The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-05

| Crossss,<r3,a,,. ~, IL
She had kept her word and married
Mr. Bellingham, and had gone abroad
| at once after the wedding, aud had not
returned, sk4
The weeks, and months, and years
| had brought slow healing to Harold.
| but the sweet possibility of hope and
| happiness lad never as much as
| dawned upon him, until he met Ethel
Lindsay, q new, radiant star, who had
| flashed like a comet into the social
| armament
Fresh from school. in all her exquis-
| lite beauty, and witehery, and grace,
| she had transGxed Harold, in common
| with 3 scoresof others, and-was hard
| ly won by him at last. when, after
| doubts and fears. he had told her he
loved her with the strongest love of his
| life 42
OF his earliest love affair he honestly
told her, although Eya's name or her
| husbands never passed his lips: for,
| he argued. there was every reason to
suppose that, when the Bellinghams re-
/ turned, he and his wife would meet
| them often.
| stBut YOU do not care-you do not
love me less that I have pleaded with
another woman TO be my wife, my dar
| hngpn he asked her.
i ssYou love me now-you love me
| best,n she answered, passionately.
| For weeks the exquisite Happiness
went on, and then Harold declared his
| intention of seeing her beloved father,
and formally requesting his darling of
him.
II want YOU to consent to an early
marriage, my sweet he urged, impa-
tiently; .sand I shall tell your father
you commissioned me carte blanche.
May I?''
| She laughed and blushed.
81 suppose you viii tell him what
you please she answered. ''You will
find papa just the dearest fellow in all
| the world.
t.Ethel!''
| ..Well. the dearest, best father. I
mean. He will love you so, Harold.
l know-he couldn't help it, you
know"
She flashed him a sauey look that
made him catch her in his arms and
punish her with kisses.
/ May your prophecy be true, my
darling! / Will go to him at once.''
And the following morning saw
Harold CouEthope standing before
tall tinguished-looking gentleman
! an elderly gentleman, very like his dar-
! ling, with handsome, dark eyes, and a
| dignified, courtly manner that was i'm
| pressiye and gracious, as he took Har-
olds hand and smiled and bowed a
welcome.
'sMy daughters friend. Mr.. Court
| hope, be seated. l am glad to see you!
About tire very first guest l have seen
since our arrival"
ssMr. Lindsay" Harold said, then
was little surprised by the look that
flashed from the genueman's eyes.
81 beg your pardon. Has not Ethel
told you, my name is Bellingham? She
| is my stepdaughter, you will remem-
Der. All, my dear, come in! An old
friend of yours, [ think. Eva? Mrs.
| Bellingham, Mr.. Courthope.'
Just the faintest flush was visible on
Eya's face as she came frankly forward
and laid her hand in Harold's S.
.Arc YOU surprised? [ am glad to
see you. Harold. Where is Ethel?''
AS she turned questioningly to her
! husband. there was no possibility of
L bids falling to see the look of ado
ration and pride on her face, and the
knowledge of that went realizingly
home to him almost before he accepted
the strangeness of their positions.
This, then, was Aubrey Bellingham
this elegant, princely gentleman,
who would have been noticeable in any
society. This the man from whom he
swore to save little Eva!
He understood it all now at one
glance. Eva had obcYcd her parent S
wish. and her husband had taught her
to love him above all men, and, in his
heart, Harold did not wonder that she
had preferred Aubrey Bellingham to
himself
But the strange romance of it all
Ethel, Mr.. Bellineham's step-daughter,
and Eva'si and he-camo praying fol-
her handi
A gay little laugh from Mrs. Belling.
ham dissipated all the peculiarly OF
the position.
II am afraid we all have been in the
secret, Harold" she said, frankly.
s'But when Ethel wrote of you. my hus-
baud and were afraid you would shuu
our daughter if you knew she was ours.
and seeing how interested she was, and
knowing what dear friend you were
capable of being, we told Ethel not tc
mention her fathers name. We are so
happy, Haro1d-my husband and l.
that we wanted you and Ethel to be
happy, too, if that eoul be.''
aaEOIu 1au2neU.
1T does seem rather strange doesn'
it? Mr.. Bellingham, did want your
wife once, awfully; but 1 am sure she
: will excuse me if say want your
daughter-and even more. / have
come to ask you to give her to me.
May have herP''
You may have her, and my blessing
with her. She is darling--although
dare say, you have discovered that.
Because Ethel loves you, because
know you are worthy of her. and-in
special gratitude that you did not get
the better of me where Eva was con-
cerned," and he smiled, ''you may
have my daughter, Harold. And
think we all will be very happy"
ITO think You knew all the while OF
my old-time infatuation for your lovely
little step-mother, Ethel,'' Harold said,
severely, when he had put the whole
matter before her.
'sOf course / knew, and-Harold,
was jealous of the remembrance, lots
. of times. But / never will be again
never! Only Harold. if you had mar.
,, ried her what would have become oil
poor papa and EleP"
''But we dida't you see," he returned,
as he drew her close to him. and smiled