Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-31
The Daily
Short Story
THE PROBLEM.
BY Ella Charlotte Hammond


For six hours Eustace Wards H..
crouched in the long grass and sh,rS
berry surrounding a pretty bunralos
moving from spot to spot cautiouslv
furtively. He was bent on a snec,.,
mission, whose issues were vital ana
he dared not take any risk az to hsi,s
discovered and defeated in his des,.s
THE sister was right he soliio'
Quized, feeling that he was handl,n.
. hard problem. Il haven't causS,
even fleeing glimpse OF the ~,
She must be in the house. thonsh
and, just as she wrote her sister. Ia
place is guarded"
This latter fact was evident. ss.,.a
knitting in rocking chair in the ~.
den SO as to command a perfect vis~
of all the entrances and exits OF ~.
house, was portly, keen-eyed won.
an who swept the prospect with :
probing glance every other minute
On the other side Of the house, reclin.
ing on the grass, gun by his side
was a man past middle age. apparent.
ly the husband of the other watcher
He doesn't look as smart and NJ
liant as the woman" decided Warde
Twice he has nodded. All. he Is sons
now. Dare l venture rush for the
house?"
Warde could distinctly catch the
sound of muffled snoring. The man
lay perfectly still. his face buried in
his arm. Across 4O-foot spacr
Warde glided. He darted through 4
doorway to find himself in . narrow
hall. Then beyond its other end he
made out a graceful feminine fsurt
Miss Alice Boyden?" he spoke in
a low tone, and as he extended an en-.
velope toward the amazed girl he add
ed quickly: From your sister at Mel.
VILE"
The hands Of Alice Boyden trsm-
bled as she opened the letter and hur-
riedly perused its Enclosure. She wa
at once aroused to manifest animation
and excitement. The young man
pressed close to her side.
Beyond the grove yonder," he said,
II have horse and buggy. Don't de-.
| lay. The man outside is asleep, the
| woman is on the other side of the
house and cannot observe your escape
Come"
His frank, open face pleased her.
Besides, did he not come from her
sister, Lucia, and under the direction
of Lucias husband, who was q law
yer? And was she not practically q
prisoner, surrounded she knew not by
what sOrdid plots and plotters?
Her father had died leaving . fairly
large estate. His half-brother, Hugo
Blair, dominated the town. Through
one of his creatures, Judge. Blair
had been appointed guardian Of Alice
and had been given arbitrary charge
of the estate. He did not intend that
the rich pickings should escape his
clutches.
In a vast furry Alice followed the
directions of her helper and guide. A
great sigh of relief escaped her lips
as they passed the sleeping sentinel
in safety. They reached the grove.
The color came back to that fair face,
her shining eyes expressed her deep
gratitude as the horse started up.
Warde took lonely road, but they
were seen by quite a number OF per
sons, and he urged the mettled steed
to his best pace. fearing pursuit Il
was Just at dusk when they reached
the end of the one traversed road IN
that wild district. Beyond 1t spread
a 20-mile stretch Of prairie, smooth
as floor. Twenty different trails had
been broken through the high pampas
grass. The horse was tired and Wsfde
allowed him to rest Then they re-
sumed their journey.
Look" exclaimed Alice, an hour
later.
/ Perhaps two miles distant. and
seemingly directly on their trail, was
an automobile. Its rapid pufink
echoed family, but its lights flsred
like evil eyes probing to locate the
refugees.
at is Mr.. Blair's machine!" huttered
Alice in terror. He will overtake %
Oh, do not delay! Let US hurry Tor
ward"
Warde had halted the horse. Nov
; he ran back about a hundred yards
He flared dozen matches. He set me
grass blazing in a dozen places Then
he leaped into the buggy and urged
up the horse. He knew that the auto
mobile would not dare dash into Inc
advancing mass of flame, nor traverse
the burned-over route where SPARK
might precipitate an explosion. :.
Warde was right. Then reached
Melville in safety. At once Alice wa
hurried to another town and placeo
in charge of a lady friend, and tne
lawyer prepared to legally dispute INC
jurisdiction of the scheming haI-
uncle. He called upon Alice rev
days later.
Il don't know what the result may
|, be in the courts he told Alice grave.
ly. 1T is a pity there is not SOM
, favored young man who could sIss
YOU his name and his love. inss
would completely battle Hugo bisia.
, Alice blushed, and perhaps WIN
|. reason. She had ceased to think "
[ the clever and self-possessed youas
man who had rescued her from ~ -.
enemy. Crafty or incidentally, w
, lawyer sent Warde with messsse
one day. The willy lawyer smiled y
himself as he noted the happy nen' y
his young partners eyes upon MS ~
: turn. -, \.
Il fancy the problem will soon "
/ solved" he told his wife, and II ~
! for when Hugo Blair came upon -.
scene with all kinds of dreadlui va
documents, he found 1t OF no 49, w..
for he had to deal with Alices nv
, band this time.