Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-24
The Daily Story
BIRD IN THE BUSH-BY SARAH BAXTER
Copyrighted. 1919. by Literary Bureau

a
were all vanished over so .rr.. .-.sss
that they were not apparent. lT Ky
know why Roger Battersea cbos. .
show me attention, but 1t seemed -. p
able that he was preparing TO ns 10 =
cousin in her own coin I forsd p ~
tersea so agreeable that I wss ~ 80
willing to spend with him the ts-r sue
chose to spend with me. I cop,ars. ne
derstand how man Of an,sr.- ~
such force Of character could h. -.
with woman Of as little dsrs,
Lady Constance, and told Rs1nh
He said that intellectual men ca
mated with intellectual wornsn. =
almost always married the doll k,,s
The situation in time became -
what unpleasant to me. My fiance =.
devoting himself to another wo,s-
though when with me he was :. =
monstratively affectionate as hs,...
Roger Battersea's attentions 10 M
came so constant that they were bay,a
ming to be remarked. One day ass.a
Ralph how long time would r.
quired to bring the matter he NOD !.
hand to head. He said he was t-r;r.
to get Lady Constance down in W.,
ing. IL he went to Roger with n s.o--
that she preferred to MARI ~
Roger would not believe him. r.
showed Roger a note to that era.,
there would be nothing further IA A
in the premises. Somehow. ALTHOUGH
Ralph's object in saving his cons.
from misalliance was a worthy an.
it seemed to me that his way OF doins
1t was unwarranted.
One evening when Roger and vers
together he began TO talk 10 mo IN
roundabout way. He said nothing Al.
rectly about his cousin or LADY Can.
stance, but ! knew well that be was
speaking of the situation In which tbe
four of us were interested But Roee,
and I gradually threw Off the nast
and agreed that matters were NOT ca.
ing to suit US. A remark of Rogers ar.
rested my attention. He said that one
feature attending his cousins engage
ment to me had surprised him. BE
could not understand how Ralph would
be willing to marry. or the family
would consent that he should marry,
woman without fortune. They need
money" he added, "and can't get on
without it.
For the first time IL occurred TO me
that Ralph might know of the prop
erty that in all probability would soon
be mine. I straightway began a series
of investigations, probing here and
there among those intimate with these
two young men, which resulted In
discovery that my fiance had learned
through agents in America OF my eI-
pected fortune. From this staring
point l did a lot Of theorizing. did
not believe his story about Lady Con.
stances unfortunate marriage. Then
hit upon the information that she had
a fortune in her own right of f100OM
This opened my eyes still further, and
began to see my fiance's scheme.
He was balanced between a fortune
Of half a million dollars in the hand
and two millions in the bush. rnfor
for him, the smaller amount
was contingent upon his supplanting
his cousin.
I was tempted to break with him ct
,nce, but RETAINED. desiring to let the
comedy play itself out. Mother and
went TO Paris to do some shopping
md were gone a month. When | re-
.urned to England my fiance received
ne with a more demonstrative afee K
ion than ever before.
THANK heaven" he exclaimed. "Pve
rot rid OF that bothersome, NEEDLE
ome affair OF Rogers. 1t has not been
o my taste at all and has kept me
way from you"
Have you saved him." I asked.
Not that 1 know; simply decided
o have nothing more to do with such
n underhand business. / told my arrt
hat If Roger wished TO make an ass
himself I would not aid him."
/ was at loss to account for ths
hange in Ralph, but was disposed 70
hink that he had noticed a change
lie and was fearful of losing me and
~ millions. Or perhaps he had leaT
4 that he could not win Lady Coz
lance. But | was not ready 10 sseW
" hand, and. enduring his caresses
est 1 could, said not word to q
Bile him to Judge of my suspicious.
The very next day after he made Ms
/ received a letter IRON
merica announcing the sudden DEAN
, my uncle. and, since was LEFT MS
lie heir, I was advised to return ~
ice.
"That accounts for IT," I said to ny
If. Ralph has some one in AmefNa
no has been keeping him posted oO
Y affairs"
A steamer sailed from London tna.
ternoon, and mother and ] saiied
II. / hadn't a minute TO wrile
le> TO Ralph. and l don't know tnal
ould have written him IL bad.
On reaching home | wrote halpo
our engagement. he Wa
ore successful in the other pan
$ matrimonial-or rather. fnanelsi
heme than that which pertaineo
e. Though he was obliged to give Y
Y two million. he secured Lazy ~.
lnce's half million, having suppism
his rival. doubtless. by means Oh MS
ing heir to title.
As for Roger Battersea. be aftet"
.rried n lady better suited to hi,n
, engaged to an American ousin'1'
IN.