Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-05
The Dailv
Short Story
THE SECRET FORMULA
BY Charles Graham spoehr


coming" said pretty, gentle-eyed
Elsa Griscom, and her fsnce. Wal
lace Meade, Toasted on the loving
happy smile upon her fair face.
"A busy, lonely. but hopeful five
years" he said reminIscently
"They are good people. the Dris-
coils. They advanced me right
along, and when Mr. Driscol died
and his widow, rich enough to live
on the estate. decided TO drop the
business, she came to me with
proposition that made me feel az
though ! was in some bewildertng
dream"
Wallace had gone 10 the city FIVE
years previously and had secured a
position with the Driscolls.
MIR. Meade" she said, my hus-
band thought great deal Of you.
and you deserved the confidence 7
shall not continue the business. I
am going to give you a chance 10
buy It. You say you have saved up
about three thousand dollars For
that amount and 10 per cent on the
net profits for a term Of 10 wears.
I will give you the copyrights. the
lists of CLIENTS, the good will and
the formula
Which formula" now related
Wallace to his sister, Mrs Borden.
and his fiance, lis the nugget of the
whole proposition. Here It is
and he took out a long wallet and
disclosed blue envelope, secured
by wax seals. For that ! have
given the money I have saved
Borden Is to duplicate my capital
invested and we are going into the
business together"
"Oh, dear!" murmured Elsa
precious secret, isn't it,"
so much so, that we will deposit
it in a safety vault, and memorize
ii, and IL Is TO remain in escrow
through many profitable years,
hope"
Then they began to discuss the
details of the business. They were
to rent a vacant building. Wallace
was to live with the Bordens and
within the year he and Elsa were
to marry
"Oh, Elsa-look. look" suddenly
almost screamed out Mrs. Borden
She had started from her seat and
caught up her little 2-year-old from
the floor, and snatched from its
arms a Teddy bear doll that Wal
lace had brought the child as a
present Whereas il had originally
two big, blue, bullying eyes, il was
now sightless THE baby has nick
ed off those bead eyes and has
swallowed them!" walled Mrs. Bor-
den.
Baby only jabbered and pointed
TO the floor, and there were the
eyes, shing globules set on blue,
glass-headed pins. The eyes were
not beads at all. The relieved Mrs
Borden picked up the pins and
placed them on the table, but com
mented on the danger of the pins
to an unsophisticated infant. They
all laughed at the persistencv Of
baby pulling out the eyes. Then
Wallace saw Elsa home, returned.
retired, and awoke the ensuing
morning to find his wallet missing
and evidence of the visitation OF
burglar during. the night They
found the sitting room window
open, and upon the floor large
pearl button. evidently dropped
from some garment the thief wore.
They notified the police, intimatIng
a liberal regard for the recovery
of the blue envelope. For the mon
ey lost, Wallace cared little
Nothing came of a detective quest
and a cloud of gloom settled down
over the little coterit OF friendly
souls
"All our plans are broken, Wat
lace told Elsa. THE one important
item in the business we bought is
the formula. Unless we recover il
I shall have to begin all over
again"
They had been strolling through
a public park and had sat down 10
rest on a rustic bench.
1--WE can wait patiently. dear,
consoled Elsa encouragingIy. 1T IS
a great disappointment TO Laura
and Ernest. too. Perhaps the thief
may see your advertised reward
and return the blue envelope on
Wallace" she exclaimed abrupt
ly. and arose to her feet, her breath
coming quick, her eyes fixed on a
trampish-looking fellow asleep on
the grass under a tree not ten feet
away.
"Whv. Elsa, what has startled
YOU so?" inquired Wallace surprls-
edly; but his companion made
motion directing silence. and, al
most on tiptoe. advanced toward
the recumbent slumberer and peer
ed down at him with bated breath
and fixed glance. Then she came
back to the bench and sank down
quite pale and tremulous-
"Oh. Wallace" she uttered IN
mere whisper. II may be wrong
but - you remember the TEDDY
bears eyes?"
why. yes, but"
Laura and | found one or them
gone the morning after baby plcheo
them out. and now-Oh, l couldn
mistake their odd shape anywhere,
That man lying yender has the TOP
button of the sweater he wears
missing, and all the other buttons
are just like the pearl one we ioaha
in the sitting room. and the missing
top button is replaced by one OF tos
eve pins, Don't YOU see he useo
il to fasten the sweater, picked u
off the table, and
Wallace did see, so etectuatR
that within the hour the tramp,
placed under arrest, acknowledge
his guilt and told where he haa
thrown the wallet and blue enNei-
ope into a dry ditch near the not
den home