Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-11-26
At this moment Mr.. Carlson can


have procured license and minister.
Will you be my wife, for fun?'
The very demon of reclilessness took
possession Of Miss ThurstOn. II Carl
son had asked her, before them all, to
marry him for love, she would have
turned away-but for fun; yes, she
would dare as much as he, and she
cried in laughing tone: Eyes, Mr..
Carlson, l will marry you for fun"
At this moment the minister, whom
Mr.. Carlson had secured, stepped out
Of his tent, and the young couple took
the place which had been prepared for
them when the mock ceremony had
been in view.
by the time the ceremony was fin
ished the audience had concluded that
the affair had been planned before and
in secret, and that they were the dupe5
Of the joke. Accordingly, never was
company gayer than theirs that night,
and the merrymaking was continued
into the morning hours.
y Il = r Il X
Two weeks passed after their return,
in which Arthur saw but little of his
wife. Judge Thurston's summer resi-
dence was a number of miles from the
city, and the gentlemen could only run
down for over Sunday. On these days
the two were as uncomfortable as
possible in each others presence and
avoided being left alone together.
But on one Sabbath evening Arthur
came out of the judges library with
pale face and set lips. Ascending the
stairs with faltering steps he sought
his wifc's room and knocked at the
door, "Come ill.," said low voice.
Entering he saw Margaret sitting in
a low chair. with her light-brown hair
falling about her shoulders in great
profuSion. lie had never seen her so
before, and some great mental emo
ton prevented him from noticing the
look of glad surprise which flashed into
his wire's face as she perceived who
her visitor was Mr. Carlson checked
, the impctuous words which rose TO his
lips. "Margaret,' he said, advancing
to her side, "you and made great
mistake. | take my due share Of the
E blame; but even l would never have
dared to do this if had not thought
, - but no matter what thought. We
were married for fun, of course, and
now we dc rot find it so much fun as
we anticipated. | have been speaking
, with your father. lie will not hear to
a divorce,nor is there sufficient grounds
for one, if we desired it, But he agrees
with me that you and / cannot live
in this mutual state of unhappi.
ness. 1t is necessary that one member
+ of our firm should live abroad. | Shall
, have all my arrangements completed
by next week to sail for Europe. This
is not 50 hard for me, for am man,
but for you-God forgive me for
, WHAT"
"You mistake, Mr.. Carlson inter-
rupted his wife. at is the easiest and
most appropriate thing that could be
DONE
: rthur waited a moment as if to
hear some word OF farewell, but the
figure before him never moved or
spoke Then, gazing intently at his
) wife, he turned and left the room.
All night long Margaret sat in the
little, low chair. Only once she
stopped to pick up a crushed flower
with which he had been playing and
pressed it passionately to her lips.
t X 4 X X X
r Two years now passed away and
!, the following winter found Judge
D Thurston and his daughter under the
e gentle skies OF Florence. The Judge
a was suffering in health, which some
Q said was due to Margaret's unlucky
: marriage.
Several days after their arrival Mar
garet met her landlady in the hall,
just coming out of the room opposite.
Stopping to inquire if any one wcieill,
Z. the kind but gossipy little landiady
, began o tell in broken Italian of the
| young foreigner who had come 10 her
a few weeks before, and who shortly
@ after had been taken i'll with a fever,
and now was very i'll indeed. She
conducted Margaret into the room.
The curtain was closely drawn, and
coming from the light into the dark
r ness she was blinded for moment.
} Not so with the sick man. Looking
{ up to greet his visitor he uttered u
) sharp cry aud the one word "Margie!"
t Margaret stood as if stunned, and
n then advanced rapidly. The sick man
Q was Arthur Carlson. lie raised his
thin, wasted hand and tenderly stroked
the bright locks on the pillow beside
e him. Poor little Margie," he said
y family, ''you will soon be free now."
S Then, Margaret never knew how,
G sic forgot everything connected with
c the past; she only remembered that the
s man lying there, sick unto death, was
her husband. At last the proud spirit
5 was humbled, and she confessed what
!. she had kept so jealously guarded in
:, her own breast for so long. "Oh, Ar
l. thur" she erie in her agony; "oh, my