Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-12

Mrs. Beverley spoke flTmiy. emphat-
ically; but she reckoncd without her
host, or rather without her Cornelia. if
she counted ON request to drop the
subject ending the discussion. The old
lady was for a moment stunned by the
comprehensive democracy of her niece's
statement, but only for moment; rally
ing all her forces, she took the field pre-
pared to do battle for her own way until
she should rout her adversary or wear
her out. Mary, knowing by experience
what was coming, settled herself to en-
dure with what patience she might.
For twenty minutes the battle raved
and ragged and howled, until poor Mary
was driven to wish herself deaf and
dumb and senseless. She stood to her
guns and defended her position gal
lantly; but such contests ALWAYS ex-
hausted her, mentally and bodily, and
the victories she achieved were as de-
pressing to her as defeat could have
been. In one of the pauses of the
engagement Miss Cornelia suddenly
brought her heaviest gun, held in re
serve till now, to the front. What do
you say to this:" she demanded, produc-
ing a crumpled envelope from her pocket
and spreading it out right under Mary's
eyes 1t bore the New York postmark,
and was addressed in neat, clear hand
to Edward Jackson Anthony, Esq"
Il picked that up in the ravine yester-
day afternoon when was coming home
from my walk 1t was so near dusk
couldn't see the name without nv
glasses, so put it in my pocket and for
got all about it until l put my dress on
this morning. AS soon as laid ewes on
it remembered that boys whole name
Edward Jackson Anthony. | ought
to have remembered it before, because
my brother Hector named him after an
old college mate 1t was his looking so
different from the rest and calling him
self Ned that misled me. That yellow
fever report was false, it appears, and
your fine Mr. Anthony resolves himself
into Jack Anthony, our overseer's son.
VIII you forbid him the house now:'
No" responded Mary positively. Il
wonder You dare ask me such thing,
when yOu know that his father was
with your brother in that awful charge
at Shiloh. and that he saved my hus-
bands life at the risk of his own.
! Those very brothers-the slothful men
you scorn-died, saber in hand, fighting
side by side with Hector and Archer
and Randolph ana Boiling Cor us and
for Virginia"
Perhaps you have known Of this all
along:" sneered Miss Cornelia, almost
foaming with passion.
81 have known it a good while" &C
knowledged Mary briefly; mot even
since l have known him, for Mr.. An
thony does not thrust his affairs on any
| one. He waited for a fitting opportu-
nifty, and then he told me, as a gentle
man should. He isn't ashamed of his
origin, and he has no cause to be; his
father was poor man and an ignorant
man, but at the same time he was a good
| and respectable man"
"And | suppose it is your intention to
introduce the son of this good and re-
| spectacle father into my fathers fam
| lily" ranted Miss Cornelia. But l tell
you, Mary Beverley, if you do you will
live to repent it. The man is low born
| and common and odious, and the very
| idea of putting him in Hector's place is
enough to make the bones of all the
Beverleys for generations turn in their
graves. You may stultify yourself with
what excuses you please for this man,
! but think he has acted most dishonor-
ably, and l shall take care to let my
| opinion be known. / wash my hands of
| you and of the whole affair. | viii not
remain in this house. either, to see my
| family disgraced by such an alliance. !
will not Countenance you a single mo-
ment. l shall leave for Richmond to-
| morrow.
| Mary bowed her head III acquiescence
in her punishment and endcavored 10y
ally to hide the look OF relief that stole
| from her heart to her face. She was
accustomed to these stormy with
! dr&wals of her aunt's countenance. and
was perfectly aware that within week
she would be in constant receipt of long
| and amicable epistles from her. and also
that as soon as Miss Cornelia should
weary of her kindred or should fancy
that they were neglectful, she would
return as though nothing had occurred
| to mar the harmony of their intercourse.
| Her threats having lost all significance,
had become to Mary but as the crack
| ling of thorns under pot.
| Miss Cornelia's determination to
abandon her to her own sinful ways was
a special relief to Mary at this particu-
lar juncture, for the necessity of up
holding the standard of justice and do
ing battle constantly in behalf of the
man who loved her and toward whom
she felt resentment for loving her, was
beginning to tell upon her-to make her
| feel hedged in and committed.
She had no desire to become his cham
pion, to espouse his cause or to place
herself even mentally by his side. She
wished earnestly to hold herself, her
life and her environment separate and
apart from him; and yet her nature, her
adherence of all narrowness and in
| justice and meanness, was constantly
| fnrrinO hpr into pOSi tl0D which dis