The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-05-24
SAVING A FORTUNE.

had never married, mainly for two
| reasons-one, the women had spoiled
| him, as how could they help il? He
was so handsome, so gallant, so chival-
| rOus. so universally courteous and kind.
The othcr-the large fortune he at
present enjoyed had come from an &C.
| centric uncle, who had ordained that,
while he should not be he'd response
| bic for any moneys accrung from the
estate up to the day he became thirty,
| at that date, if he was not n married
man, the estate should pass to another
| "A distant cousin, lady.
There was a suggestion that he
might even then save the fortune by
marrying the lady, if she would have
him.
1t is not probable that at any time
Frank meant to risk the fortune by
neglecting so simple precaution az
getting married, but still he did neg
lect it, and the more he thought about
it, the more disagreeablc the idea
grew.
He had done as he liked all his life
about everything else, and now it was
hard-it was well nigh impossible, it
seemed to him-tO marry. He, who
hated marriages so; who had no faith
in women-or fancied he had not, for
all he was SO civil TO them.
Angels, indeedr' he would say,
cynically. to his mother, when she tried
to reason with him. 1T is very evi-
dent that they consider men the angels,
the way they fall down and worship
| them!"
Thus procrastinating, time wore on.
and Frank still laughed and put of the
evil day.
"At the worst, mother" he would
say, Il can marry the cousin, and save
myself
"Oh, Frank, Frank! How do you
know she would have you-under
such circumstances, too, said his
mother, despairingly.
"She will have me fast enough, il |
ask her." laughed Frank. She is old
and ugly they say. Doyou think she
would hesitate about marrying hand
some fellow like me, if she had the
chance, even under such circum-
stances?
Now it CHANGED that this cousin
neither he nor his mother had ever
seen. She lived in a remote part OF
Wales, and in great retirement, from
which she objected to emerge,
Three months before his thirtieth
birthday, Frank went off yachting with
q friend, and a storm coming up on
the return cruise, he was delayed in
getting home until the important and
fateiul day had passed; and there he
was, still a Single man. His lonr-suf-
fering mother was too glad 10 see
him alive to scold
II have had a letter from your cous-
in. Mss ArbuthnOt,' she said. "oAe
makes 4 very singular, & wonderful
proposition. She is willing to marry
you for the sake of giving You back the
money which she says she does not
want"
"She had better wait till | ask her''
flashed Frank. with one Of his incorri-
gible laughs
"The only conditions she makes,
pursued his mother, placidly, "s that
after the ceremony, everything shall
be exactly as beiore-she remaining in
her soclusion, you going where you
like"
Shade Of Diana what does the wo-
man mean?'
"What she says, Judge. She en-
tiers into no explanation more than
that. You will consent OF course?'
rs thy servant selfish dog, that
he should do this wrong TO a woman so
generously exclaimed Frank, roguish-
", by my troth, though am more
in love with her for her goodness than
! ever was with mortal woman before.
You will at least 90 and see her?'
81 am afraid to- mother. She VII!
. change her mind about separating as
soon as the ceremony is over, if she
once sets eyes on me. ! shall express
! ly sipulate that | am to 20 TO the altar
~ Yelled
" Mrs. Egerton laughed.
90 "Do be serious, Frank. You will &C
" then? That is good bow
al IN 60, mother. But | swear to yol
d. | believe there is q catch about it some
how"
90 Il hope you will marry her," was
", Mrs. Egerton's parting charge.
,os 'l'll consider it, " laughed her son
YES encouragingly.
IKE The nearest railway station was fou
ur- miles from Miss Arbuthnot's, he learn
es' ed; and when he got there, no convey
re ance being procurable, he decided /
res walk
Iod As he came in sight Of the tall, orna
ION mented chimneys Of the house, thoug
of still some distance away, he hear
ps piercing screams.
RK- The next moment cloud Of dust al
ust peared, from which q small, childish
ent looking figure darted and cnsconce
| itself behind him, screaming frant
les. cally.
lch Save me! save me!n
hat Next came into view a large, r.
ngs cow, advancing at sharp trot, Al
evidently bent on having some fun.
own Like the valiant knight he was, Fran
liter at once charged upon the beast wi
rms his umbrella, routing the enemy col
sub. pletely, but coming to grief himsc
by by stepping upon a stone the wro
@ Of way, and turning his ankle.
,or,. Are you hurt?' cried the small
mis- giiiye, as he stopped suddenly, with
exclamation.
II ~ - 4