| OCR Text |
Show POLLY'S A1ARRIAGE. Hil There was a pretty flutter In society when a half-penny morning paper lifW-l IB announced th engagement of Miss Polly IllandMi to the very young1 Duke of U If iXI Rushmlnster. The nnnountement was tontuidlctcd next day by another half- jU. 1 lUflsl penns morning paper, nnd condrmed the d ly after. Wllfi I iill Then the apers since nothing nt tho moment was thrilling the public. Kwk fll becamo ftill of gossip and rumor. Interviews and portraits, and In due course klS n 31 It was discovered Hint pretty Polly, though only a varlets theatio girl, had fiYIffsnlH strong artistic Instlnttn nnd longed to piny Ophelia and Dcsdcmonu, nnd that 1 iiliH her family was ancient ami honorable IWi f-'fB fnnlh'hef!SUw t.,I'uhmlns,ei-- "ho bad Just come of age, was a charming, flisl'lB foolish fellow, with nn Income of JCSO.OOO after deduction of all the appalling Mm ?rliH thaiges under the fuinily settlements. " s ' XH r,.?,1 """'A' l",e "'" "l ,olr"'10 lumpus In ihe ducal family. The mother ot 111 jJKU.'H r, I'- ?'"", I ,1,c Uul'-lnc haughtiest woman In Ihe aristocracy. KM ?H fain ed vvhen she heard the news, nnd, llko another "Volumnla," actually IfSf iWM wns nrn '" th l"d" bcBBl"s ,llm v"lllly lo brcalc ofc lho match. Ha IV jlflHH buddenly enmo nn announcement tint the engagement wns at nn end, and iaSf IkS)! that the soung Duke had received a qu isl-dlplomatlc appointment In tho BsILnhBhIisH colonics which required him lo leave Knglnnd at once. The world guessed liliW'9Sn""H torrectly that n very august pereonuge had Inteivened. llffiniratiflH Tho negotiations for a rettlement took place after Ihe Duke's departure- IBBe' tSBsH n piece of Ill-luck for Polls. At her Interview with the family solicitor sho fflM WSM C-5 r -C riJKfSinL ,n?uth s?ty :,ld'' '"lnir "tile teeth that glistened, and SSfi MJH asked for fl00,000 a demand which stnggered Ihe old gentleman. tftfiK; rflBBi "However, the man of Inw rose to tho ottaslon Polly threw up her ring- B1 M, iKWod buidencd hands-nnd tho sponge-nnd iigrecd lo take J'0,000. nnd she smiled IMflT ' lIlllsB rnlher wryly when the old gentleman remarked lliut he never allowed his BT' il PlflH clients to pay more. ififM ' ilflH The soung Duke returned to town very proud of the surcessful accomplish- Mil'''-" !! ment of his mission and really unaware of tho fact that the whole affair had til ( ' been carried out behind his back by telegram. ' KM A ,. 0nc "cnn "noil the Duke was silting at his club trying to mike up i M! 'H his mind on the ever-disputable question whether hors d'oeuvres really exclto UPlhlni't sVH appetite or stay hunger, a letter was brought lo him. and at tho sight of the USlt ?' lltH writing he Jumped, then gnnped: Hjlffi i UflBj "Cient Scott!' he exclaimed. "Polls's tnken to drink"' And. Indeed, the IpffI sj IH handwriting was very shak). He opened the letter nnd rend: Me'T "INifflH "Dear Charlie Won't 5011 come nnd see inc. Don') be afraid; I'm dying- at r?!1 tJaflBl least the doctor says so and my illness has mudo mo hideous, nnd I would like ijlutsl JWslflBsi to see sou once ugaln. I chall be at home at 4 o'clock tomorrow. At least L BLmnflPB am alwass at home now, and could sec sou then." WfMiiX'lSHH She did sec him (ben-that Is at 4 o'clock the next das-and when he saw 11,8$' 95lfll her ho wns horrlfled. The pretty color had gone from her cheeks, great, black mHb'T ISBsi ratchen lay under her cses nnd Wrango lines marked tho lately beautiful face HI H it" Us9si When he called the next day the Duke found Tolly a llttlo better, nmi P?flilSr ' $! thero svns quite n flash nf her old self In her manner. ' ''fiaLil! SnBH As he wns passing through tho room the bell rang. . j IpIpm HflflJ A minute later, nn cldeily man, with a very grave, dignified manner, en- M lpjJ liifloH ternl. Rollit left the two men together whilst she went Into the sick-room mid. 'i'lflflsfl The young Duke timidly said something obviously truthful about the weather l I'l W.