The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-08-24

rImonlal leap Deidly, though cneereu
by no gallery of loving relatives and
quite unssnctified by rice or slippers.
She signed herself Margery McKilligin
for the last time without a tremor of
! regret. and handed the pew-opener five
I shillings for witnessing the deed with
asweet grace. the white plumes of her
enormous hat failing to conceal her
radiant satisfaction.
The Dawes had been married six
months, and were rather more in love
with each other than before. The cru
cial test had been we'll endured. But
at last the pressure of financial diff
: ties began to be felt, and the inspirs-
ton of Russelrs muse had not been
favorable. However, Margery's bright
face was nowhit less blooming, though
the difficulties of housekeeping at times
seemed insurmountable. On her de-
volved the making of excuses, the
subterfuges. the little devices to con-
ceal poverty from the prying eyes of
acquaintances. But she was full of
mettle, and rallied all her forces. She
dismissed one of her maid-servants.
and made herself useful in the morn
ings with her pretty head tied up in
buster. In the afternoon she put on
her best gown and presented a lacka-
daisical air TO chance visitors. Russell
worked away sedulouSly with untiag-
ging industry, only airing himself for
ten minutes at time on the leads.
Sometimes MargHry selected these
fut or- l. m of hat
he had written. She usually came
out of his study with dubious frOwn
between her eyes. The McKilligins
stood afar off, and made no overtures
of peace. By Christmas-time things
were getting desperate. Russell paid
his rent quarterly, but il left him
very small surplus for necessities. and
the furniture remained a milestone
around his neck. The firm which had
so effectually carried out his whims,
Messrs. Sweet & Sawder, were pressing
in an uncivil way for something on
account" Margery's trousseau frOcks
were getting q little worn, and she
had ceased dealing at cooperative
stores. These were establishments
best suited for the exemplary matrons
who were not compelled to demand
credit.
All the managers in London ap-
peared TO have combined TO refuse Mr..
Russell Dawes plays. Indeed, many
of them never looked beyond the title
page. His handwriting was too famil-
lar. The poor wife only frowned and
sighed over them, but the higher
judges shook their heads vigorOnsl Y.
and applied no euphemisms TO their
writer. 1t seemed at this juncture that
Mr.. McKilligin's prophecy would be
be fulfilled. Starving in a garnet"
did not appear tar off. Meanwhile Mr..
McKilligin began to have some quaims
about the fate of his daughter. He was
well aware that Margery's defiant
spirit would hold out TO the last, snd
that if she could not weather the storm
she would die sooner than cry pee
cavi'' at his feet. He contrived TO in
form himself of the young couples cir
cumstsnces by surreptitious means.
Between information gathered from
MeSsrs. Prigg and Pinchard and from
RusseiPs prosecuting upholsterers he
realized they were in difficulties.
A week after Christmas there came a
lull in the storm of appeal. and
Messrs. Sweet d Sawder received fifty
pounds ION account" toward diminish
ing many hundreds. This was q very
unexpected favor" and also puzzled
Mr. McKilligin considerably. Appar-
emily his son-in-law had made a hit
somewhere. One wintry day this gen
tleman met his daughter in the Strand.
She got into an omnibus carrying 8
parcel of books, and did not perceive
him. He had time to see that Margery
was rather thin and more than little
shabby, but smiling and prettier than
ever. Something that does duty for a
heart in a city mans breast gave a
little throb in Mr.. McKilligin's inte-
rior. Just such another girl, twenty
years ago, had been Margery's mother.
She, too, had gone about in Omnibuses,
and had been very shabby oftentimes.
In earlier years Mr.. McKilligin had
not been an authority on the Stock EX-
change or the director of railway COM
uanies.
Early in the spring following Mr..
Dawes unexpected payment. sandwich
men perambulated the streets adver-
Using new play to appear shortly al
the Star Theater. In due course ii was
put on the boards, and most of the crit
les combined to damn the new author
with their faint praise. But the venom
of unbribed pens was insufficient &c
poison its popularity. By Easter time
London was aware that there was g
capital thing running at the little
theater, where plucky manager haC
ventured to place the work of an un.
tried writer. "A Flat Proceeding
proved itself to be a sparkling it'll,
play of two acts, full of charming dia
logue and pretty scenes. Strange bit;
of pathos alternated with comic situa-
tons; but people had not time to cry
before they were laughing again. Ii
was the style of piece that pays to the
manager, having no elaborate settings