Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-04-29

There are certain reasons" the old
gentleman added. why 1 shall feel it
best TO impose conditions in reference
TO this union l shall not consent 10
your marriage with any girl whose
family record IS not perfectly clear L
don't mean TO restrict you to marrying
a girl of noble family, for the Ameri-
cans have no nobility. But 1 shall ex-
pect that her proEenitors shall be or
have been honorable people, standing
well in their own community"
The preuminaries to this marriage
in high life led to an attorney travelling
from America 10 London. He brought
with him a copy Of the viii of Edward
Strang and met Mr.. Foster, who was
to make settlements for Tweezerdale.
Before you mention the contents Of
the will" said Mr.. Foster, Il will state
my nephews case. which l admit is
somewhat peculiar. You will then be
able TO say at once whether this match
can be made. The mother of the groom
was a variety actress and was met by
the boys father, the last Lord Twee-
zerdale, when she was singing and
dancing at a London music hall. He
wasted half his fortune on her before
their marriage, and she got away with
the other half after marriage; divorced
him, or he her-it doesn't matter which
and their son was born into the
world inheriting a title with nothing 10
support it.
1T is on account Of this misalliance
and It's results that am not willing
to settle on my nephew a fortune IN
less he marries girl on whose lineage
there is no such faint Now that you
have heard the only condition essential
on my part shall be happy to hear
those made in the will"
The attorney smiled a grim smile
and said:
Miss Strang's father. George Ches-
ter, like that Of her proposed husband,
comes from the British aristocracy.
At the time of her marriage to the
daughter OF the testator in the viii he
was heir to the Marquis of Butter
minister. But the marquis. who was
widower with no children. married a
second wife. who bore him children to
inherit the title. At the time that he
was heir TO the marquisate he went to
America for an heiress wife and mar
ried the testator's daughter. Mildred
Strang's mother. Like others of your
British aristocracy, he turned out bad
ly. He gambled away the settlements,
drank hard and III treated his wife.
She divorced him, and after the birth
of an heir to the title he had expected
he went to the then wilder part OF
America. where he sank lower and
lower till he became lost to his former
acquaintances. He met his death at
the end of rope thrown over a branch
of a tree
The attorney paused; the two men
sat for few moments looking ut each
other; then the former resumed:
THE testator has provided that his
granddaughter shall inherit only in
case she marries one who can show a
record for steadiness. sobriety and in
trinsic worth above the average man
of his age; otherwise his property goes
to charity"
After few moments silence Mr..
Foster, rising, said:
az regret, sir. that you have taken so
long q Journey with so unsatisfactory
q result"
81 am well paid" was the reply.
When the result of this interview
was communicated to the couple in
terested neither repined, nor did they
bid adieu to each other. They decided
to be married and trust to luck for
getting on In matrimony with no CAPT
tai but their wits. The earl is now
q comic song and dance man at swell
on tertai0meutS while tha countess
gives instruction in certain games OF
cards to the ladies of our first circles.
The fortunes they might have en-
joyed have endoW ed institutions of
charity. After all, are the ways OF
Providence in keeping up fortunes so
inscrutable? Our ancestors decrIed
these unions between British titles and
American fortunes In this case at
least the poor has come to it's own.