Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-23

Hartog laughed aloud. 'Im glad you're
such thorough Englishwoman. l can't
help wondering sometimes how it is English
men bring themselves to marry French
women" 81
"Or Englishwomen! Fancy marrying an
outrageously broad-shouldered Frenchman,
all pad and wadding; or horrid Italian,
all temper and melodrama; or-or anything
not Englis
You should have said anything nos
Hartog,n he said, smiling
Olive positively shuddered. As friend
she had liked him SO much that in his soci-
ETY. she was at times almost able to forget
Harkness as lover he was insupportable,
even TO loathing.
%What changes there will be in the old
regiment" he went on, presently When
Beetles left it seemed to smash up every
thing. But you've heard all about him, of
course Then the colonel leaves at the end
Of the year-and a good thing, too, for those
who are staying, for he's rather duffer-
and Hardness leaves almost directly. He,
you know, is going to be married, too.Sn
"Yes," she managed TO say.
ann awfully glad about it, for Hardness
is one of the best fellows cut; do anything
for any one, and always ready to help a
lame dog over stile. Besides, he has been
in love with the girl forever; and she's so
pretty! Really, Olive, after you, think
she's the prettiest woman l ever saw"
and he has been in love with her for
everl"
"Yes; ever since they We're big boy and
little girl together. Hardness was not well
eff then, and her people objected to him; not
only objected, but forced the poor girl at
seventeen into a marriage with man she
hated. Poor old Ashford, l quite thought
he would have gone mad at the time, which
was lust when | entered the service He
and l were old friends-for our people were
ueighbors, and l was his flag at Eton-so
knew more than any one else about it.
Well, about six months ago the husband
died and then, OF course, he lost no time in
making up to her; and, by Jove. she's pref
tier than ever, and looks lovely in her weeds
Shes only about five and twenty now, and
is as rich as Crpsus."
IL hope they will be happy at last" Olive
said, closing her eyes, lest the tears which
filled them should fall and betray her
How she did wish he would go away and
let her have the rest of the day 10 herself, to
think it all over-the mistake, the trap into
which she had fallen, and what would be
the consequences thereof. She felt Just as a
little bird must feel when the meshes of the
fowler close over it, and there is no prospect
of freedom, never forever, except the mar
row liberty of a cage-a cage still, even
though the wires might he well gilded. Oh,
was there no escape? He was all very well
IL
flirt with, if the filtration meant nothing
but harmless fun; but to marry! Well, he
might have been well enough to marry if
she had not wanted to marry Hardness
Then she remembered that Hardness did not
want to marry her, or any one else but the
woman who had loved him, as he had loved
her, when they were boy and girl together
No. there was no escaped She must either
marry Anthony Hartog or lei the world
kRow-her world, that is-that she had
given her lovo where il was neither valued
nor returned. Thinking of what that i'm
Piled Olive Weyland said within herself
that she would die first
1t seemed to her the very longest day she
had ever known. There was a great fuss
when her father and mother came home, for
Hartog asked Mr.. Weyland for his consent
there and then. And then there was great
deal of kissing and joking, such as made
Olives very soul sick There was an extra
merry dinner, to which Hartog stayed with
cut ceremony; and then a long evening,
practically spent alone with her-lover; for
MIR. Weyland went off to sleep in a chair be
side the hall fire, and his wife sat near, at a
large round table Of black Bombay wood,
writing to tell Der sister the last news about
Olive; and Olive and Hartog, after strolline
in and out, looking at The Graphic and The
Punch upon the larger table by the door, set
tied down at last on the sofa in the coy lit
tie morning room, an arrangement which,
though the door was wide open, and Mrs.
Weyland could speak TO them from where
she sat, made them in reality alone.
can hardly tell how wildly Olive lonsed
for the time of Hartog's departure, to he re-
leased from the strain which she had en-
dured since his arrival. But Hartog never
stirred until a prodigious yawn from MIR.
Weyland warned him how time was flying;
and then Olive was free 10 go to Ter room,
and, if she liked, to cry her very eyes out.
Blu, as a matter of course, she did not shed
single tear