Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-09
The Argus Daily Short Story
Bunch of Wellesley Reginald D. Hoven.
Copyrighted by Literary

went in, and a lovely old lady and a
young girl welcomed me.
My dear" said the former, 81 can
not see that you resemble your father
or mother in the slightest degree"
ST think Cousin Lucy somewhat re
sembles the Morgans," said the young
girl.
at doesn't matter" said the young
man, whom she resembles. She's our
cousin and in distress, poor girl. It's
our pleasure to encourage her and help
her, and we're going to do it Perhaps
we can marry her to a rich man, eli?
What do you say to that, mother?
"Well, l suppose that as long as
she's been brought up in afiuence it
would be better for her. But don't
wish Rose to get any such idea into
her head. 1t isn't necessary in her
case"
All of this was so entertaining to me
that 1 could not bear to end it. This
last plan of Johns. to marry me to a
rich man, was simply delightful. What
would he have thought had he known
that 1 considered all rich men the en-
embodiment of selfishness? And how
he would have opened his eyes had he
known that 1 possessed an income of
$4,000 a year!
But my deception must come out the
moment this girl for whom had been
mistaken appeared If she had come
on the train with me she would doubt
less soon arrive at the house. II she
had been delayed she would write or
telegraph. AS soon as either of these
two alternatives had occurred 1 would
make a confession, ask to be taken in
as one of the family and in the end do
something very nice for these kind
hearted people. Meanwhile l set my
wits to work to learn from them as
much about her as possible 1 found,
however. that they did not know very
much themselves. They had heard
that she had been left alone In the
world without means, had invited her
" come and make her home with
them AMI that she might be known
to her cousin John, who was to meet
her, suggested that she should wear
violets In her belt
The girl did not appear, nor did any
telegram or letter come. The result
was that / settled myself down with
the family who had befriended me as
Miss Lucy Saxton. I gradually picked
up what little information her aunts
and cousins had of her, including the
place in which she lived. 1 told the
Ridgways that my affairs had not
turned out so badly after all and l
could pay them a fair price for board,
but 1 saw that they believed this to be
a subterfuge Of mine to pay what 1
could not afford to pay, and 1 would
be depriving them of q real pleasure
in helping me If did not accept their
terms; therefore l acceded to them.
When several days had passed with
c-lt any news of the girl who had been
expected 1 sent an agent to the place
where she lived to investigate. My
agent returned and reported that at
first it was supposed that Lucy Seaton
would be a pauper.< She had then ac-
copied her aunt and Cousins offer OF
a home But It later appeared that
she would still be well off. She had
then permitted the matter to go by
default, having no use for those who
had offered to serve her and thinking
that she might be called upon to serve
them.
1 declined the offer of the situation
that had been obtained for me. saying
that had found little money among
my fathers assets and would study
medicine. Deferring from time to
time my confession, entered upon my