Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-03
Mr.. FITZGERALD'S MARRIAGE.

custOmed to the sound. His young
wife-they had only been married six
mOnths-sat at the table, behind the
tea and coffee paraphernalia, watching
him while she very asSiduously knitted
a coarse of fare knickerbOcker stockings.
Something had evidently. produced a
twist in the Skein of their hitherto UNI
tangled bliss, for the breakfast was un-
tasted, and was getting cold.
at is the first request you have re-
fused me; but | suppose you do not
think me good enough for your swell ac-
uuaintances." said the lady at last, swal-
lowing little sob.
Really, Amelia, the way you put
things is too ridiculous. Not good
enough! Because L objected to Lady
Constantine Nerulam and her daughter
being invited To- AbbOtscraithie. What
can they have to do with you? simply
DO not want them"
"Iet they were your most intimate
friends before your marriage"
perhaps l have quarreled with
them"
"Nonsense! I saw an envelope adj
dressed to you in Miss Nerulam's writ
ing only week or two ago"
at was merely line of cOngratula-
ton. The NerulamS were abroad when
we married"
And Mr.. Fitzgerald, a deep flush
mounting all over his face, sat down OPP
posite his wife and began to busy him
self 10y umcOvering the dishes.
"Wen," she persisted, "let them
come and congratulate you in person.
Ii is very ill-natured of you not to have
them here. You know | want to find u
nice wife for Percy, and he is coming
| for the shooting on the 10TH"
"Confound Percyw muttered Mr..
Fitzgerald behind his mustache. "Well
do as you like; I'll make no further
opposition"
And flattering himself with the idea
! that ne had striYen his utmost to do
/ right, he now resigned himself delight
| edly to wrOng-dOing.
Amelia Fitzgerald is the daughter of
north country manufacturer, who left
| her many thousands of pounds in hard
| cash, with part of which AbbOtscraithie
! has lately been purchased. lisa hand
| some stone house, in the center of u fair
| Lowland estate, bonnie with moor and
| forest. Riches apart, she is a lovable
little woman enough; yet Lucius does
! not love her, and for no more valid
-pason than that she is not somebody
! coI,o Then why have married her?
The question : = only too pregnant, the
answer too obvious. Wnen mutual
! friend. q matchmaking woman, had
first preached the subject to him, he
answered at once:
can YOU ask me" Ifthe young lady
/ i fool enough To marry me, here am,
/ and let's waste no more words about 1t"
Amelia Higgins was not long from
the school-rOOm, and full of sweet
srhOol-rOOmish views of love. The
youngrr son of an earl, five feet eleven,
( handsome, and apparently charmed
/ with her; what more could she want?
( Now, L.uciuS was no abandoned
wretch. lie was simply u young man
twenty six or eight years of life had dis
poSseSsed him of about double the num-
! ber of thousands which had ever belong
! ed To him-Oh, a very vulgar miracle
/ as times go-and he had latterly-that
is, for the past year or two-saddled
himself with desperate passion fol
Bertha Vcrulam, and which, alas, she
fully returned.
As neither of these ill-starred lovers
, had any money, or even a reasonable
. expectation of being left some. Luclus
( felt no sort of scruple in offering his
! heart to the willing Amelia. Calmly
considered by an impartial observer,
the transaction might look very like
| selling an estate with a heavy undeclar-
ed mortgage upon it. To the honarable
vet impecuniOus, Fitzgerald, however
il appeared but in the light of that time,
honored course, 1.-THE snly thing to do
by JOvew -,
All. and he would do his duty like s
man. he would. No more flirting now
of course, it they met much, 1t woulC
he Northumberland dangerous WITT
another 'by JOvew) Well, they musn'
meet, that'sall.
You see, Lucius thought himself quite
= rood man. IdOn't want to say wore
AGAINST him, only if he is one, ther
there are plenty of good men about
that is all. So much the better ina
there should be, of course.
His young wife, though hardly o
what YOU would call strong character
inherited from the late Hugglns larg
share of that pertinacity which he ha'
turned to such good account; and sh,
pOurs ont the coffee this morning will
an air of innocent triumph in her blu
ewes at having carried her point.
"And so Mrs. Fitzgerald insists Of
Lady Verulam and her daughter beini
inyiied,n unused her husband. 9Th
Verulams of all people in the world
For Percy too! As if Birdie Eerulan
las she was called, her real name bein:
Bertha, would marry Percy"
Percy is Amelia's brother, older thar
she is by four or five years Rich, o
course. Higgins senior left his thOus
ands equally divided. But the son hat
not ACQUIRED any of that gentleness anC
good breeding which seem to have come
TO the sister as if by magic. In Luciu
Fitzgerald's mental phrase, HE Is al
insufferable young cub, talking slang by
the yard, and only fit to herd with bag
men and shopbOys."
"Yet he is his brother-in-law, must bt
made the best of, and is even now com
ing on the 10th to meet Lady Constants
the fastidous and her delightfully."- fint
daughterI Ifonly they would send al
excusei But no. Circumstances would
never go and risk their cherished old
reputation for spitefulness. How they
must smile nOw-that Is, If they ever dc
SMILE"
So cogitated Lucius; and his LITTLE
burst of wicked exultation at losing the
battle rapidly gave way to ever-increas
| ing doubts and fears. He was sufficient
" grand SeigRe,T to remain uncrusheC
by the Percy trouble. Va pour q
6edn-frere;" but the other matter seem
ed, as he reflected upon it, to hourly
contain less and less Of what was sweet
and more and more of what was decid
edly bitter. Granting that there Il
always something Of rapture in meeting
our souls ideal once again, so long, tina
is, as she is not on the arm OF q success
fnl rival, what good could possibly com.
out of this untoward encounter? Ane
for mementary thrill, a joy that wa:
first cousin to q sorrow, was 1t worth
j Xhiie. To ieonaE5ize even. such. -Ray