Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-24


we took letters to persons there who
were abundantly able to introduce US
to society. Lord Barkerdale, eldest son
Of the Earl OF Edgerton, showed me
| especial attention and ended by pro-
posing to me. He told me he loved me
desperately, and when / protested that
a marriage between US was out of the
question. owing to my not having n
| fortune, he declared that he loved me
so well that a dowry made no differ
| ence to him whatever.
Now, the facts about my pecuniary
condition were these: While had no
| fortune and my parents were only
| passably well off for worldly goods,
was TO inherit 81 900, 600 or more from,
an old bachelor uncle who had one foot
in the grave Very few persons in Amer
! lea knew anything about this expecta-
ton. and 1 had not only refrained
from telling any one in England. but
had especially cautioned mamma not
to do so. / was therefore satisfied
that Ralph Barkerdale loved me for
myself alone, and since he was fasci-
mating man and was pleased at the
prospect of some day becoming Lady
Edgerton accepted his proposal.
was invited to the country seat of
the Edgertons and well received by
the earl and the rest of the family.
This was very gratifying to me be-
cause had been told that the earl, ex
cept for land, was poor, and it seemed
to me that he would expect his sue
cessor to the title to marry some one
with means. I had a charming visit
and went back to London well satisfied
with my matrimonial arrangements.
Nothing was said about setting time
for the wedding. but since we were
only recently engaged that was not ex-
pected. I was young. had not seen
much of life and was in no hurry.
1t was about month after this visit,
when the London season was at its
height, that Ralph said to me one
evening:
There's something 1 wish to say to
you by way of precaution. If you were
English i wouldn't need to say 1t, but
/ have understood that you Americans
expect from the moment of an engage
ment that your fiance shall devote |
himself exclusively to you. Our girls !
know that any attention we pay to any !
one else doesn't mean anything and |
are not so eXacting."
1T doesn't matter to me how many |
girls you devote yourself to- replied, |
provided you don't concentrate your /
attentions upon one person"
That's just the reason I'm going to
tell you about it. I'm going to show
considerable attention to an individual.
My cousin, Roger Battersea, has got
h, b, I'd,
Everard, a younger daughter of the
Duke of Wilmington. Roger is
deuced fine fellow, but Lady Con-
stance, while she is Of good family, is
you keep a secret?
Yes: go on"
LADY Constance has a husband.
The world doesn't know it, but such Is
the fact. She married suddenly, and
her father packed the fellow off by a
payment of 10000. They're getting an
annulment or divorce or something of
the sort, and when it is obtained she
is going to marry Roger. His mother
is furious over it, She asked me If /
wouldn't try to persuade her son to
give up his infatuation. 1 told her
that to interfere would be to get my
self disliked. Then she suggested that
L prove to him how unreliable Lady
Constance is by winning her away
from him. / told her I couldn't do 1t
without your consent"
I didn't like the arrangement at all
and said nothing for some time while
he awaited my reply. Presently l
gave 1t:
You are free and with my consent
% devote yourself to any one you like
Until we are married. After that j
will not divide you with any other wo
nan I have heard that marriages
lere among the nobility are usually
made for convenience instead Of love
md that the wife is expected to stand
great deal from the husband. If
ther American girls care to put up
With that sort of thing they are wei
ONE to do so. / won't. You may tell ,
our aunt that you have my consent to !
ave her son from an unfortunate mar {
iage, and / confess think your plan s
n excellent one" {
Spoken like a sensible girl" said
~ fiance. You American girls have S
o much snap to you! One of our girls ,
7ould have whined and made a fuss I
I met both Roger Battersea and Lady
Constance in society and became ac- q
TAINTED with both OF them. Batter o
ea struck me as man who would j
OF need to be saved from misal- s
ance. and Lady Constance seemed to
e an ordinary woman OF fashion. b
18th no especial depth to her. but n
therwise unobjectionable. But one D
oesn't get to know persons by meet
lg them casually. and for some time u
fter met these two I saw very little n
{ them.
was aware however. that Ralph e
I'D begun the work OF proving to his =
,usin how tickle was the woman he
ished TO marry. I heard nothing =
bout this secret marriage OF Lady .
onstance. hut since il was secret !
d not expect to hear anything of it -
ma aUeninc Of fnncfion nf Sns,,a l L