Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-23
The Daily
Short Story
THE BARRIER
BY Jack Lawton.

sunshine the stately grounds were
desolate.
Jane had hungered for the fresh
out-of-doors and as she could not
see well enough to find her way
about she sat resting quietly and
musingly beneath the great tree
whose naked branches brought
pleasant recollections. The bench
in this particular corner had been
trysting place of James. Then
the long-Iashed eyes had been free
from glasses, the soft pink of her
cheeks had glowed in deeper red.
Jane Gray had been noted for
beauty as well as wealth, and as
her fortune had not decreased with
years, so the girIish beauty had ma
tured into more womanly lowell,
ness.
Suftors had come and gone
| through the great stone gates or
| her fathers home-but Jane en-
! couraged none to stay. One who
i had come very early in life in some
mysterious way, predominated all
others. Little Janey in her short
/ fl ocks had loved the humble neigh
| Dor boy.
Donnie had brought her red
apples by way Of the back garden
hedge; together they had cherished
and restored to health a disabled
robin Janey's guardian aunt had
not approved of her rather shabby
playfellow and their play hours
were few.
Returning in after years from
/ boarding school Miss Jane Gray
waited wistfully for Donald Bruce
to call. Other youths, eager with
attentions, could not subdue James
| longing for her old playmate's com
| partnership. But Donald failed to
come. When she met him accident
ally upon the avenue he had
/ flushed at her inquiry as to his abb
sence and had managed to explain,
| finally, in answer to her persist
+ ence, that he was mot in her
: class"
Angrily Jane denied the charge,
| insisting upon a call in the near fu-
ture, and Donald Bruce, all too
willing, had come. The moon shone
down through the green leaves OF
/ the old tree that evening, as they
/ sat side by side upon this very
! bonch.
Now. in the chill desolation of au-
tunn, Jane remembered the young
mans quickly checked avowal OF
/ love.
81 had not meant to tell you"
7 Donald confessed THE moonlight
someway got into my brain. l will
never be worthy to ask you to
marry me, J&ney. A lifetime of
labor could not build up a fortune
such as Is now your own, and
/ his face darkened-"I could not be
bad enough to either coax you from
surroundings to which you are &C
customed or-to live upon my
wife's money. So-it must be good
ky."
With a break in his voice he had
added, looking back as she listened
dumbly: 81 will never love anyone
but you, Jane, in all my life"
The guardian aunt, when she had
heard James fearful confidence, ap-
proved the wisdom of Donald
Bruce.
1.-The young man shows sense in
nipping the affair in the bud" she
remarked.
And now the guardian aunt was
gone; years had passed peacefully,
happily, too, perhaps, and Jane
Gray-who had scarcely heard of
her old-time lover since he had
gone she knew not where-Jane
still remembered. Through the en-
trance gates came now a mans
tall figure. Jane through her dark
dieanrn his
coming.
At the signal of the rustling
| leaves she removed the glasses,
blinking pitifulIy her unseeing eyes.
Her embarrassed soft laughter re-
tanned its girlish ring.
Il hear a presence" said Jane.
''I can even see a figure, but your
face"
For one gasping moment Donald
Bruce stared into the wide, sight
less eyes. The hair about his
temples was touched with silver.
The determined lines of his mouth
melted suddenly into a great ten
derness.
"Oh, my dearest!" he cried, brok-
emily; and there, upon the old
bench, Jane Gray's lover clasped
her quickly and closely in his arms.
II knew that you were unmar-
ried," he murmured. Il knew that
you still lived here in all your
grandeur alone; but, oh! they
never told me that you were blind.
If they had ! should have fastened
back to care for you-to protect
you. I have never grown rich
enough to dare to take you from
your life OF luxury. Janey, but this,
on! the great affliction brushes
every barrier aside. To serve you
always, dear" his voice rang
passionately.
fancy. do you still care for me
enough TO let me serve you al
ways?'
From her radiant face James
sighless eyes gazed back at him.
oh, my deari" she said, 81 love
you. This lack of sight is but tenn
porary. Some powerful drops put
in my eyes to test them for new
glasses. Tomorrow I shall see as
well as you" She laughed trem-
ulously.
1T is you who have been blind
al. these years, Donald Bruce, if
You thought that money could COM
pensate for love"
So 10 the desolate garden love
| came again. turning all its bleak
ness into Joy.
TIE ERIE BARGE CANAL.