whiskers were gone, his
( face was SCARED and all his beauty
departed. TO his arms ran the de-
| lighted wife, while Marie and Burt
| greeted him as returned from the
/ grave
You needn't fear about my fas-
cinating wiles any more, Lucie."
he observed. And you can take
life little easier now, for there's
the reward OF sacrificing beauty to
duty" and he placed in her hands
a bullying wallet.
Why, what IS this?" incurred
/ the mystified Mrs. Walton.
"Oh, only $4,000 donated to me
by the owners of a munftion plant
for exceptional bravery that saved
property and life" explained Reg
| inald lightly. And now, Lucie. for
your homemade pie and cake and
Il real artistic and satisfying
/ meal"