Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-04-25
ty-''or elsc you wouldn't be so cruol.
You refuse TO be my wifep'

Lou tc4uSc 20 DC my Wl1ee i
Mot at all. Til marry you. There's
my hand. Bat what's the use of an
informal. stupid. secret marriagep Pt
and ma arc willing enough. You arc
# age. of course, and, on the Whole, /
would much prefer = Wedding III Lon.
don to ono in this outlandish place..
With true arlstocratic Difference and
gentleman'v dclicacy, Fitz Maurice dill
not urge his wishes further He
limited rather darkly ut the dan gers of
ocrastination, the insecurity OF part
lngs; but D,lia treated the question in
snch sensible. practical manner;
even abiding in pretty; pouting.
bewitching way to settlements and
all that lawyers fuss, you KNOW
that he was fain to take a more hope
tul view. and it was agreed that, if no
had not returned in a fortnight Della
would take her parents to England
without further delay.
When he left her. his leave-taking
was warmer and more regretful than
she could have expected of him. which
did not prevent her saying afterwards.
half aloud: He might have remem-
bered tho engagement ring; anyhow"
When he had quite gone, Della
walked up to Mr.. Benjamin j. w.
Mulholland, and said to him:
PA. I am engaged to Lord Fitz
Maurice. but won't have it spoken
about for a fortnight, at least. He's
going away tomorrow, and my other
beaux might hang off if they knew Of
it."
"Who's Lord Fitz Maurice?" said
Mrs. Mulholland, from her rocking
chair:
"I'll introduce him, ma. when he
comes back And SO the matter
rested.
| Two days later Monte Carlo was
startled by the news that Lord Fitz
Maurice had shot himself in his bed
room at Mentone in the small hours
of the night. The fact of the suicide
was confirmed in successive editions
Of the papers, with the addition of
circumstantial if sometimes contra
dictory details. 1t appeared, how
ever certain. that the noble
Lord had retired early, spent
the evening in writing and burn
ing letters, had summoned his valet.
and trusted him with sealed orders to
be executed in En- gland without delay;
had dismissed him, and committed the
fatal act few hours afterward. An
open letter found on his dressing table
left no doubt as to his intentions, and
removed all suspicion of foul play.
Miss Della received the announce
ment with a natural horror, but on the
whole bore the shock with surprising
fortitude. She had embarked on a
purely business speculation, had lost
her assets. and must face the loss. She
regretted, on one hand. that she had
not consented to the sudden and stolen
marriage, or 1T least decided to make
her engagement known, as she would
then have been either the widow or
the mourning fancee of the :.dead Lord;
on the other, she thought of her ward
robe, of the approaching London sea-
son, and ''ca]culated'' that it was we'll
not to be hampered by the outward
signs of sorrow and the conventional
obligations of decorous regret. Her
last days at Monte Carlo were enliv-
ened by the renewed vitality of her
former worshipers' devotion. and she
firmly refused to be saddened by any
more illusions to that poor wretched
mans stoopid suicide"
With more difficulty than on the
two former occasions. Nj: Benjamin j.
w. Mulholland had once more to be
uprootod from his pleasant haunts,
but Della rose to the occasion and the
LIST of May saw her once more with pa
and ma atthe Grand Hotel in London.
Spring was more suspicious than
autumn to the Mulhollands. They did
burrow their way into certain set;
they established foothold in an outer
but not less agreeable circle of society;
they met, If they did not actually visit,
scions Of the great world; twice had
Miss Della seen her name in print Us
CAO Aitll <A1lC1lCIl OcUutdlltC, anu
her parasol bad attracted notice on the
top of a drag at the last Four-in- Hand
meet She made friends was asked
about a good deal and accepted every
invitations; for" as she per'inently
remarked, Il guess something may
turn up one of these days worth try
ing for.' OF her power to succ led, if
she tried. she never doubted.
One Sunday afternoon she drove
down with a party to the Ranelagh
Club. A promising young Guards
man constituted himself her escort,
and under his guidance she lost her
friends in the gardens. and was late
at the appointed hour for five o'clock
tea Not seeing the rest of the COM
pany rs she re-entered the house, she
begged the Guardsman to Inquire
where they were likely to be.
That easy enough" said lie. 1.-The
head waiter, Burroughs. is y great
friend of mine, Miss Mulholland; he
used to be Fitz Maurico's valet, you
know"