Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-16

stretched himself comfortably before
his own hearthstone and agreed TINT 1t
had turned out very well indeed-ex-
actly as he had planned.
Mrs. Sylvester had worn the yellow
roses be had sent. He had reckoned
on her looking especially well at the /
Ponsonby dance. but she had been &c
tually beautiful-her charming little |
figure gowned in pompadour silk, and |
above her soft black eyes cleaned that |
crown OF silyery white hair which as !
tinguished her among the other women !
Of her set-and uncertain age.
At Just the right moment-when she |
was slightly bored with the common |
places OF the ballroom, when the first
flavor of the dancing had departed
he had rescued her from the idiotic at
tentions of worshiping youth and car
ried her of to a secluded nook in the
conservatory which he had previously
marked for the purpose.
Here. amid the tinkle OF fountains
and the plash of goldfish in the marble
basins. with now and then lulling
murmur of music from the distant BALI
room, amid the heavy scent of exotic
flowers and the pure fragrance OF
countless roses, Willoughby solemnly
and somewhat heavily. as became a
Jones-Derrick. asked Lucia Sylvester to
marry him. ~
The result OF this was that when
they parted a few hours later Lucia
was wearing beneath her little white
glove the engraved emerald which was
the traditional engagement ring of the
Jones' Derricks and Willoughby had
her promise that In the approaching
Indian summer they would be married.
All this had been the result of care
full planning and almost painful fore
thought on the part of Willoughby
Jones Derrick. He had lived forty
nine years of his life In the firm de-
termination to die a bachelor. He
loved too well the luxury of living for
himself alone TO share his liberal In
come with a wife who at best might
shine brilliantly at costly entertain
ments and deplete a fortune which
was ample for prudent bachelor.
And in his fiftieth year his business
agent reported that those sources
whence came his inherited income were
In danger of total elimination, even
now were divided by one-half, and
there was no escape from the impend-
! ing doom of poverty except a good
marriage. The impending doom was
secret between Willoughby and his
agent The idea of the good marriage
was Willoughby's own. Quietly he
had gone about 1t, and the result was
most gratifying. There would be no
cause for wonderment that the rich
clubman should marry one of the rich
est widows in town.
So the last CT the Jones Derricks
dreamily consumed several gold tipped
| cigarettes while he pondered the adj
I vantages of the new life that would
open when he assumed the response
bility OF becoming Lucia Silvester's
second husband. 1t was a very pleas
ant outlook, for he admired Lucia as
much as it was within his power to
admire any one save his own punctil-
ious self.
He frowned as he remembered the
existence Of the child. Annabel Sill
vester. and smiled when he recollected
ed in a French convent from which
she wonld not emerge for some time.
Then he dismissed all disagreed BILE
thoughts with a fiirt of his cigarette
into the CRATE
1t was quite two weeks afterward
that Willoughby Jones Derrick dropped
into Mrs. Silvester's for a cup of tea
The drawing room was empty. but bore
; evidence of recent occupation.
THE ladies' will be down immediate.
sir" said the obese butler.
. Jones-Derrick's brows were elevated
for brief instant and then crumpled
into a frown. He had Il beastly head
ache and did not feel like talking to a
lot of chattering women: he needed Lu-
cia's low. thrilling voice and quiet pres
ence to charm away his indlsposition.
Its only Miss Annabel. sir" ex-
planned Martin discreetly. ''She just
, arrove an hour ago, sir"
a Willoughby stared haughtily at the
presumptuous mental. and when the
r broad back had disappeared with un-
! dignified haste he transferred HIS gaze
to his hat
= He felt that this unexpected intru-
l sion of little Annabel would prove an
a obstruction to his present happiness
He would impress it upon Lucia that
p the child should be returned at
The door closed gently. and he lifted
his cold gray eyes and looked straight
into the great brown orbs of-Anne
Lange: Anne Lange. grown beautiful
o her red hair softened to less objec
I tionable shade than when he had last
4 seen her in paint stained holland
Y apron Her creamy skin was guiltless OF
Q its powdering of golden freckles Gdd
II her perfect features rendered more ex
o quisite by the simplicity Of her couture
I and the delicate beauty of her gown:
; the same Anne LANCE he had known
b 10 Paris. only not the same. The limo
o cent confidence had gone from the eyes
!. and only hard scorn remained-for him
/; That contemptuous curl of the lip was
for him too. Who would have expected
to meet poor little Anne Lange in Mrs
:. Silvester's drawing room? Certainly
not WilIoughby Jones Derrick.
He slowly rose to his feet and grasp
ed his hat and cane with the desperat,