Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-07-07
t h e y a ilv
Short Story
4 DOUBLE TEsT.
By Donald Chamberlfn.

bound up IN his only SON Ben. Vho
was just 81. an age when mating is
usual, and the father was very anxious
lest his son should make a mesaij-
ance. Mr.. Mathews Seniors idea 6f a
mesaIlianee was not solely marriage
between persons of different stations
different degrees Of refinement and all
that; it included the matter Of in
come, or. rather. the want Of income
on which TO support a family He had
made sung fortune by hard knocks
and hoped that it might be added to
when his son came into IL By another
fortune in the possession Of his sons
wife
TITS Just as easy, Ben" he said I'd
mis- son. TO marry a girl with means
as without. Young persons haven
any sense about marriage. and girls
are caught by trides. Till they are
older they don't usually realize the diff
ference between what they call love in
cottage and love In a stone front
residence The way for you to do ia
to refrain from getting mixed UP with
poor girl and 70 cultivate the rich
ones
Advice to young persons is usually
thrown away. When Ben met the girl
he wanted he wooed and won her Her
father had been well to do and had
educated her, but had lost his prop-
erty about the time his daughter was
or an age to make her debut ia So
Cietv. Miss Arietta BOrIaud was a fine
character, and so long as she remained
unmarried would be abundantly able
to make her living Ben in announc~
ing his enga gemeHt to his father told
him that though his fancee had no for
tune she was fortune in herself
Beu's description OF Arietta had
about as much effect on his father as
his fathers advice upon matrimouy
had upon Ben MIR. Mathews saw only
the fact that his son was about TO
marry a girl who had been brought up
in afluence and had been reduced to
poverty. He told Ben that he was
making a fool of himself and that be
must either break his engagement or
lose his inheritance. Ben replied that
a good wife was better than fortune
for any young man who was interested
in making himself Independent, and he
declined to give up Arietta,
Very we'll" said the father, since
you have chosen your course for the
future. we shall from this time live
cautions against loneliness. / shall
look about me for 3 wife.
When Ben told Ariatta Of this She
looked grave. She said she would
think the matter over. She doubted IL
she would do right to separate her
lover from his father and deprive him
of n fortune. II Mr.. Mathews married
and had a son there would be faint
hope of Ben's ever being reconciled to
his father. and he would surely lose
his fortune or at least part Of IT, She
must have time for reflection as to
her duty in the matter.
The next day she told Ben 20 ask his
father for means 10 90 on a trip, 10 be
absent three months II at the end OK
that time Ben found &c would not lrou-
BILE him to part with his fancee he
would give her mp il he still preferred
her TO his inheritance he would give
up the latter
Ben told Arietta that absence would
make no difference 10 his choice, but
she declined to marry him without the
test. and he vas obliged 10 Weld. Mr.
Mathews was delighted with the boy
decision, remarkinE that he had no
idea he had SO much horse sense File
at once provided his son with the
means for trip around the world
T.. tts 5i-a eH't 4S - -
lnlat 0at-oh On MS 4se"t u. HIL
Arietta lugubriously, she having eE-
acted s. promise that he would remain
away until he received word from heF
to return.
That word reached Ben four months
after his departure. He hurried nome
TO claim ArIetta and reliuquish his
fortune on MS way he received T. 4..-
ter from his father stating tH8t ne
had met woman with an eHtraoFl ~
airy amount OF practieat eoea sense
He had also been converted TO t'4
principle that q first rate wife was ID
fortune In itself He had engaged. h.n-
self 10 marry this prodigy Of prael-
cablity Ben was welcomed 20 MARI
his fancee and his father Woula a@
lie on him a third of the estate al la-
time of his marriage.
Ben was delAghtea an tAe pLozp.- L
and Arietta instead of having TO give
up ~ ne III me- home, at ~ o.~ra~ f
- 500 q nofa from bis