Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-27
A WEDDING TOUR.
By Ms. OLIPHANT.

By Ms. oLIPHAHT.
Copyright, 1906 by the Author.l
CHAPTER l.
They had been married exactly week
when this incident occurred.
1t was not love marriage. The man,
indeed, had been universally described
as Every much in love-" but the girl
was not by any one supposed to be in
that desirable condition. She was q very
lonely little girl, without parents, al
most without relations. Her guardian
was man who had been engaged in
business relations with her father, and
who had accepted the charge Of the lit.
tie orphan as his duty. But neither he
nor his wife had any love to expend up
on her, and they did not feel that such
visionary sentiments came within the
line Of duty. He was q very honorable
man. and took charge Of her small
very small-property with unimpeach-
able care.
II anything, he wronged himself
rather than fancy, charging her nothing
for the transfers which he made Of her
farthinS's worth Of stock from time to
time TO get q scarcely appreciable rise
Of interest and income for her. The
whole thing was scarcely appreciable,
and to large handed man like Mr..
Midhurst, dealing with hundreds Of
thousands, it was almost ridiculous to
give q moments attention to what q
few hundreds might. produce. But he
did SO, and il there'is any angel who
has to do with trade affairs / hope it
was carefully put to his account to hal
ance some of the occasions ON which he
was perhaps not SO particular. Such &C.
casions do occur, we> all know, in the
life Of every business. man. when small
persons and their small affairs do 20 to
the wall. too paltrylto occupy, the at
tention Of large operator who has mil
lions perhaps going through his hands.
Neither did Mrs. ,Midhurst shrink
from her duty in all substantial and
real good offices to the girl.
She was very anxious tlat'every jus
tice should be done to Janey. She would
! not have her attention taken from her
labor, or her time frittered away by
foolish amusements even in the holiday
season. Such things are. known to be
very bad for q girl who has her own
way to make. She took great deal Of
trouble indeed to keep,the little thing
in the right way.
She, who spent hundreds at the dress.
makers every year on account Of her
many daughters, did not disdain to get
Janey's serge frocks at q cheaper shop,
and to have them made by an inexpen.
| sive workwoman, SO that the girl should
have the very utmost she.could get fol-
her poor little money.
Was not this real goodness, real hon
| esty, and devotion to their duty? But
to love little thing like that. with nc
| real claim upon them, and nothing that
could be called specially attractive
about her. who could be expected to d.
it? They had plenty-alm ost moe thar
enough-of children Of their own
These children were big boys andrgirls
gradually growing: in relays, into man
hood and womanhoofl, when this chill
came upon their hands. There was M
room for her in the fu3l and noisy house
When she was grown up, most Of thu
Midhurst children were married, bu
there was still one son at home, who
in the well known contradictiousness o
young people-it being a very wron,
and indeed impossible thing-was quit
capable of falling in love with Janey
This is. thing that is known to occu
in the most carefully regulated house
holds, spreading confusion and dismay
and which all proper parents shoult
guard against. There was also on
daughter with whom it was possibl
that Janey might come into competi
ton. but that was a danger Of which
rs matter Of course, though it nigh
DO equally apparent, nobody spoke.
Tho young Midhursts were nice look
ing young people enough, but Jane.
was very pretty. If Providence did bu
fully consider all the circumstances il
such cases. no doubt something woul
be done to prevent an arrangement 8
palpably inappropriate as this. Jane
was very pretty. 1t was not only yer
unnecessary to her. but likely to be
great Inconvenience in her walk in lif
whereas Agnes Midhurst' 3 sober goo
looks would have suited the part pei
fectly. but then We cannot deny, how
ever truly devout we may be, that Prov
idence does show an immense want @
discrimination in cases like this.
The poor little girl had accordingl
spent most Of her life ut school, wher
she had, let IL not be doubted. mad
many friendships and little loves, bu
! these were broken up by holidays. b
the returning home Of the other pupils
while she staid forever mt school, an
. not ut one school, but several-for
his extreme conscientiousness her guart
ian desired to do her "every justice, a
he said. and prepared her fully for I'll
iife-probably that Of Roverness-
which lay before her. Therefore, whe
she had become proficient in one part {
her education she was carried ON to al
. other. with the highest devotion TO hi
!. commercial value, no doubt, but q sui
\ lime indifference to her little feeling
a Thus. she had been in France for tw
j years and in Germany for two year
20 as to be able to state that French an
| German acouircd in these countries WEI