Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-02

was wal most bitter at Lancaster Gate.
THAT internal little ~jackanapes shall
never darken my doors again. vowed the
irate father. "Going to live on love in a
garnet, are you ?" he scoffed derisively to
Margery. She went on smiling in the
most a~ggrayating way.
GOOD gracious, papa How did you
guess? y she said, assuming the most inno-
cent expression Of wonder. I'VE are CO.
ing to live on the highest floor Of the new
mansions in Rod rick's Gardens-a delight
ful s~ituation-and Russell is furnishing in
the most artistic way
Mr.. McKilligin had no rejoinder at COM
mand, except one too forcible to sully polite
ears with. lie slammed the door and went
downstairs te write to his lawyers. He
was going 10 alter his will. Her papas
violent behavior appeared not to affect Mar
gery's spirits. She was trimming a we'd
: ding hat at Mr.. RusselPs i%nstgation, hum
ming a cheerful little song. The produc-
tons Of milliners' hands were decreed by
the great authority as destitute of grace
and distinction. Margery must before all
things be different to other young m
She was quite willing to become original if
she was instructed how to accomplish it.
She began to take her walks abroad in
headgear which was very remarkable, and
excited no little comment from cabmen
and street Arabs. Inverted coal-scuttles,
brims a quarter of a yard deep, dropping
plumes, and crowns bulged and beaten out
of all regularity were alone admissible.
Her charming face beamed happily from
every frame her lover commanded. The
apostle of culture had already planned half
a dozen delicious frocks, for which she was
running up bills hereafter to be paid by
her papa.
Nfscr Afnu-o.- woo ,o4 n fau- DAVIS -Tp1ar
age, and it was only fair hat her p%aternal
relative should contribute toward q trous-
seau, when he was so soon going to wash
his hands of her completely. The young
lady had her W ideas of justice, and Mr..
McKilligin was a rich man.
Messrs, Prigg and Pinchard having
drawn up Russell Dawes agreement for
his fiat, he signed it cheerfully, and re-
ceived within a few days a notification of
its value. 1t certainly seemed an insignifi-
cant transaction to his ignorant mind.
However, this enterprising firm of solicitors
did not fleece this guileless individual TO
the extent they might have done for the
lease, though they mulcted him as much
as they were able to for the legal right to
take possession of his fiat. Let it be re-
marked hat such working spiders do not
favor the modern system Of living in man
sions. A house lease is q much closer net,
offering more favorable opportunities of
inserting clauses and charging for them.
Finally the fatal day came, and Margery
took her matrimonial leap boldly, though
cheered by no gallery of loving relatives
and quite unsanctiied by rice or slippers.
She signed herself Margery McKilligin for
the last time without a tremor OF regret,
and handed the p~ew-opener five shillings
for witnessing the deed with a sweet
III -r1,+A -1,-,aa - To-
hat failing TO conceal her radiant s~atisfac-
ton. g
The Dawes had been married six months,
and were rather more in love with each
other than before. The crucial test had
been well endured. But at last the pressure
OF financial difficulties began to be felt and
the inspiration of RusselIs muse had not
been favorable. However, Margery's bright
face was no whit less blooming, though the
difficulties Of housekeeping at times seemed
i~nsurmountable. On her developed the
making excuses, the subterfuges, the little
devices to conceal poverty from the prying
eyes of acquaintance. But she was full Of
mettle, and rallied all her forces. She dis
missed one of her maid servants, and M lie
herself useful in the mornings with her
pretty head tied up in a duster. In the
afternoon she put on her best gowns and
presented a lackadaisical air to chance visit
ors. Russell worked away sedulously with
%unfagglng industry, only airing himself
for ten minutes at d time on the leads.
Sometimes Margaret selected these intervals
to go and look at what he had written. She
usually came out of his study with a dubi-
Gus frown between her eyes. The McKilli-
gins stood afar off, and made no overtures
of peace. By Christmas time things were
getting desperate. Russell paid his rent
| nflnrtarlu hnt ~ loft him q uaru email Gf1~-
plus for necessaries, and the furniture re
manned a milestone round his neck. The
firm which had so ef~fectually carried out
his whims, Messrs. Sweet 81 Sawder, were
pressing in ar uncivil way for something
on account"
Margery's trousseau frocks were getting a
little worn, and she bad ceased TO deal at
! cooperative stores. These were establish
ments best suited for the exemplary ma
irons who were not compelled to demand
credit.
All the managers in London appeared to
have combined TO refuse Russell Dawes
plays. Indeed, many of them never looked
beyond the title page. His handwriting
was too familiar. The poor wife only
frowned and sighed over them, but the
higher Judges shook their heads vigorously,
and applied no euphemisms to their
writer. II seemed at this juncture that Mr..
McKilligin's prophecy would be fulfilled.
: Z" Starving in q garrett did not appear far
off.
Meanwhile Mr.. McKilligan began to have
some qualms about the fate of his daugh-
ter. He was well aware that Margery's
defiant spirits would hold out to the last,
and that if she could not weather the storm
she would die sooner than cry :" peccayii'
at his feet. He contrived to inform him
I calf IF fha vO1nU OpunlnlG ~ rpIInlCtanop hU
surreptitious means. Between information
gathered from Messrs. Prigg and Pinchard
and from Russelrs prosecuting upholsterers
he realized they were in difficulties.
A week after Christmas there came a luil
in the storm of appeal, and Messrs. Sweet
& Sawder received ESQ on account :"
toward diminishing many hundreds. This
was q very unexpected favor, and also
puzzled Mr.. McKilligin considerably. APP
parently his son-in-law had made a hit
somewhere. One wintTy day this gentle
man met his daughter in the Strand. She
got into an omnibus carrying g parcel OF
books, and did not perceive him. He had
time to see that Margery was rather thin
and more than q 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 Interior. 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 Exchange or the Director of rail
way companies.
Early in the spring following Mr.. Dawes
unexpected payment, sandwich men per-
ambulated the streets advertising a new
play to appear shortly at the Star Theater.
In due course it was put on the boards, and
most of the critics combined to damn anew
author with their faint praise. But the
venom of unbrldled pens was insufficient
to poison its popularity. BY Easter time
London town was aware that there was q
capital thing running at the little theater,
where a plucky manager had ventured 10
place the work of an untried writer. "a
Flat Proceeding proved itself to be 3
sparkling little play of two acts, full of
charming dialogue and pretty scenes.
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