Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-22
FITZGERALD'S MARRIAGE.

and down the breakfast-room at Abbots.
craithie with his hands in his trousers
pockets, jingling his money. Well, he
was perhaps hardly as yet accustomed to
. the sound. His young wife-they had
OILY been married six months-sat at
the table, behind the tea and coffee
paraphernalia, watching him, while she
very assiduously knitted coarse knick-
erbocker stocking.
Something had evidently produced a
twist in the skein of their hitherto un-
| tangled bliss, for the breakfast was un.
tasted, and was getting cold.
1t is the first request you have re-
fused me; but l suppose you do not
think me good enough for your swell &C.
quaintances," 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 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 1 have qnarreled with
Them"
"Nonsense / saw an envelope ad-
dressed to you in Miss Verulam' 3
writing only week or two ago."
I" 1t was merely line of congratula-
ton. The Verulams were abroad when
we married."
And Mr.. Fitzgerald. a deep. flush
mounting ali over his face, sat down op-
posite his wife and began to busy him.
self by uncovering the dishes.
SWELL" she persisted, "let them
come and congratulate you in person.
1t is very ill-natured of you not to have
them here. You know I want to find a
nice wife for Percy, and he is coming for
Sne shooting on the 10TH"
"Confound Percy!" muttered Fitz-
gerald, behind his mustache. "Well,
do as you please; I'll make no further
opposition"
And. fattering himself with the idea
that he had striven his utmost to do
| right, he now resigned himself delight
! sdly 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. It is hand
some stone house, in the center of fair
Lowland estate, bonnie with moor and
forest. Riches apart, she is q lovable
little woman enough; yet Lucius does
not love her, and for no more valid
reason than that she is not somebody
else. Then why have married her? The
question IS only too pregnant, the an
swer too obvious. When mutual
friend, matchmaking woman, had first
broached the subject to him, he an.
swered at once:
"Can you ask me? If the young
lady is fool enough to marry me, here /
Am and let's waste no more words about
it,"
Amelia Higgins was not long from the
school-room, aud full of sweet school-room
sh views of love. The younger son of an
Earl, five feet eleven, handsome, and APP
parently charmed with her; what more
| could she want =
Now, Lucius was no abandoned
wretch. He was simply q young man
whose six or eight years of life had dis
possessed him of about double the mum.
Der of thousands which hadever belonged
10 h;m-oh, a very vulgar miracle as
he times go-and he had latterly-
Is, for the past year or two-saddled
himself with desperate passion for Ber-
tina Ver~lam, and which, alas, she fun
returned.
Asneitherof theseill- starred lovers had
any money, or even unreasonable expect
alton of being left some, Lucius felt no
sort of scruple in offering his heart to
the willing Amelia. Calmly considered
by an impartial observer, the transac.
ton might look very like selling an es-
tate with heavy undeclared mortgage
upon it. To the honorable, yet impe-
cunious, Fitzgerald, however, it appeared
but in the light Of that time-honored
course, "The only thing to do, by
Jove +"
And he would do his duty like q man,
he would. No more flirting now. OF
course, it they met much. it would be
awkward-deuced dangerous with an
other "by Jove !'O. Well. they mustn't
meet, that's all.
You see Lucius thought himself quite
good man. don't want to say word
against him, only il 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 Higgins large
share of that pertinacity which he had
turned to such good account; and she
pours out the coffee this morning with
an air Of innocent triumph in her blue
eyes at having carried her point.
"And 80 Mrs. Fitzgerald insists on
Lady Verulam and her daughter being
invited, unused her husband. "The
Verulams Of all people in the world |
For Percy, too | As if Birdie Verulam
Gas she was Familiarity called, her real
name being Bertha, would marry Per-
cyp
Percy is Amelia's brother, older than
she is by four or five years. Rich, of
course. Higgins Senior left his thou
sands equally divided. But the SON had
not acquired any of that gentleness and
good breeding which seemed to have
come to the sister as if by magic. In
Lueius Fitzgerald's mental phrase, "He
is an insuferable young cub, talking
slang by the yard, and only fit to herd
with haRmen and ahnp-hoYa."