Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-18

ratner tnaH DeSSary. 4 went 10 the
young lady. told her of Mrs. Welles.
ley's proposition and asked her to be
my wife.
What d4d she do but toss her nose In
the air and decline to have anything
to do with such a proposition.
| left her furious. She would rather
| give up a fortune than be my wife
/ spent the next twenty -four hours
in inventing imaginary ways OF tortur
| ing her. The upstart.
We all know that a woman scorned
becomes a fury. There is no such
adage about man. but there should
be, "a man scorned is soon conquer
| ed" l resolved that j would make
Miss Dorchester love me. then toss her
aside as a wax doll.
In a few weeks had softened her
so far as to receive proposition from
her.
81 cannot bear" she said. Ito stand
between you and fortune. l feel that
it will be impossible for Mrs. Welles-
ley to carry out your grandfather's in
tentions toward you. l will agree to
her proposition to marry you provided
you will promise to go away and not
trouble me-
had secured terms that in the be-
ginning / would have considered very
acceptable. But what did 1 consider
them now2 An insult.
Are you aware" / said. the color
rising to my cheek and spark glitter
ing in my eye. that you are by no
means hattering?"
But supposed what you wish is
%A OH nd
climbing mountains"
"Ohw / exclaimed ironically. 'In
that case you would not be troubled
with me further"
"And death would release you from
living with a wife you had married
for convenience"
In this retort I fancied I could de-
tect something womanly-somethingo of
pain. 1 was surprised. / went to her
and laid my hand on her arm. was
not repulsed.
at think" I said. that you could
carry out my grandfather's wishes.
At any rate, try. / will do all can TO
help you"
ITO retain your fortune" she said.
pouting.
"And become loving husband"
The evening before the wedding,
when 1 was a hundred miles from my
intended bride, i was thrown into a
wild state by the receipt of the follow
ing telegram:
You must marry your grandmother. aft |
er all. or lose your fortune. AGNES.
What new complication could have |
arisen? Why could not those lawyers |
be certain OF anything? l had become |
violently In love with Miss Dorchester |
and would not In any event give her |
up. replied
Grandmother be hanged! I will marry |
you tomorrow.
1 could not get q train till early the |
next day, but after a sleepless night |
at 8 q. N. was stean1tng toward my
bride that was to be. On my arrival |
hesitated whether to go at once to see
her and discover the meaning of her |
telegram, but there was little time,
and my mind was made up as to the
marriage, so dressed for the wedding /
before setting out. / dashed up to the |
house in a carriage, ahghted and hur-
ried up the steps. Agnes was standing |
In front window in bridal array, her
face radiant with happiness. Rushing
into the room where she was, caught
her in my arms.
whats the matterT asked, breath
less.
You're going to marry your grand
mother"
mo, I'm not. I'm going to marry
you"
Pm your grandmother" Her eyes
were dancing a hornpipe.
Then 1 saw it all. Ny grandfather
had married her instead OF the old
woman. She had been playing a game
with me. Ny grandfather in the pres
ence OF death had hit upon the expe-
dent Of marrying the girl who had
been supplying my place by devoting
herself to him. This would make her
stronger in law, though he
left a will in her favor telling her that
it was his wish that she should marry
me and make a man of me.
But she had no mind to make a
business transaction of the matter.
She had therefore put an old woman
forward to personate her as the widow
while she stood in the background.
The old woman had nothing else to do
with the matter except to receive a
handsome salary. l had been COM \
pletely duped, but had become so i'm
pressed with the ability and good
sense of my real grandmother that the
moment was piqued l was hopelessly
In love.