Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-03


Ventnor turn their backs upon upper
Bohemian society in New York and
retire TO Q nearby town. Il is .
lad Of Asrian's aud distasteful to
her companion. Their house 10 twin
to an adjoining one. II-Dr Hugh
Lsrremcre lives next door. Return
ing late one evening". he stumbles
into the wrong house and comes upon
. vision OF loveliness-Marian-in q
snow white wrapper BY . glowing
crate fire. He retreats. after an
apology. which is received with .
pleasant smile. At his own fireside
be encounters . nsggiug. petulant
wife. III-Mrs. ventnor summons
DR.. Larremore for herself profession
ally. The call develops into social
visit. Marian acknowledges herself
blase and miserable. She Is rich, but
uusatisfied. DR.. Larremore tells her
that the best medicine for her dir
ease is to 60 about doing good.
CHAPTER ".
She did all he advised-spent her
money for the poor until many blessed
her name; gave him a scrap of paper,
signed by her, that meant thousands, to
equip the free reading rooms; went to
q meeting Of the Working Boys club
and listened to the boarse voices sending
up cheer as she entered She did all
this and more. and the thought that
haunted her was:
II give them what I do not need.
They are nothing to me-"
The old want pursued her. While she
gave freely she stood apart. Mrs. Vent
nor watched the new fever through all
its degrees until il subsidized and finally
died ont. As usual she laughed. patted
Marian under the chin, suggested trip
to Florida. Europe. anywhere, which
was promptly refused. then began new
novel, and in the smoke of cigarette
completely forgot the vagaries of her
charge.
But in Marian's heart force was
gradually developing whose power was
NJ yet unknown to herself. The weari-
ness Of her life had caused her intervals
Of impotence often before now it caused
her pain. She saw Larremore and his
wife constantly and liked the one as
much as she detested the other.
Poor Jenny's gush over her visitors
delicate gowns and her parade of Sec
ondhand knowledge of society people
cleaned from New York papers de.
pressed Marian horribly
One day in particular, when she went
In to re,urn hook Hugh had lent her,
Mrs. Larremore filed in tho time with
vapid chitchat and shrill laughter. and
Marian returned home incredibly dis
gusted and angry.
married to such woman" she ex-
claimed, throwing her hat down and
impatiently pushing the hair from her
heated forehead. "A compilation of
vanity and idiocy. He should have
wife who would be both his prime min
lister and sweetheart.
Mrs. ventnor regarded her with mild
dismay.
II sized mp that young woman the
first time she opened her lips. Surely
you are not surprised. Heavens, that's
the way with men! The wisest of them
are fools. Brains never do half as much
for woman as a superficial brightness,
though this one hash { even that Sym
pathy. soul or whatever you are pleased
20 call il never goes half as far in the
marriage market as pair Of pouting
lips ar neat ankle. know a man
he's in the senate now-he has a great,
bullying forehead crammed with all the
ologies, and he told me he had fallen
in love with. his wife because she was
cute OF course, this sort of fascina-
tion dies soon. and the man awakens to
the fact tkst he has tied himself hand
and foot to . fool-a pretty woman to
show on the gowns he pays for-but .
fool That's exactly what your young
friend has done, my dear"
IL wonder what attracted him. or il
the gods made him both deaf and blind
when she crossed his path"
"Oh. no, dear me, no! They probably
grew mp together, went to the same
Sunday school, no doubt. Sunday
schools are responsible for some very
incomprebensible marriages. Then-she
has dimple."
"True. forgot the dimple."
depend upon it he praised that dim.
PIE curing their cOurtSDlp, or she Il
never squeeze her lips SO hard to make
IL appear and keep that side Of her face
on view rs she does. Yes" as she se-
lected cigarette. I'm afraid it was
the dimplc"
After this Marian avoided Mrs. Lar
remore whenever it was possible. and
perhaps il was not only chance that
made her happen upon Hugh late one
April afternoon as he came down the
steps Of the reading room, where he had
stopped ON his way home.
A he saw her coming toward him, .
straight, slender figure clad all in light
est gray against the background Of
young green, red brick and lemon col
orsd sky, he felt again. rs ON that first
night, the stealing strength Of the
charm emanating from her, the evasive
somethine-was it in the long, slow
Gmile. the bright, dreaming eyes, the
teudrils Of dark hair on the whiteness q
hsr temples and neck. or the suppleDess
q motion displayed in her walk: And
her gowns-he had never before noticed
. woman's closhes-but bdEs chung to
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