Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-02

n.
love her.
OF course declined such a PROPOSE |
ton, but Mrs. Boynton, who had In
stigated It, came to me and said:
Il am old enough and have been OBJ |
servant enough to know that, while |
the fever OF love may have a good |
deal to do with happiness between |
husband and wife, happiness is more |
likely to depend upon certain compile |
mentary traits and mutual respect and !
confidence. Ny boy has been infected |
by love as a disease and has no idea /
how miserable-at least to my think |
fng-BelIe Goodwin would make him |
If he should marry her. I advise you |
If Fred is agreeable to you to accept !
him. am sure you have traits in you !
that will make him happy"
I put my arms around her and said,
"Since you wish it will yield"
I authorized her to send Fred to me
again and told him that though l, I'M
like him, had not buried my heart l
would accept him and trusted that we
might together fulfill the hopes his
mother had for Us. He was surprised
that I should make so cold blooded an
affair OF It and seemed slightly panied
that he could not offer me his love.
Our engagement lasted six months.
Fred never mentioned Belle Good
win and treated me in very friendly
way. BY the time our wedding was
celebrated, while can't say that there
was anything loverlike between us,
there was certainly nothing repellent
on either side. l don't think my huS-
band had any fault TO find with me.
and had none to find with him. His
mother seemed to consider the mar
riage Just the same IS any other union
between two persons who had gone
through regular season Of love and
courtship.
How do all the royalties get on to-
gether2" she said. They seldom go
through the period Of romantic pas
sion, and I don't see that there are
any more unhappy marriages among
them than among other persons"
All went fairly well TIL 1 noticed In
my husband a peculiar melancholy.
At least I set It down as melancholy.
though It might have been worry. It
occurred to me that after all in mar
rying him without love and he loving
another 1 had made a mistake Was
he not pining for Belle Goodwin?
That something pertaining to the hui
man heart called love is not to be
despised. Lovers may marry and hate
each other, but we must remember
that persons of both sexes have COM
mitted suicide on account of a disap-
pointment in love.
made up my mind to say nothing
to Fred about the matter, but to
watch him. His ailment instead of
subsiding increased. 1 tried to get
him to leave his business for awhile
and go on a trip. He replied that he
could not leave it without losing his
grip upon IT. 1 refrained from press
ing him as to the cause Of his indis-
position, first, because L believe 1
knew the cause, and, second, to men
ton 1t would surely make a breach:
between us.
Fred continued to grow worse until
I began to consider him a nervous
wreck. Fearing that 1 should lose
him and the cause of his taking OF
would be his separation from the wo-
man he loved, 1 resolved to bring
them together and If l found his life
depended upon her 1 would consent to
a divorce that he might marry her.
AS luck would have it, L met Miss
Goodwin at a social function and chat
ted. with her in a friendly manner.
She seemed a trife offish at first, but
1 won her confidence. Then 1 told her
that my husband had dropped into a
mental condition, that troubled me
greatly. 81 sometimes fancy he is too
confined at home" 1 said, doesn't see
enough people. I've tried to get him
out, and he won't go, and he won't
have any one at the house except old
friends
The result of our chat was what
had intended in the first place. l In
vited Belle to make us a visit. She
accepted the invitation, though she
looked somewhat taken aback that I
should invite her. and promised to do
all she could to cheer Fred.
When I told my husband that / had
invited his old fame to visit us, he
looked at me in establishment. But he
contented himself with this; for never
q comment did he make; never ques-
ton did he ask. He was about TO go
to business when L made the announce
ment, and giving me the marital kiss
turned and went away. 1t seemed TO
me he inferred that / had some object
to accomplish, and since had not Civ
en- him my confidence he would not
ask for II.
Miss Goodwin was several years
Fred's senior, and by this time began
to show traces OF coming middle Gge.
I thought I perceived slight start In
Fred when he first saw her, but he
evidently intended to keep his own Sc
cret as 1 was keeping mine. Miss
Goodwin came in time for dinner, and
on Fred's return from business we
three sat down at the table together.
1t was rather a stiff gathering and the
conversation would have Jagged had II
not been for my efforts to keep IT mp.
! could see at once that Miss Goodwin
was curious to discover whether she
had retained her power over the man,
80 b., al