Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-01-26
CHAPTER XVI.


Mrs Talbot's door, had been quite GER
tain that, In spite of her warning, Roy
would yield to the temptation Of going
10 call upon Mrs. Desmond.
Felicia had learned a good many les
sons Of life since the month Of Septem-
Der, when she and Mrs. Talbot had kill
ed time and pursued health together at
the Yorkshire seaside village. She had
gone through her experiences and they
had not been pleasant ones to undergo,
but. at the same time, they had been
beneficial to her, In that she had by now
completely got over her fancy for the
wicked man" with whom she had i'm
agined herself to be deeply In love.
Lord Augustus Wray had not come
well out Of his love affair with Miss
Grantley. After an Infinite amount of
trouble, Felicia had persuaded her faith
er to give reluctant consent to her en-
gagement with this penniless scion Of a
needy aristocratic house. He had con-
sented Professionally, that Is to say, If the
young people would wait two years, and
were in the same mind at the end of that
period Of probation, then, Mr.. Gregory
Grantley agreed that he would give them
his blessing, with something substantial
added thereto. Felicia was overjoyed;
this concession upon her fathers part
seemed to her to surpass her widest
hopes. Two years to young and enthu-
siastic girl who loves seems but small
thing to secure the whole happiness of
her future life. She embraced her faith
er joyfully, and was overwhelmed with
gratitude at his goodness"
Not 30 Lord Gus. The state Of his
finances was such that he could In no
way afford to wait two years for the
realization Of his dreams. His debts
pressed upon him daily; duns pestered
and pursued him from morning till night,
he had raised the last shilling he could
realize; he was, to use his own words,
'stone broke" To request such a one
to wait for two years for the fortune
which was to come to him with the lady
Of his affections was like asking starv-
Ing man to do without food for another
month, and promising him a good dinner
at the end of it.
Lord Gus kissed his intended very af-
fectionately, wrunk his future father-in-
laws hand, and professed himself deeply
impressed with his kindness. Then, hav-
Ing got in the good city of Bath a second
string to his bow, he put himself into q
train and betook himself to that ancient
town.
II should have preferred Felicia, of
course" said Lord Gus, to himself. "She
Is young and she suits me; but l can't
wait two years, not two months In
fact, for any woman; and there Is al
ways Mrs. Cogger-I don't much like
the idea-but two years! Oh, no, l
couldn't do 1t at any price-not good
enoughW
So, week later, Felicia received a
letter from her lover, with the Bath
postmark upon it. He was afraid she
would think him a great brute, he wrote,
but then, he had never been good enough
for; she was sure to meet with some one
far more worthy. As for himself he
had thought 1t wisest and best to offer
his hand to a lady whom he had known
for many years, and who was good
enough to take him as he was In all his
unworthiness. Mrs Cogger had consent
ed to become his wife, and they were to
uo cully III bho lOhOWluB
He ended by piously praying that heaven
would watch over his dearest Felicia,
and make up to her for all the sorrow
he felt constrained to bring upon her.
That was Felicia's lesson. She suf-
fered very keenly at first, but she got
over It, being chiefly assisted by the
facts concerning her rival that came to
her ears. Mrs. Cogger was 80; In stat
urs she was short and inelegant; In fea.
ture, plain and uninteresting; her man
uers were said to be vulgar, and her tenn
per violent and excessively Jealous. Mrs
Cogger, however, was undoubtedly rich
she was the widow of Bristol merchant
who had left to her an income Of si1
thousand a year. Having purchased
Lord Gus, she proceeded to pay hel
money down for the doubtful acquisition
In a truly liberal fashion. She paid hi
debts, and she made handsome settle
ments upon him, so that he derived som
substantial consultations from his mar
riage In exchange for the lack Of thos
personal charms that man is apt t
think desirable In the wife Of his bosom
Perhaps the one soft spot In her hear
was the feeling that she had for Roy
Roy, who had never wished to MARI
her, and whose heart was still constan
to the love Of his boyhood. She fel
that she would do a good deal to sav
him from pain, and yet she feared that
certain amount Of suffering must newt
ably be In store for him.
perhaps 1t will be better that h
should see her and realize that she ha
forgotten him and is happy in her ne,
life; 1t may be the best cure for him |
the end" she said to herself, and at thl
moment her brougham drew up at tn
door Of her fathers club In Pail Nal
As 1t did so a gentleman was comm
slowly down the steps Of the club. II
glanced at the lady In the broughan
once quite Idly, and then again more a
tentively. Felicia, too, looked keenly q
him. Where had she seen that face wit