Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-29
The Dailv
Short Storv.
SPARK AND FINDER
by Waiter Joseph DeIaps,

touchy' easily aroused. a us,s..,,
volcano Of wrath when he g..
in. The spasm passed. bs
moody, stubborn, a man :,
words, too proud 20 acknov,.s.st
his fault and seek to make an,.-sa
but sensible Of the fact that " ~
been irrational and deserves ~
sure. ~
His wife. Mary. was the ,,..
She had bad family advises -. y.
flew to pieces whenever her ~. &c
nical rights were invaded n y
eslightest degree. Only the .t,,s -
OF life interested her and he, 80 ~
band as fully ignored them
You think so much more az w..
relatives than You do OF mv AN
you had better go and live MI
them"
II shall do Just that" snapuea -.
his hysterical heipmeet. ana y. =.
did. OF course her family 49,
with her, and Cousin Felix Bsr.i-
who was a lawyer, saw self-lnss.-.,
in litigation and called upon pas
You can tell Mrs. Walter fA,s !.
she does not return to her h,.a
7 within a week there win "a y
home to come to" and he suoks ~
/ truth. He sold all the honsshsIs
furniture, realized on the personal
property, accumulated a Httle oTs-
a thousand dollars. and sent h "a
Mary with no word Accompanies
it. Then he disappeared from toVS
and no one knew whittier.
A year went by; it was h,N
one for Mary, for time and mr..
ory had opened her blinded ave.
Cousin Felix Invested" the greater
part of the thousand dollars an
lost it. Mary's mother died n,
married sisters indicated clearly
that they could not support hpT
and Mary was compelled to work Ia
earn enough to keep body and soul
/ together in a wretched little room
and did penance for her treatment
of a man who had more than cater
/ ed to her expensive whims.
At the darkest hour OF her poy.
erty and struggles Mary received a
strange letter. 1t purpOrted 70
come from Phineas Marks, a Law.
yer in Arizona. He informed her
that he had been authorized 10 re.
nit her SIS monthly. 81 am n-
/ structed not 10 divulge the details
of this bequest," he wrote. "but you
may consider it as appertaining to
the estate of your dead uncle
William Barr"
! Now William Barr had gone west
four years previously and had never
[ been heard from again, outside Of q
rumor that he and a number Of
others had persisted in snowsllde
1 in Utah. Mary at once arrived al
| the conclusion that some properly
of her dead relative had in some
way been discovered, and was
/ truly thankful to receive sufficient
! to keep her from drudgery and The
grinding domination of poverty
! She rented a neat little cottage,
took two schoolteachers to board,
and life seemed again worth living
except when she thought Of her ab-
sent husband She made some Ell
forts to locate him, but without the
slightest success.
! One day there came knock Of
the door. Mary opened tito reel
back with a cry OF CONSERVATION
of terror. Older, thin, ragged, sup
porting himself on crutehes, was
/ Uncle Barr.
Don't you know me, Mary!
spoke the poor wreck OF humanity
piteously.
Yes, but-but you died." gasped
Mary incoherently.
NO, l didn't" said her visitor, 4
nearly did several times. I'm going
to soon. and, Mary, | haven't 8
penny or a roof to shelter me.
What can you do for me?'
you are welcome to stay mere.
Uncle William" replied Mary pity
ingly, for time and trouble had az
veloped her real compassionate H.
allure. 81 haven't much, but / WI
share what I have with you. bul
lue IllOutN lual AAtio ANNA-
me from your estate?'
MY estate?" repeated Uncle VII
liam vaguely, and this led to expla-
nations all around. Il never senI
YOU any money. And you're not Nv
ing with Ralph? Oh Mary! see II
all. The lawyer out west-dla wv
say his letters came from Warren
ton, Arizona?
Eyes, Uncle william.
Then l guess the truth. II Z
YOU husband who has been sendias
YOU the money He worked me u
so as to hide his good, kind soul
Mary. he is a noble man!
Mary cried as though her heAls
would break. Then she began 70
expatiate on Uncle Williams tns,
DRY. One week later Mary star I'l
out TO follow the clew as to lae
whereabouts of the husband sle
had always loved so deeply-hv.wr
deeply she never realized uHV'
now. a
She located Ralph, working 4,
hours a day in great factory Z
order TO provide for her. she W. VA
enabled to view him from ~,
lance and noted how patient n.
hopeless. his face had grown IN " "
expression. She went to the nous ,
where he boarded one evening. lus'
as he was preparing for his e'sl
ing meal. a.
Ralph Walters. frying pan
hand, stared wonderingly at tne =
truder. Mary approached llh i
Ralph, let me cook your il''
won't you?" she said simply, -.
willingly, Mary, If you Il ~
sent TO share it with me, ne e.
swered promptly. Don't rear - -
I'll complain if you doA't eooA "a
steak TO turn I've lost my - "a
wretched temper and the eXpeiisl's
has done me good. ,,.,v
And, oh, Ralphl" cried ~. va
hursting into tnars. u seem W ~