Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-18
The Argus Daily Short Story
His Grandma Wife-By Bradford G. Almy.
Copyrighted. 1910 by Associated Literary Press

Of a woman she was. A hope sprang
up in my breast that she might be of a
suitable age for me and passably good
looking 1 wrote her that would run
up for a conference and politely as
sured her that IL she was not favora-
bly, impressed with me 1 would release
her from the verbal condition by de-
Ginning to marry her. This, 1 battered
myself, was a very foxy way Of put
ting it, my real object being to decline
to take a wife with a fortune If I
didn't like her.
/ was doomed to a terrible diSap-
pointment. l found my grandmother
a veritable grandmother. She was six
ty-five years old, fat, bald and not a
tooth In her head that was her own.
I cursed myself for a fool TO have de-
clined to comply with my GRANDPA
theirs wishes during his life, for now
that the blow had fallen realized my
folly. 1t was evident that TO save the
fortune / must marry an old woman.
and even then she would own the
property till her death, and 1 should
have to ask her for every penny 1
spent.
Having taken sufficient time to make
up my mind what course to pursue.
sounded her as to whether 1 could
marry her, take an allowance and
spend my time anywhere but with her.
She said she would think it over, and
I had hope. But the next day 1 was
informed that such a course would not
be carrying out her late husbands
wishes He had desired that should
take care of the property.
The medium through whom 1 receiv-
ed this answer was Agnes Dorchester.
my grandmother's secretary, a. young
woman not quite my age. Indeed,
was obliged to transact everything
through this girl, and 1t was not long
before 1 saw plainly that Mrs. Welles-
ley was completely under her thumb.
This added to my chagrin. Another
had stepped in between me and the
fortune 1 had been brought up to ex-
pect would be mine. and / was not
even at liberty to deal directly with
that person.
Having discovered where the power
lay, there was nothing for me to dc
but endeavor to gain such points as
wished to make through its possessor
1 invited Miss Dorchester to a confer.
ence, in which / played my best card
in an attempt to induce her to per
suade her mistress to fulfill her prom
Use, allow me a stated income and per.
NIT me to live abroad.
"Mrs. Wellesley" she said in reply
to this proposition. would not have
been intrusted with this matter were
it not that she was to be implicitly
trusted with carrying it out. Your
grandfather's object was to make a
man of one who was wasting his tai
ents in globe trotting."
While was disappointed, was i'm
pressed. Even this girl, whom I had
begun by disIiking, saw that was not
worthy to be trusted with a fortune-a
fortune of which she herself held the
real management.
I spent some time at my grandmoth-
er's endeavoring to bring her to some
terms. She declined all my proposals.
adhering to her late husbands inten-
tons. She would fulfill her promise
and would not consent to any subter
fuge to get around it. A month passed,
and l was about to give 1t all up and
go away when Mrs. Wellesley herself
came to me with a proposition.
II sympathiZe with you heartily"
she said, lin being obliged to give up
a fortune or take with it an old wo-
man like myself / will tell you what
/ will do. / am as attached to Miss
Dorchester as If she were my daugh-
ter She is Of suitable age for you
and a woman of rare good sense. l |
can safely trust her to carry out your
intentions toward you.
If she will have you and you will |
have her / will make a will leaving |
my property to you both Jointly, CIV |
ing her meanwhile control Of the in |
come"
"But 1 don't know that I like Miss |
1 exclaimed. taken aback |
at this offer Then after a pause, |
"WiIl she consent to the plan?
THAT is for you to find out"
I had no hope that Miss Dorchester |
would marry me simply to gain a for |
tune. and in any event should have |
to live with her and carry out my |
wishes. But anything !