The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-17
MARRIEDA HEIRESS


On t1zzfo{Ht8 1kfy& s&hs S&%e t
salek~e1sd. ins<isrsns . siay, sssksn ~
taeh~ ringing bis sppsr Ilp-a handsome
young teisow. 20 shosn IL we're ~insflnenss-
iy 6rswa- Amb&tseux. too. earnest N hss
work-Iass the syps of man who saeeeeds-
His name xss Jason Arnold. anf be lived
With his mother. . stately old Isdys oat on
Pine street. Ardent and e~nerxsfsc at fers-
r~rsment, he vas . triss buYissqas IN mar
pes. and though he hsd nEitItzdes Of SC
auaintsnces. his inilmstss we're sss. Bot
nsver mss anyone 50 lent on suecsss rs
he. Opkinzssxie Of coarse, and . thorough
h<lbevsr ia himself, With the faculty for
work. he had % pzshed hEnzseif Ia bis a.
bee. fhst be besd . faersxsve position. one
thss la other companies vas filed ~ nssn
pears his senior.
Always attracted 70 young rasn who
seem "a havs ihs capacity TO become vim
ners In HES racs. ! watched Jsson Arnold
with . rood dsal Of interest A curious
n<s and appearance that Appealed irresssfs-
big 70 The fair 81, he cared not . jot Tor
the so<ssty II girls For two years never
$50 him with any woman save bis mother.
OF whom be Was sssy proud. md whom be
loved most nfdenuY.
And then Z change came ever him. He
eonamsnoed TO 20 into society. bis name
apeearsd In the guest iists Of fashionable
parties. he was IN usher 1t two h~igh-toned
se4dlnxs, he hogan TO pay more attention
10 his sffsYe. 1 was told Of his devoted at
tentions 70 Miss Marie Markham. the
Fresno h&iress; lister came an announce
m~nt Of his -engngsusens
A usek Afterwards. ! met him on kearny
sfreet, and congratulated him. His face
seemed : tziie thinner. and his eyes bad
grown more luminous than before. Almost
ignoring my fsIicitation. he plunged eagerly
into an account Of some big project he had
under way. which Vas 10 make him and
two associates rich. perhaps famous. But
IL needs mensy. nay boy-severai hundred
hack, |" he ssid, 'sand ] hope 70 obviats that
very shortly"
30 IL would SEEM I answered. And
Miss Markham. 10 she . belle 7.
aNot ssactiy." he answered. .'she il .
pretty. plump little girl. just 10. quite fss-
cinating and very fond Of me. / think
myself very lucky In having caught her. /"
'Thsrs " NO doubt Of her wealth ~ I
asksd.
mot . scinsills." he answered with q
laugh You may b sure ! made all in
q~uirsss-"
''1hat h . nice way 10 speak. ! did no,
imagine you were 50 utterly mercenary.'
] said
He ~ about 10 got angry, but stopped
himself. ''Is 10 this way, old boy" he
sid. "You have known me . long time,
snd we've always hesn friends. The truth
n thaa Once. OF course they treat ms
well, and ! have u sxesllsnt salary: but
10 just The Same grind, grind. day In,
day out. with iiiimitabis prospects for con-
~tinuancsL No relief from pstty pickering
just dsad. sordid. addition. subtraction
and competition. Goodness knows, I've
worked ~ hard - any one. And here's q
vsy out. . break In the fog. I'm going 10
taksi IL and escape. Her money will help
ma 70 succeed with my scheme. and then
III b. independent OF every one"
A month later he was married A mos,
fashionable affair. VAS as the church
md stayed 10 the breakfast Such flowers,
such delicious music. The papers devoted
columns 10 L. And Miss Markham, the
hride-a disappointment. Undeniably
pretty. but In q rather pudgy way. . rosy
complexion and blonde hair. But her
features were set. hcr rounded chin . tribe
prominent, and there Was mole than a sus.
picion Of hrmness in the contour of her
lace. Her eyes. pretty blue eyes. we're
rather too ciose together. She was very
young and undeveloped. but | remember
thinking that when familiar intercourse
had worn of the ardonr OF her glances,
Jason would noe have all his own way
that the pleasant, child like voice had many
notes of insistence In ID.
The newly married couple went 10 Eu-
rope for their honeymoon, and. on their re.
turn. . year later, Jason settled down 10
business. ! saw but little of him, until
one day meeting him on the street, l was
struck by the set. hard look on his face.
Tie seemed to have aged, tsn years in two
b luminous glow Of his eyes had faded
and I noticed immediately that he who
bad been so intensely optimistic, adopted
rather q mockine. sarcastic tone In speak,
Ing OF men and things. He asked me 4,
dine with him, and I accepted.
Two nights later | found myself At ths
gsfes OF = very large mansion on Pacific
heights. Evidently new. IL was covered
with aecorations-a naeiange of ,urrets and
gables and rounded hay-windows-the
effect vas squat. oStsniatious and v.r~ I'm.
artistic. Though not singgIsriv unlike
several Hebrew residences in the inue-
date vicinity. II hurt me 10 think Iaso;
Arnold should build such a house as this
! vas ushsred into a magniscen,
hall. richly decorated; thick CARPETS
stssasry in the corners, and a wonderful
eolorei window lighting the staircase land.
ine. The psriors were lust as -sorreous-
esG Sevrcs urns, portieres Of sunerlativs
cosfliness: on h walls pictures in the
oroadest of gold frames and an elaborate.
ness OF ceiling frezcoing. The presence OF
great wealth was cppresSivcly evident An
tmpsssive hooking butler in knee
ereeches tcok nay card. and a few
minutes later Mrs. Arnold va.
shaking my hs~nd-rather efsrsivefv
| shonght-and telling me her m.
hand voatd be down directly. She MA.
fshiy dressed. had grown stout. and the
nnes OF her ssee-the bard lines | hal TO.
eced eeiore-were now quite prominent
The chin had lost its soft roundness and Pc
sesied . decided outline: The mouth .nd
ne very fun rcd lips were uncompromislns
II their hSmnesS She had. IS | sxpecss.s
grown coarse. Just as dinner Was an.
bounced iasco came down. and knew hy
me drawn. tense expression OF his fac.
MAJ something had occurred; ne ls@ases
worried. agSszsed 49, she. placidisy itself
never ~eesrsying In the susvity OF her msn
rer 10 me The slightest Indication Of hsxins
tast RAISED throash . bitter domestic scene
Her husband halt offered his arm: with
SAxhuy c-on,empsaous gesture. y aieA DIX