The Penn's Grove record., 1882-04-08
MI. Fitzgerald's Marriage.

Amelia Fitzgerald is the daughter
Of a north country manufacturer, who
left her many thousands of pounds In
hard cash, with part of (which Abbots-
craithie has lately been purchased.
1t is a handsome stone house, in the
with moor and forest. Riches apart,
she is a lovable little woman enough /;
yet Lucius Fitzgerald 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 answer too
obvious. When g mutual friend, a
match making woman, had first
brosched the subject to him, he an
swered at once:
"Can sou ask me? When a 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, and fall of sweet
school-roomish views of love. The
younger son of an earl, five feet eleven,
handsome and apparently charmed
with her; what more could she want?
Now Lucius was no abandoned
wretch; he was simply a young man
whose six OF eight years of life had
dispossessed him of about double the
number of thousands which had ever
belonged to him-Oh, a very vulgar
miracle as times go-and he had lat
terly-that is for the past year or two
-saddled himself with a desperate
passion for Bertha Verulam, and
which, alas, she fully returned.
AS neither of heseill-starfed lovers
had any money, or even a reasonable
expectation of being left some, Lucius
felt no sort of scruple in offering his
heart to the willing Amelia.
All, be would do his duty like a
man, he would. No more flirting
now. OF course, il they met much, it
would be awkward-deuced dangerous
with another ''by Jove!D
"And so Mrs. Fitzgerald insists on
Lady Verulam and her daughter being
invited" unused her husband. "The
Verulams of all people in the world
For Percy, tool AS if Birdie Verulam
Gas she was called, her real name be
ing Berths), would marry Percy !"
Percy is Amelia's brother, older
than she is by four or five years. Rich,
of course Higgins, senior, left his
thousands equally divided. But the
son had not acquired any of that gen.
tleness and good breeding which
seemed to have come to The sister as If
by magic.
''Yet he is his brother-in-law, must
be made the best of, and is even now
coming on the 10Th to meet Lady Con-
stantia the fastidious and her delight
fully fine daughter! If only they
would send an excuse? But no. Cir.
cumstances would lev go and risk
their cherished old reputation for
spitefulness. How they must smile
now-that is, if they ever do smile"
All this tine An ella was perfectly
happy and serene; for when Lucius
was with her he was more than even
oa1 petits SONS, and then had she not
gained her own way in the matter of
inviting these Verulams?
And they were coming, too. Were
going to pay other visits In the neigh
borhood, and should be so delighted"
Lady Constantine note had said.
Lady Constantia was BRIDES step
mother, and the girl was dependent
| on her for food, shelter, and clothing
utterly dependent; and her fathers
chattering, good.natured, shallow
i pated widow was calculating, though
kindly, and had, moreover, but a
| limited income.
To marry Lucius, Birdie knew YVES
utterly impossible-knew it from the
moment the first love iutter agitated
her heart; SO she resigned him-gave
him with her own free will to Amelia.
She had a morbid longing to witness
the success of her work, and had ac-
companied her mother TO Abbots.
craithie, deluding herself into the idea
that she would %henceforth endure the
void in her life with less bitter paDgs
If she were but allowed to see Lucius
rich, happy and contented.
so when Lady Constantia told hen
that she had received an invitation
from Mrs. Fitzgerald, and in her