Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-04
The Daily
Short Story
SEALED LIPS.
RY Geraldine Lee.


Liscombe as she passed from the
library into the parlor just vacated
by half a dozen of the first ladies"
of Wenham.
"They are supposed to be the
local leaders of fashion, culture
and REFORM" responded her sister,
Mrs. Ada Waters.
I How can you tolerate them?
Why, they picked to shreds the rep
utation OF every other woman in
town."
II don't harmonic with them,
Nina" said her sister, but as the
wife of the village doctor, l have
to tolerate them for policy's sake.
| One good result-when l think OF
their restless, cruel criticism OF
everybody, good or bad, 1 resolve
never to speak i'll of anyone, no
matter how culpable. And now,
Nina, what about your unexpected
| visit?"
J Nina and the Liscombe family
lived so miles distant. Ada and
/ lkGI uuSDdlu h@u JAON -
Wenham. The appearance of wh1m-
steal, impulsiVe Nina on the scene
| puzzled her sister.
ooh, I was tired Of the old town
and everything in It'll" declared Nina
recklessly. I've come to stay, for
l intend to get some light work"
And what about Gerald Marsh?"
insinuated Ada gently.
81 broke off the engagement. We
had tiff and 1 got angry"
Ada sighed. She liked Gerald
Marsh and she recognized ever in
her impetuous sister a lack of bal
ance. She made no comment Of
! advice or complaint, however, but
proceeded to make it pleasant for
Nina, as did her husband.
1--WE got a place." announced
Nina two days later. Mrs. We'll
Iington, who has just opened mil
linery store, offers me light and
pleasant work"
"She seems to be a very nice
lady" observed Ada, and she recall
ed to mind this new arrival, whose
pleasing, gentle ways had made a
generally favorable impression, al
! though several of the gossips had
! wondered where she came from!
Nina received almost daily let
! tiers addressed in masculine hand
writing that was unfamiliar to Ada,
who surmised, sorrowfully, that her
sister was in correspondence with
some new lover. 1t was week
after Nina had started at work that
Ada, in clearing out some old books
and newspapers, made discovery
that startled and thrilled her. In a
paper over two years old she came
across a column article with pic
I ture at it's head. 1t was that OF
Mrs. Worthington. 1t named her as
Mrs. Laura Wyckham, but there
could be no mistake as to her iden-
tity. Ada was shocked, for the ar
ticle spoke of her as the wife of a
notorious criminal in the far west,
who had been killed after robbing
a bank. The article referred to the
faithful but unfortunate wife who
! had linked her fate unknowingly
with a desperate, but Ada reflected
what a feast of scandal it would be
if her gossipping acquaintances
ever learned what she had now dis
covered. She tore the wretched
chronicle to atoms, and understood
now what the patient, mournful
smile of Mrs. WorthingtOn signi-
| fed.
/ One day Ada learned that Nina
/ had been seen at the railroad de-
pot with stranger, a flashily
dressed, self-assured young man,
with whom she seemed very friend
] II djCRnUnF~xv
worried her not a little. Letters
from the city came regularly, indi-
eating that Nina was in correspond
ence with some one whose identity
she had not disclosed to her sister.
One morning Ada was startled 10
discover that Nina's grip was all
packed, as though she meditated an
unannounced departure. She won
dered if Nina would be so rash and
| foolish as to mediate an elopement.
Then she came across the torn
! fragments of a letter. 1t was sign
| ed Harold Barr" and piecing it to-
gether as best she could, Ada's
worst fears were confirmed--that
Nina was to go to the city and be-
come the wife of man she had not
I known for over two months. She
watched Nina closely that evening.
! Nina was restless and under some
high nervous strain. They were
alone in the house, when there was
ring at the door bell and Mrs
! Worthington was admitted, Alb
ruptly she turned to Nina.
! Miss Liscombe," she said. Il
have felt it my duty to come and
/ inform your sister that you are
meditating leaving her home sur
reptitiousiy to meet and marry in
| the city a man utterly unworthy of
! your regard-Harold Barr"
Instantly Nina fiared up. She be-
gan an impetuOus TRADE against "a
lmeddler, Il spy, a trouble-maker!
She was old enough to know her
own mind! She would go to the
cityi
But not to meet Harold Barr"
spoke Mrs. Worthington quietly,
for a telegram | sent TO this man
informing him that l had notified
the police of his true identity as an
escaped convict, will remove him
far and fast from a tryst that could
bring you only future misery. I
CHANGED to recognize the man the
day he came to Wenham Oh, be-
lieve me, and he warned"
Nina broke down, but was con-
WINGED. A week later she returned
home and made up with Gerald
Marsh.
Mrs. Worthington wondered after