Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
PRIDE OF ANCESTRY.

tention to ancestry. He built him an
ancestral home and desired to I'LL 1t
with the portraits of his ancestors.
Furthermore his daughter Alice being
a young lady Of rare good sense. some
beauty and refinement Inherited
from her mother, Mr.. King hoped that
| she might marry into some old family
either American or foreign. Europe
was the place TO find ancestral heir
looms and a husband. Mr.. King went
with his family 10 London and took
house there.
In England Mr.. King met Il middle
aged man. Francis Howard Cressy.
who. though he was not titled, claiped
to be connected with one of the Oldest
families in England. Mr.. King intro
duced him To bis daughter. but with
little hope of match. for Mr.. Greasy
had great pride of ancestry and de-
clared that his wife must equal him In
the matter of descent. Meanwhile Alice
King had met abroad George Levan,
young American who had worked his
way through college. studied law and
managed to scrape together sufiicient
funds to give him a short trip abroad
before entering upon the practice of his
profession. Levan antagoniZed Mr..
King at once by admitting that his IA
Their was farmer of little or no educa-
ton and his grandfather was an I'M
known quantity.
One morning Alice King found ON
the table OF the drawing room an adj
vertisement of Il curiosity vender. She
took fancy to visit this shop, and
when George LeVan called again they
went there together.
They were received obsequiously by
the vender. who binted that he would
furnish them with an ancestry. includ-
Ing heirlooms The portrait of
Norman baron i'm chain armor and one
Of "A lord mayor OF London of Queen
EliZabeth's time struck them rs espe-
cially ancient and curious. I-evan tcck
a faIscy to a pewter platter and mug
about which there was an attractive
LONELINESS and bought them. Not
wishing any ancestors. their purchases
were confined Ia n few trinkets, which
they afterward suspected had been
manufactured especially for the shop.
Ievan and Alice went about together
a great deal visiting the sights Of
London. One day Mr.. King warned
his daughter that since he thought
there was q chance of her allyinG her
self with an ancient family she must
not become otherwise entangled. Soon
after this warming George and Alice
came i'm one day and were surprised
TO see the portrait of the lord mayor
I,.,1 Mt hn
hanging on the wall.
Nothing was said about the pur-
chase. and Alice was far from suspect
ing that the lord mayor was to become
one OF her ancestors until she over
heard her father. while showing the
portrait to Mr.. Cressy. tell him that
such was the case. Alice. who possess
ed great deal of tact, held her
tongue and awaited developments.
Then came an invitation from Mr..
Cressy for the King family to inspect
his ancestral home near Twlckenham, n
suburb OF London. They found ram
shackle old structure, with worn furni-
turc and a musty smell. Mr.. Cressy
did not live there: he preferred apart
ments i'm the city. He showed them
through the rooms and in a spacious
drawing room paused before portrait
hanging over an open fireplace.
This Is my most remote ancestor,
founder of the family" he said, Hugh
Crecy. knighted for bravery at the IA
nous battle Of Crecy. His sovereign
insisted that he should take his name
from the struggle I'm which he had dis
tinguished himself. a name that has
been corrupted TO Greasy"
Alice looked at the picture thunder
struck. Sir Hugh was the Norman
baron in chain armor she and George
Levan had seen in the curiosity shop.
But, as has been remarked, Alice
was not a girl to blunder into quag-
mire or run up against a stone wall.
For the present Mr.. Cressy and her
father might purchase all the ancestors
they pleased. She looked admiringly
at the portrait and. being shrewd and
practical. wondered how the effect of
age had been produced. Mr.. Greasy
remarked that his ancestral pile was
in need OF repair. and he hoped some
day to fix IT M and live in II. This
''some day" Alice understood to mean
when he married her and received her
fathers settlements. Then they all re-
turned TO the city, where Alice talked
the matter over with George Levan.
and they concluded that the Cressy
manor had been hired for the occa- |
sion.
One day Mr.. Cressy called and was |
closeted with Mr.. King. While they |
were together George Levan called and |
met Alice I'm the library. He had had |
engraved on his pewter |
service and brought the articles to
show her. Presently they heard foot
steps.
Father is coming" said Alice. Step |
into the other ROOM"
Scarcely had the young man vanish
ed when Messrs. King and Greasy en-
tered.
Alice" said her father, Mr.. Greasy
has honored MS by proposing for your