The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-09-18
A Detective Vicar.
Ry Miss Va. T.. EsR.AnDDN.
tCoNCLUDED.l
CHAPTER Y.

| CHAPTER V
"DELAy THIS MARRIAGE"
Mr. Lewofthy went back 10 Kihbie &
uinlleby' s and asked if Mr.. Umpleby wa;
on the premises No, Mr. Ump'eby had
left half an hour ago, to return to the bosom
of his family in Lexington Park.
Happily for the eager vicar, Tolkingtop
Park was IN adjoining suburb, where those
| We lto-do Cit.z ms of Graudchester who did
not like the labor OF daily railroad journeys
| contentel themselves with semi-urban re-
| tircment in villas of their own building,
| amidst strawberries Of their own planting,
ovcrlo king the towniest AMI most formal
OF public parks, It had long been a grief to
the female UmpletyS that where other
I merchants families of wealth and standing
| had gothic mansions or Italian palaces set
f, IN richly wooded landscapes. remote from
| the sm"ke of the city. they bad only the
stereoiyfed surroundings of a thickiy-popu
! lated suburb, and were in nowise better oil
than their next-door neighbors.
| cab with n horse of his own choosing
| drove Mr.. Ioworthy to the utmost limit of
| To'kinston Park in less than half an hour.
| He found the Umplahy mansion, which was
called Mount Lebanon although the ground
on which it stood was as fiat as n pancake,
and there was not cedar within mile. 1t
was substantial, square house, with bay
windows, broad fight of steps, grandiose
iron ratings, painted dark blue and sur
| mounted with gilde1 pineapples, and an all
PervadtnG glare of plate glass windows
The hall was tesSellatel; the drawing room
was brilliant in color, and painfully new
Here Nj. ieworthy sat waiting for tho mas
Ter If the house, while n young lady in an
| adjacent CHAMBER favored him with a sol
feggio eNarciss, which strained to the utter
most somewhat acrid vo'c,.
a wonder whether that is the briie sing
mgr specula.ed the vicar, "and | wonder if
she il very Rluch attached to my gentleman?
Rather hard lines for her if she is fond Of
him, pcCr chil1i'
At last Mr., Umpleby appeared, piethoric,
ruhicund, Tonpous.
Happy 10 have the honor of making your
acqu1intauce, vicar, he said Il have long
kuown You by rerute
Every one in Grandchester docs that" an
sWere Lev orthy, pleasantly ~ have been
too often in hot water not TO b. pretty We'll
known"
Impossible TO please everybody" muir,
muteu MI. tiGpiebE-
Precisely. AMI the man who tries it enls
by Pleasing no one I have taken my own
course, and though I've male good many
enemies, thank God I've made twice as many
friends, Now. NJ Umplehy, l must ask
you 10 receive nle with ali cod nature. and
to believe that | mean well by you and
yours, although have come on a most uu-
Pleasant business"
The merchant look,l uneasy Another
great firm gone wrong. perhaps; a question
of big lai debt
as it a business matterzn h faltercd
"No it is family matter"
"Oh" he said. with an cir of relief, as if
this were of minor importance.
"Hoa are gong to marry your daughter
tomorrow said the vicar
Il am"
40 yoar clerk. Mr. Foyg'
YES, sir 1t is NOS the first time that a
merchants daughter has married her
fathers clerk, believe, though it Is out Of
The common course of things
L am here 10 beg you to postpone the
marriage
"Ou what croun,lss7
Before | tell vou that, You must give me
your promise 10 communicate nothing tell
you to Mr.. Foy.'
Mr.. UmPleby heSitated
Mind. it is vital to you, as a father, to
know what have to tell"
Mr.. Umpeby gave the required promise
The vicar told his story, beginning with
the scene at the railway station, ending
with the story he had heard at Parminter.
"Were you aware that Fey had sisterY"
81 never heard him speak of one"
Spurious that, in your future son-in-aw.r
Mr.. Umplshy sat and stared into space
like n man bawilderel. He wipsi his llr.,,.
bald forehead with the biggest and most ex-
pensive thing in handannas
"1his is most frightful sIsnicioa," he
said; "a Young woman poisoned for Won
seem 10 think this young woman was poi-
soncl 1t is an awful position. Every ar
rangement has been made for the wedding,
as You may suppose-guests invied-somo
of the bosL people in Grandchester. NV
wife aad daughter have the highest opinion
OF young Foy. l may say they are infatu-
ated about him His conduct in business
has been irreproachabe, There must be
some mistake-some ridiculous misunder-
standing
81 got Foy's address at your own Office
and at that address | heard of a sister, of
whose existence YOU are absolutely unaware
Do you think that speaks well for vour in
tended SON in-law!'
@He NAV nave had some powerful ransom
for concealin- her existence She NAV be
weak in her intellect She may have crops
wrong As for vo,1r itIaa of SLOW ,o;s,ninr
that is too absurd"
"And you mean this young man to marry
your daughter tomorrow morning.
what am to doa l never cared about
the match. | have been persuaded into civ
ing my consent. NV girl had a right TO look
higher. But 10 stop thu marriage now womb
be-"
Simply prudent Investigate the case as
ltavc put it before you. Ii am deceived
if FOv IS not the man who took that dying
girl 10 the railway station-if Foy'S sister,
or woman who passed as his sister, is
not lying dead at hHidala, Will make thu
hurHbeSt apology to you and Mr. FOy for
my as.leSs suspicious \ gu must take your
own course. want to save your daughter