The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-25

among the heathens. Poor little girI.n
/ He took hold of my arm and then
| pinched my cheek. $50 tender, and
| plump, and SOFT
Itwitched my arm away, and felt my
cheek burn red-with anger, more than
from his pinching.
81 didn't write to you for mockery,'
] said, Indignantly. "Mr. Elton
ELTON is a fool,'' said John, seating
/ himself, calmly. IF he wasn't fool,
| / should call him a brute, to work up
| on the romance and enthusiasm of
silly girl. and ask her to waste her
bright, happy young life for his selfish
/ qualification, among pack of Internal
dirty savages. But he's just fool.
and boy. While you"-he looked at
me with such strangely tender, quizzi-
cal eyes lyon are little goose! |
don't believe you really love the fellow
| at all, Liz
/ He was perfectly right, and in that
minute / knew it-for the first time [
| knew my own heart. But I was too
much offended to acknowledge it.
You are mistaken" I said, very
| coldly. Should [ have humbled my
self to ask you for the means to join
him, if / did not love himP"
"a nice one he must be to let you do
it, toor' he cried, getting angry in his
turn, and rising. ''Well, if you can
love fellow like that, you are not the
girl l took you for, and the sooner you
60 to him the better! Yes; you shall
have all you need, my girl, and God
grant you don't repent your folly" He
| took paper from his pocket-book.
There's blank cheque. l signed it
for you, though did hope you'd use it
to a better purpose. No matter-fll it
up for any amount you need; take
enough, for you'll get but little from
the fellow you're going TO! And mind
you're welcome to the money''-his
voice and look softened a little-''yo
be welcome to my life. if it could Sc
cure your happiness, Liz! l hate to
see you spoil your own-that's all. -
He turned to go. Goodbye, my dear
4 wish you happiness, and he was
gone.
| sat there and burst out crying.
Quite quietly gave way to an inward
storm of rage and grief at my own be-
sotted folly. John! Ny dear old John!
| If [ had spoken the truth to him, how
different might be my fate! Surely
John loved me. Arthur was right,
John wished to win me for himself!
And now he hal given mo up! And L
-decency, consistency, pride, required
that should abide by my own decision
i belonged to Arthur, whom l was
beginning to despise.
| One hope remained to me--mv moth
er. She would entreat and beg me not
to go, and l could gracefully yield to
her wishes. l fastened home-alas! l
found her resigned to my marriage
with Arthur ohm had talked her over.
HE would sacrifice everything to
your happiness" she said ''Oh, you
| have been such fool!'
The preparations were hurriedly
made-I had no time to lose-and
mother accompanied me on my jour
ney. She was to take me to London
and leave me in my husbands care.
John saw US off; actually accompan-
| led US to the station, and babe us good
| bye. AS the train moved slowly away,
| and realized that had seen the last
of him. bit my lips to keep the outcry
of my anguish down, and resolved, in
blind, stupid way, to do anything
rather than marry Arthur Elton.
Tic fatigue OF my journey, the an
| guish of my heart, the effort to conceal
| my feelings-all these things were too
much me. When we got 10 our hotel l
fell into Mysteries, AMI the secret came
| out in spite of me.
II hate Arthur Elton! l hate the
heathens! I'll never marry himr' l
| sobbed incoherentiy.
s'Then why did you snub poor
John?" asked my mother, pitilessly.
"John, who has loved you since you
were wee thing; John, who would die
for you if need be. Why didn't you
| marry JohnP"
why didn't he ask me?'' l sobbed,
| - SsTaT1l1 I lo1.y.xT him NV
force? You were both so bent on driV-
ing me into Arthur's arms; you never
seemed to think girl might change
her mind; l believe you both hate me.
Oh, dear! oh, dearr'
NV misery, however absurd. was real
enough, and mother found it difficult
to s0othe me. She succeeded after
awhile. however, and promising to
think OUT some way to escape from our
| difficulty, left me to lie down and rest.
We had sittingaroom and bedroom
at the hotel-presently mother called
to me from the former. / had been
falling into doze, but her voice reused
me.
Come here, Lizzie" she called.
went-slowly and YEARLY.
'sWhat is it?n / asked, hstlessly, as
I pushed open the door; then l gave a
Vi IL ~ ftiiO JO1P AOi cO1A
came forward and clasped me in his
arms.
He had come down on the car behind
us, deceitful thing; and mother and he
had plotted against me all the time! All,
well-after all it was my happiness they
plotted for; for loved him, and, when
you love, what can you 10 bat yield?
We were married. the very next day.
| believe / felt some qualms of con-
science about Arthur and those poor,
dear heathens, bat they were quite
over when we got homo, two weeks
later, and found Il letter from Arthur
waiting for me.
He released me from my engagement,
and was so kind as to ado that he had
never thought me really suited for the
| work. Moreover, he informed me
that he believed he had made a mis-
take on his own part. A wealthy widow
lady, whom he had met on his voyage,
had shown him that much might be
done to convert the peasantry IN Rome,
and therefore he had married her, and
| they were starting on bridal tour to
the Eternal City. He hoped that I
would find worthy partner, and be as
happy as he wished me; aud thus he
babe me farewell. The cannibals-
whom we were to have taken to Heav-
| en-seemed to have no place in his