Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-04

ashamed Ct beirg female.
''But they do lets OF brilliant things
nowadays" put in Will Cassihs protest
ingly.
"Of course they do. By the law Of
averages some Of 'en are bound to hit
the bullseyc When there are SO few
men and srch horGes Of women, the lat
ter are bound to tell But when the
feels take 10 footballing-ugh! 1 could
forgive 'em if they were built different
II, but tilcs amt. What was 1 talking
about? Oh, the people who are coming
here tonight Then there will be a
crowd of male pumpkins, less odious
than the town men who happen to be
honor;ng the neiehborhood for the shoot
ing, and the bald headedmammas and
the fox hunting squires-I know 'em
ALL
This was not strictly true. as Lady
Lirriper had not been born at Strauben-
zee, to which her brother had succeed
| ed On the death of his uncle, the direct
line of succession being the exception
and not the rule in that family.
THANK heaven. Blake's coming"
she concluded as they rose to leave the
table. Eve will sit in a corner and
quiz the people, and the supper is all
right I've taken care of that"
Mamie and Will slid few steps on
| the polished floor together in pure light
heartedness and with seemingly endless
| space before them, for all the furniture
| save couches had been removed, and
only the great splendid audience on the
4 fr, in, CT
| the arrival of those much less interest
ing people who presently would be en-
gagged i'll strutting out their little lives
below.
| "Tomorrow-tomorr whispered
! Will Cassilis in her ear. They had
scarcely dared to look at each other at
| dinner lest their eyes should shout their
secret to those around.
For it was to be tomorrow, not to-
night. They had altered the programme
after much consideration, and Mamie
was to walk out next morning to a
neighboring village where the young
rector, who was beholden for his living
to Will, would marry them safe and
fast, and then they were going to tell
Lord Strarbenzee. and afterward-so
simple was the whole thing-go home
to Cassilis castle and there remain.
I've only just come home, darling"
Will had said. For 4 year, You know,
have been banished man, and the
estate wants me, and we can be as hap
py there as birds and hide when people
conc to lock Us up. But if you really
want TO SO abroad we will go.''
| nj
ard IN intense desire to escape alto
gether OF. of Trelawny's orbit, had
yielded to Wills wishes, the more espe-
cially as Will had announced his deter
mination not to receive Blake at any
price in his house.
"Let the county say what it likes, :"
he had said 1esolutely, but my door
he does not darken, and if he wants
reasons he shall have them
Whereupon Mamie had drawn q deep
breath and rejoiced-all too soon.
She did not feel that she was doing
n disobedient, unfilial act in marrying
Will unknown to her father thus. She
had felt very keenly and bitterly that
her father had done cruel and unjust
thing in separating. her from the man
she loved, and it was not his fault that
her life had not been entirely ruined by
the influence Blake Trelawny had
known how to establish over her.
That influence might at any moment
prove beyond her strength to resist, and
Mamie in her mortal fear would have
run greater risks than this to place her.
self out Of his reach forever. Even now
she trembled to think that she would
see him tonight, that she would have
to dance with him, hear whatever he
chose to say, but it would be for the last
time, and as she ran up stairs to fetch
her gloves and bouquet she told herself
she was the happiest girl in the whole
world.
At o'clock Lady Lirriper swept in
to the library, where she found her
brother with shaded lamp at his ell
bow. absorbed in Lubbock S pleasures
Of Life"
At all times the sight of Straubenzee
sitting calm and happy among his books
was as red rag to a bull, for solitude
and her own or any written thoughts
she detested, but tonight she was espe-
cially irritated and repeated the title
Of his book with profound contempt.
1.-the Pleasures Of Lifer" she said.
Pray what do you know of 'em?
You'll turn into paper moth when
you die and go buzzing about libraries
and the British museum. Meanwhile
the idiots who always arrive everywhere
too early are here, and you've got to
come and help me receive them
Lord Straubenzee laid his book down
with a sigh. A sou would certainly
have been less trouble than a daughter
and more satisfactory He wished that
the ball, the dinner parties, the wed
ding were over; quite unconscious!y in
deed he was wishing that the young
people would save an immense amount
OF fuss and expense by doing what
they had in their own youthful cock
sureness decided On doing the very next
day, but this he did not know, as for
the next hour and a half he stood re-
ceiving an unbroken succession of ma
irons and maids, men and youngsters,
all OF whom appeared in those exuber-