Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-03

fortune. 1t seems 10 me that the re-
ward ask, though to me IL will serve
'as pleasant memory connected with
this episode, viii noI De much for you
to grant l ask one kiss from my pro-
visionaI BRIDE
Her uncle made a step forward to
interfere. My wife stood for a mo-
ment irresolute, with her eyes fixed on
the floor. then slowly turned her face
toward me. The movement was all
/ asked for. l bent forward and bare
ly touched her lips with mine.
l turned my eyes from my bride to
Mr.. Marbury and saw on his face an
expression OF satisfaction. Then for
the first time it occurred to me that in
his mind there had been something
more than making me a mere legal
husband and that he was well pleased
with the manner in which l had ac-
quilted myself. Without another word
to any one, without a glance at my
wife, 1 went out Of the room and,
seating myself at my desk, dived again
into my law books.
A year passed. at the end OF which
received letter from my wife. Il
began Dear Sir" and ended Yours
- OiS. IL co4O lAoI LII lie LldIltL Va
our bargain marriage she had placed
herself in the hands Of others. since
she knew nothing of law or a. IL
ment Of it, with view 10 IL lg
an estate. She was now in possession
of her property and was Of age. She
intended 10 manage the rest Of the
matter connecting her with me her
self. There was now nothing in the
way of getting the divorce. and she
would be pleased to see me with re-
gard to the obtaining Of a decree.
Above all things, she desired to work
in harmony with me, since she had
been informed that the matter could
be thus far more satisfa ctorily ham
died. From what little she had seen
Of me she felt assured that l was
gentleman and would not stand in her
way in becoming free woman.
However we define love, its begin
ming is indeflnable. A man, fancy
free, may propose to a girl who Is
fancy free on the ground that she is
not displeasing to him and their mar
rage will be an advantage. If she is
accepted his feelings will go out to her
as naturally as the tendrils OF a vine
and hers Will advance to meet them.
attribute to this fact my coming to
love the girl had married, and 1 rea-
soned that If she had been at the time
of our marriage and had remained
fancy free it was quite possible that
something more than an ordinary in
terest In me might have been growing
up In her. But ] realized that our
parts were reversed. l must be court
ed: she must do the counting. Any
indication that l hoped to make our
marriage a real one would be fatal to
hopes / might have of doing so.
i replied to her letter that she was
at liberty to take any steps her law
yers might advise to secure a decree.
All asked was that might be put to
as little inconvenience as possible, for
my time was taken up in preparing
for my examination for admission to
the bar. l did not refer to her sugges-
ton for a meeting.
She replied that, considering the
fact that she was under an obligation
to me for a favor, she desired an Og
portunity of thanking me personally
therefor and on no account would she
take steps for the divorce without my
approval of the plan to be adopted. 10
hit upon a plan to which l would give
my willing assent would require an
interview.
So I called to see her One thing
noticed especially. She was dressed
in a very becoming costume. Since
could not make myself look beautiful,
whatever I might wear, concluded to
put on something besides clothes,
something that finds great favor with
women. l displayed all the Difference
/ could assume.
She could not conceal from me the
fact that 1 stood in the position or
something more than a mere legal
dummy. Nevertheless she tried to.
She outlined several plans her lawyers
had sketched out for her by which the
divorce might be obtained, but / OBJ
jected to all of them on the ground
that they might reflect upon her. ]
insisted upon assuming all the obloquy
myself. But when it came to pointing
out exactly how I was to do this /
failed. ] knew enough law to suggest
the different methods that might be
used, but I had not been studying my
profession for the purpose Of enabling
a woman to divorce me, especially one
from whom / had no desire 10 be oil
vorced. The consequence was that
after a conference lasting two hours I
left her without our having made any
Roadway.
had many conferences with mr.
wife on the subject Of our divorce
without finding a satisfactory plan. At
last one evening when we were de-
batting the matter at the door, just be-
fore my departure. IN a At OF absent
mindedness l kissed her. She must
have been equally absentminded. for
she received the kiss as a matter OF
course. not stopping in what she was
saying.
Suddenly It occurred TO both OF Us !
that we had given and received o /
marital kiss.
That ended the talk about divorce. /
Since II was raining hard / concluded l
not TO go home till the rain let up a /
hff never went home at all