Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-20

drove up 10 GrimshaW'3 10 mako d
payment Of money. 7 remember q
v as gold and silver which We car
ried in little sack. ] asked whore
Amos Was and Mrs. Grlmshaw-.,
timid, tired-lookinF. bonv woman
who was never seen outside Of he-
own house-sald that he was wort-
ing out on the farm OF a Mr.. Boelr-
man near PlattsburR. lie mad zone
over on the stage late In juno p,
hire out for the hay.ng. observed
that my uncle looked very thought
ful as we rode back home and hs4
little to say.
You never had any idea VIM
that robber was, did yer" he asked
by and by.
Mo- could not see plant
was so dusk" I said.
Il think PurYis lied about the
gang that chased him." he said
"Mebbe he thought they was after
him. In my opinion he was 30
scairt he couldn't a. told a hen
mock from a haHdsaw anyway.
think it was just one man that dlq
that job"
silence that followed and the dis
tant voices that flashed across IL
now and then-the call Of the miro
drum in the marshes and the songs
of the winter wren and the swami
robin. It was a solmcn silence.
The swift words, Your money or
your life" came out Of my mer.
DRY and rang in it. / felt its ike
ness to the scolding demands Of Mr..
Grimshaw, who was forever saying
in effect:
your money or your home"
That was like demanding orr
lives because We couldn't live with
out our home Our all was in II.
Mr.. Grimshaw' gun was the power
lie had over US, and what terrible
weapon it was / credit him with
never realizing how terrible.
We came TO the sand hills and
then Uncle Peabody broke the Sc
lence by saying:
Il wouldn't give so cents for as
much o. this land as a bird could
fly around in a day"
Then for a long time I heard only
the sound of feet and wheels muf-
fed in the sand, while my uncle sal
looking thoughtfully at the siding.
When l spoke TO him he seemed not
to hear me.
Before we reached home I knew
what was in his mind, but neither
dared to speak of il.
People came from Canton and al
the neighboring villages to see and
talk with me and among them were
the Dunkelbergs. UnfoUnded tales
OF my bravery had gone abroad.
Sally seemed 10 be very glad to
see me. We walked down 10 the
brook and up into the maple grove
and back through the meadows.
The beauty of that perfect day
was upon her. l remember that
her dress was like the color Of It's
fire-weed blossoms and that the
blue of its sky was in her eyes and
the yellow of its sunlight in her
hair and the red of its clover in ucc
cheeks. l remember how the Au-
gust breezes played with her hair,
flinging its golden curviug strands
about her neck and shoulders SO
that it touched my face, now and
then, as we walked Somehow the
rustic of her dress started q
strange vibration in my spirit
put my arm around her waist and
she put her arm around mine as We
ran along A curious feeling came
over me. l stopped and loosed my
arm.
It's very warm" I said as
picked a stalk of fire-weed
What was there about the girl
which so thrilled me with happi-
ness?
She turned away and felt the
ribbon by which her hair was gath
cred at the back OF her head,
| wanted TO kiss her as I had
done years before, but l was
afraid
She turned suddenly and said 10
me:
"A penny for your thoughts"
You won't laugh at me?.'
NO"
Il was thinking how beautiful
you are and how h0mely I am"
You are not homely. I like YOUR
eyes and your teeth are as white
and even as they can be and you
are n big, brave boy too
Continued tomorrow