Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-19
MIR. FITzGERALD's MARRIAGE.

me Hon. LuciuS fitzgerald walked up and
down the breakfast room at Abbotscraithie with
his hands in his trousers pockets, jinglng his
money Well, he was perhaps hardly as yet re-
accustomed to the sound His young wife
they had only been married six months-sat at
the table, behind the tea and coffee parapher-
malta, watching him while she very assiduously
knitted coarse Knickerbocker stocking.
Something had evidently produced twist In
the skein Of their hitherto unentangled bliss;
for the breakfast was untasted, and was getting
cold
SIT is the first request you have refused me;
but suppose you do not think me good enough
for your swell acquaintance" said the lady at
last swallowing a little sob.
"Really, Amelia, the way you put things is
too ridiculous. Not good enough! Because 1
object to Lady Constantia Verulam and her
daughter being invited to Abbotscraithie What
can they have to do with you? simply do not
want them"
yet they were your most intimate friends
before your marriage"
Perhaps have quarreled with them"
Nonsense! saw an envelope addressed to
you in Miss Verulam's writing, only week or
two ago."
at was merely line of congratulations The
Verulams were abroad when we married"
And Mr.. Fitzgerald, deep flush mounting all
over his face. sat down opposite his wife and
began to busy himself by uHcovering the dishes
We'll, she persisted ''let them come and
natured of you not to have them here You
know want to find nice wife for Percy, and
he Is coming for the shooting on the 10th.
"Confound Percyl" muttered Mr.. Fitzgerald
behind his mustache. ''Well, do as you like,
I'll make no further opposition
And fiatternT himself with the idea that he
had striven his utmost to do right he now re-
signed himself delightedly to wrong doing.
Amelia Fitzgerald is the daughter of a north
country manufacturer, who left her many
thousands of pounds in hard cash, with part Of
which Abbotscraithie has lately been purchased.
IL is handsome stone house, in the center Of q
fair LOwland estate, bonnie with moor and
forest. Riches apart, she is a lOvabe little
woman enough; Yet Lucus does not love her,
and for no more valid reason than that she is
not somebody else. Then why have married
ner! The question is only too pregnant the
answer too obvious. When mutual friend,
matchmaking woman, had first preached the
SUBJECT TO him, he answered at once:
''Can you ask me? If the young lady is fool
enough to marry me. here 1 am, and let's waste
no more words about it,"
Amelia Huggins was not long from the school
room, and full OF sweet sch6Ol-roomish views of
love- The younger son of an earl, five feet eleven,
handsome, and apparently charmed with her:
what more could she want?
NOW. Lucius was no abandoned wretch; he
was simply young man whose six or eight
years OF lie had dispossessed him of about dOu-
Ole the number of thousands which had ever be-
iOnged to him-Oh, a very vulgar miracle as
times gO-and he had latterly-that is for the
past year or twO-sadded himself with des-
perate passion for Berthe Verulam, and which,
alas, she fully returned
AS neither of these ill-starred lovers had any
money, or even reasonable expectation of be-
Ing lett some, Lucius felt no sort of scruple in
Offering his heart to the willing Amelia Calmly
considered by an impartial observer, the trans
ACTON might look very like selling an estate with
heavy undeclared mortgage upon it, To the
Honorable, yet impecuniOus, Fitzgerald, however,
1t appeared but in the light of that time honored
course, THE only thing to do, by Jove!"
All. and he would do his duty like a man. he
would. No more flirting now OF course if
they met much, it would be awkward-deuced
dangerous with another "by JOve!') Well.
they mustn't meet that's all.
You see, Lucius thought himself quite a good
man. don't want to say word against him,
only II he Is one, then there are plenty of good
men about, that is all. So much the better that
there should be- of course
His young wife, though hardly of what YOU
would call strong character, inherited from the
late Hu9gins large share of that pertnacity
winch ne had turned to such good account: and
she p0urs out the coffee this morning with an
air OF innocent triumph in her blue eyes at hay-
ing carried her point.
ana so Mrs fitzgerald insists on Lady Veru-
lam and her daughter being invited" unused her
husband. 1.-The Verulams of all people in the
world! For Percy, too! AS if Birdie Veruam
Gas she was called, her real name being Bertha.
would marry Percy!''
Percy is Amelia's brother, older than she is
oy Tour or hve years. Rich, of course. Hug
gins senior left his thousands equally divided.
But the son had not acquired any of that gen
tieness and good breeding which seem to have
come 10 the sister as if by magic In Lucus
Fitzgerald's mental phrase, "He is an INSURER
aole young cub, talking slang by the yard, and
only tit to herd with bagmen and shopb0ys.'
'Yet he is his brOther-n-law must be made
the best of, and is even now coming on the 10th
to meet Lady Constantia. the fastidious. and
her delightfully."- fine daughter If only they
Wouid SEND an excuse? But no. Circumstances
would never go and risk their cherished old
reputation for spitefulness. How they must
smile now-that is, if they ever do SMILE"
so cogitated Lucius; and his little burst of
wicked exuitatiOn at losing the battle rapidIy
gave way to eyer-increasing doubts and fears
He was sufficiently grand seiqneur to remain
uncrushed by the Percy trouble. ''va pour
lie beau-frere;" but the other matter seemed.
as he reflected upon it, to hourly contain less
ana less OF what was sweet. and more and
more OF what was decidedly bitter. Granting
that there Is always something of rapture
In meeting our souls ideal once again,
so long. that is, as she is not on the arm of
a successful rival. what good could possibly
Cohhe out vi tnlS unt0Ward encounter! And for
momentary thrill, joy that was first cousin
TO sorrow, was it worth while to jeouardize
even such very gray-colored domesticfelicty as
now belonged to him? Yes the more he
thought of it, the less he liked the prOspect
visions OF strange heartrending scenes tragic
duets. and more tragic trios, began to tit across
his brain by night and day. After all, he had
suffered marvelously little for the want of Miss
Verulam's society since his marriage. Indeed
this had often been subject of wonder to him.
He was really comfortable enough with Amelia
and as to romance, passion, ecstasy-was the
whole thing worth while? Was he not getting
just shade too old or, to put it plainly too fat
and lazy, for these fatiguing toys!
All this time Amelia was perfectly happv and
serene; for when Lucius was with her he was
more than ever dur petits SONS: and then had
she not gained her own way in the matter in
viting these Verulams?
And they were coming, too. "Were going To
pay other visits in the neighborhood and
should be SO delighted" Lady Constantias note
had said 'o
For some days before they arrived Mr.. Fitz-
gerald had good deal of spare time on his
hands. with which his wife did not interfere
She was SO engrOssed in her first hospitable pre-
parations, and in adding touches of beauty to
the Somewhat has fJy furnished roor,o