Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-26
The Light in
the Clearin0
By IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs-Merrm Co.

horse to the fence and followed
him into the old churchyard. he
tween wcather-stained messy head
stones and graves ovcrgrOwn with
wild roses. Near the far end ~
these thick-sown acres he STONED
Here's where the buryin' he
gum" said my guide. THE frs,
hole in the hill was dug for a Full.
,erton."
There we're many small moDu-
ments and slabs of marble-soma
spotted with lichens and all IN
commemoration Of departed Fuller.
tons.
Say, look a that" said my guide
as he pulled aside the stem of
leafy brier red with roses. lest
read that. mister"
My keen eyes slowly spelled on,
the time-worn words on a slab Of
stained marble:
Sacred to the memory Of
Katherine Fullerton
17S7-1S06
Proclaim His word in every place
That they are dead who fall from
grace.
A dark shadow fell upon the
house OF my soul and I heard
loud rapping at its door which
confused me until, looking out I
saw the strange truth OF the mat
ter. Rose leaves and blossoms
seemed to be trying to hide it with
their beauty, but in vain.
Il understand" | said.
mo ye don't. Leastways I don't
believe We do-not correct. Squire
Fullerton dug a grave here an had
an empty coffin put into it away
back in 1906. It means that he
wanted everybody to understan'
that his girl was jest the same as
dead to him an to God-Say, he
knew all about Gods wishes-that
man. Gosh! He has sent more
folks to hell than there are in it, I
guess. Say, mister, do ye know
why he sent her there?"
shook my head.
"Yis, We do. too It's the same
OF thing that's been sendin' women
to hell ever since the world begun.
Ye know hell must "a been the in
vention Of man-that's sartin-
an it was mostly fer women an
children-that's sartiner-an' fer
all the men that didn't agree with
him. Set down here an III tell ye
the hull story. My days work is
done"
We sat down together and We
went on as follows:
Did We ever see Kate Fuller
TOM"
YES"
NO ye didn't, nuther. Yer too
young Mebbe We seen her when
she was old an broke down bu;
that want kate-no more'n In
Bill Tweedy, which I amt. Kate
was as handsome as a golden robin
Hair yeller as his breast an feet
as spry as his wings an a voice as
sweet as his song, an eyes as
bright as his'a-yis, sir-ye couldn't
beat her fer looks. That was
years and years ago Her mother
died when Kate was ten years old
there's her grave in there with
the sickle an the sheaf an the
portry on it. That was unfort'nit
IAN no mistake. Course the squire
married ag'in but the new wife
want no kind of a mother TO the
girl an you know, mister, there
was a young scoundrel here by the
name o. Grimshaw. His father was
a rich man-owned the cooper
shop an the saw-mill an the tan
merry an a lot o. cleared land down
in the valley. He KEEP comply
with her fer two or three years.
Then all of a sudden folks began
to taIk-the women in partic1ar.
We know men invented hell an
women keep up the fire Kate
didn't look right to EN-. Fust We
knew, young Grimshaw had drop
ped her an was keepjn comply
with another gal-yis, sir. Do ye
know why?"
Before 1 could answer he went
on:
mo We don't-Ieastways I don't
believe We do. 1t was cause her
father was richer'n the squire an
had promised his gal ten thousan
dollars the day she was married
Al of a sudden Kate disappeared.
We didn't know what had happened
fer a long time
Continued Tomorrow