The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-16
Il have heard of the change in your

$50 / supposed answered the youth,
without in the least perceiving the sar-
c;fsm contained in bis words.
ssYou must be sensible continued
the man of learning, '.that com mon
prudence sometimes requires a change
in our plans when there has been a
change in orr condition"
Il suppose there is something in
that replied Arthur. much wondering
what his visitor was driving at.
..Onc should have an eye TO his posi-
ton in society and the credit of his
family
.'Certainly, 'Ssaid Arthur.
''.Iust so. | am GLAD to find that you
are sensible OF it. Let me tell you. in
confidence, that Miss Augusta =,
daughter or Mr.. r, who owns the
factory and much other property, has
spoken IF YOU as young man of fine
talents.
'.Of me?'' cried Arthur. Il had not
supposed that she knew anything about
me-"
''Oh, YES Her father, of course, knew
all about your uncle, and that naturally
led to conversation about YOU, and as
you are his only relative now living.
much speculation arose as to whether
thing by you. and it appears that he has
not forgotten you. Now, under such
circumstances, YOU ought not to throw
yourself away upon any commonplace
girl in the village You should look
ahead, and not give way to the passing
fancy of inexperienced boyhood. Think
of allying Yourself with one of our first
families"
Il understand you perfectly WE'LL"
returned Arthur; ''but you speak as if
was the only young man who had the
prospect of receiving a legacy, and
that, therefore, could with confidence
pay my addresses to Miss Augusta F..
There are plenty of young men who
move in the same circles with Miss F,
and it is probable that she would prefer
one who had always belonged to the
higher class of soclety 20 parvenu like
myself. who has not vet received the
promised legacy from his uncle.
''Ihat is good reasoning for ordinary
cases." answered the schoolmaster; ''but
happen to know that Miss Augusta is
capable of making a choice. and that
she has set her cap for you in particu-
lar. Think of it, my good fellow, or
you may repent when regrets will be
too late for remedy. Unequal mar
riages are very seldom happy ones. No
doubt that the first Napoleon loved
Josephine and admired her as grace
personified,' but after he became en-
peror the daughter of a plasterer was
exchanged for the daughter of a mon
arch.''
You forget that Napoleon wanted
an heir"
mo, not quite,' said the tutor, with
smile; ''but you see that, although he
wanted an heir, he did not take another !
low-born woman for his second wife,
The schoolmaster took his departure,
and as our youth WATCHED him from the |
window he said to hARself: What's up |
now? How did this man know that I |
had fancy for Lucinda, and why does /
he want that should leave her and pay |
my court to Augusta F.? But forget |
that [ have no parents to advise me;
and, as | was once q pupil of this /
he would offer himself as
a substitute for my poor father and |
who sleep in yonder graveyard"
Already had the promptings of ambi- |
lion brought a flush to the cheek of |
Arthur. He had been told that the /
proud and somewhat supercilious Au-
yusta had spoken well of him, and now |
hat he was no longer poor, what could |
prevent him from succeeding with Au-
gusta?
The lad did not feel altogether happy |
It the idea of exchanging Lucinda for
Augusta; but, if anything can conquer |
owe, it is ambition; and, to aspire to
he hand of a young lady whom he had
scarcely dared to look at,
seemed to him almost like entering
new world. and commencing career
n q higher order of beings than ever
Inhabited this dusty globe.
Now, Arthur did not actually want
lis uncle TO die; but he did want to re-
,eive that legacy, as he imagined that
having once made sure of that, it would
zeal the perturbations of his heart and
let his mind 1T rest.
But, Augusta F-did not wait for
he arrival of the legacy. Meeting him
IN the street one day she looked at him
md smiled very sweetly. Arthur bowed
n return. and, from that moment he
cit the binding OF the silken chain
Yes, it was not in his power to forget
hat look of hers which Tailed so well |
With what the schoolmaster had told
i'm. No doubt Augusta was pleased
With him, or she never would have thus |
lonored him with smile even before
le had spoken to her.
A few days afterward there was
'arty at the great house, and Arthur re-
eived a note containing polite invita-
ion, signed by the fair hand of Augusta
erself
Who could remember the humble Luz
linda after that? But Lucinda remem-
'ered Arthur. and was somewhat sad
ened by his long absence; yet it was
Without a pang of jealousy that she