The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-03
WILFUL MARGARET.

"Poor old Tom,'' exclaimed Alec
Rivershall- ''poor old Tom!''
And he looked sadly before him as
he thought of his old friend. He had
been opening his morning letters. The
letter-tray was always we'll filled, for
Mr.. Rivershall was one of those pleas
ant, good-looking easy tempered bache-
Tors who have. as the saying goes,
Ghosts of friends
Perfumed invitations to lawn-tennis
parties and archery meetings; confiden-
tial little notes from young ladies who
were in despair about masquerade cos
tunes; commissions from pretty young
matrons regarding zephyr worsted and
Languedoc lace; long letters from buff
falo-shooting friends among the Rock
/ les. and chatty epistles from attaches at
Paris and Vienna-this was what formed
the staple of his correspondence. And
at the very bottom lay a black-edged
missive, bearing the post-mark Long
Slowly Rivershall broke the seal
slowly he read it over, and then uttered
the foregoing exclamation of regret.
$50 poor FELTON, is dead at last was
his first thought. "But, by Jove! it's
rather cool of him to leave me his
daughter to educate and bring up, see.
ing that we are neither relations nor
connections 1t is true that he was my
college friend; but there were plenty of
others with whom he was far more init.
mate. A f,irl-here in my bachelor
den. Wha5 on earth was the poor fell
low thinking OPP
= The FIST idea was that he would en-
tirely abjure the bequest; the second, a
superstitious feeling that he. could not.
'tPshawr' he said at last, Juggling
fiercely at his brown, silk-soft NOUS
tache. Governess, music-lessons, dane
ing-master-all that sort of thing. 1t
will turn my quiet home into a regular
carnival; but don't see that there's
any evading it,
He got up and pushed his letters
away, and walked through the HOUSE.,
surveying the various apartments.
Yes he unused, |.by giving up my
cabinet-roorn and changing my library,
7 can manage to spare quite respect
shall haveSo invite old Aunt Catharine
to come and live with me, to play pro-
priety. 1t will be the story of ward and
guardian over again, suppose. She
will probably fall In love with me, OF |
with her, and there1n be the deuce and
all to pay. Why on earth couldn't Felt
on have lived lived Il genough to bring
up his own daughter
~ But Alecr Rivershall was thoroughly
conscientious, and, once convinced that
it was his duty to receive the daughter
of his old friend into his house, he lost
no time in telegraphing to Aunt Catha-
rine, preparing the pretty suite of
rooms, and Fastening down to Long
Branch.
Yes the polite hotel manager told
him. Miss FELTON, was on the beach
she spent most of her time there
CsSentimentaL, Isuppose, - though Mr..
with griinace) ''with the
maid" ooh, maid into the bargain
"a French fiirt, to carry notes on the
sly, and foster all sorts of intrigues,"
inwardly groaned our hero.) Would
the gentleman step that way, or should
be, the manager, send a message DOWN.
Mr.. Rivershall preferred to walk down
seh-and>presently he found HIM
self standing on the shores of the sound
ing sea, waiting for the conclusion of a
brisk but scientific encounter between
girl of nine and ten-long and gawky-
andher nurse, before he should inquire
his way to the sands s.5
The little girl was small, but desper-
ate. She writhed herself like a @ervant
about her attendants ankles, bit,
and finally settled matters by
finging a handful of sand into the
nurses eyes, - u
.|There!'' said she. painting, lovely
and venomous. snow you viii let me
alone2' $3.50 -sa .aR
We'll, neverl'' spuftered the wom-
an And your new silk stockings all
salt water, and your elegant black satin
ruined, niss!" -
81 don't care:" screamed the child.
4 don't! / don't. / don't. I'll run
fway and drown myself, 50 there. now!'
. ieweK'7 coaxed the stout Milesian,
viping the sand ont Of her blunt fea-
ures GssCone back, and S. -
= But here Mr.. Rivershall stepped for
ward. y FL t911s
.sMy good woman said he, xviii
rou tell me that child's name? FeitonP
Mss Margaret Felton, Tndeed!''
And this little, black-browed vixen,
With the name of Tangled. ietfv hair, the
linn, serpent1like figure. the flushed an
Try face, was the queenly orphan ne
lad pictured as young lady just ready
o be launched into society
Involuntarily his heart gave great
hroa of relief. 95. kaaas as.ss
Come here, You httlea gipsyr' said
le, cor I'll whistle to the biggest shark
n the sea to come and eat you up.''
: be held wat his hand with a smile.
gradually the frown faded from the
live forehead, land without hesitation
be small Margaret accepted his over
uTes.w "a
.sOh. i known said she. you're old
Bachelor RivershaH.n
S claws, missF' gasped the seaaadalized
asid.
Exactly, nsaid Mr. Rivershall gravelv.
..Then it's all right. said Margaret.
Papa said you would take care of ms
couldn't we GO on to the pier and see
ne Punch and Judy show nowp''
Aunt Catharine could hardly believe |
lie testimony of her double eyeglasses,
hen Margaret skipped into the room
18th q doll in one hand and Q package