-'ifilBsssB the other agreed then anxiously he asked, "Is sho very ill? What l really ,' ! tF::fSniIH the matter?" , UiLins9slsll "I presume you are a friend ot tho family?" JJT UlisH "O, scs, certainly!" p '. h Eifi jHH 'She Is very HI. Wo havo had two consultations, and" He mere y ! f liti SlmH shrugged bis shoulders again. jj(w'''WlS IH "Hut what Is the Illness?" jii Lfti'flfS ilH "Technlcnlly"-Chnrlle could not catch the long Latin term "actuallj-, I It ! f .? ! Mi i mippose, tho public would tall it 'broken henrt.' Some soung fellow, a Duke MxK lil iH oi somo ono of fumlls I know llttlo of nuth social matters Jilted her. She l $1 Kif 1 BH mudo n great effort to light against her feelings nn.1 no overtaxed her Mrengttr IT ! " i? R )1H n heavy renctlon set in Then, when bIio was In a most vulnerable state ot I.1 Vifefri illfl course, she riught a chill, which attacked her lungs, und now It Is u mcro it WlritB MM question of das n?" i L-J iftf"rl2Bsllsi Three days later, when Charlie arrived, Rollit refused to let him see Polly M iMlfi8 KM She's too bad. my lord, and besides she's changed! she don't llko to be seen 'V ,1 ! IfflsfUl And what do you want to see her for Go away. Let her die In peace, and f tfc MwHtS not think of sou and her sorrow." j ) 'j fiffilsB "I suppose It would bo no pleasure to her now that It would not mako S .' '.MOTH her nny the happier' 1.3 V I'ffAjJM 'What?' '?"'''' BSjSB "If I were to marry her" .) t SMSBBJ "Too late) and yet but here's the doctor." jl li flflH -i ' v.d,a,"Ja!cr' """ ,ne au'liorlty of a mieclal license. Polly became n 'lHI'awH Duch of Itushmlnster, the two witnesses to the marriage being Rollit and ' ifKlllsMssi the doctor. j i JUiBuLliM When the ceremony was over tho soung man Imputsfvely bent down and 5 PtVttJi8"J kissed the dull lips of his pallid bride, although sho made efforts to turn away . ' rXilFZjM hr bead. A moment later Rollit and the doctor were busy getting him out ot ill AV liillljBB tho house, assuring him that tho excitement was too much for tho slrl. Jp Stil 'ilifiH T.ha young Duko walked down tho road not half un harpy as a bridegroom is flfel$iHffiflB might to be. Ills henrt and hand had been "true to Poll," but he had broken Ffi t'ntVii'iWTissl hi promise to the family and his word to the very august personage. f it(sjl'lfsBH A strange Idea le-ipt Into his mind, followed by recollection of thn fact that S U'f Inisi&lH he had noted with surprlso when ho put the ring on Tolly's ringer that her Iff " 'it ir.-W hand wns plump nnd firm. He walked back hlstlly, with no very definite ' .(HiL I JfllH thought In his head. S I lilT ;9"iTsl He found the girden gate open, and walked quickly through It and up tho ii' 'iff WW IXsil thirty sards of psthwuy. ft i U t Oi ilKH There wan Tolly, looking the picture of health, sluing on the corner of a H 'RMiMRM table In tv dressing gown and smoking a cigarette; near her was Rollit next hx 1mm riif'SB to whom rat the doctor, minus sptctncles nnd heard tho Duke iccognlzed him h'l iJrn4ilUl at once as a burlesque actor: Into tho haigaln were two thorus girls from a HS 1JS ,nlc?lMsB variety theatre nnd several ch-impagnc bottles were standing about JJ ilsllsHOlJsssi He hurst Into the room violently and with tho utmost vehemenco nnd tft (LffiFJi'pIH worn asked; "Don't sou think 1 might havo been Invited to my own weddinc fir '5ll' slJH breakfast?" " Mjj 'Kjikjl ,'IHSB Tho chorus gtrl shrieked, the sham doctor swore. Rollit quailed, but Tolly S5 fM lI,H stood up to him. An T4oH j'tffifl "It'o legnl enough, my lord, for tho law Is such a fool as not to dissolve a ( 1iHhI TwU marriage even If there is trlckers In It, and It serves sou right for being a cur- Biff iiilS iJSH and set. Charlie," and her volro softened, "I never meant sou to find out that lift iKwIhVxHH II was a trick, (let out of heie all of you." the said fiercely to tho revelers fir "iff iWlSHl and they slunk away, M' iMjStjHHH Tho Duke stood silent. 'Charlie, I wis alwass fond nf sou, and I am. Wa Ii ilf I'SsMHH mo now man and wife, let's make the best of It. A little money will make HSf M lylnWfl theso creatures hold their tongues,, people will think It was a. fine thing of you 3 iTSS IViM even It foolish, to give sour coronet to what sou thought a d)lng girl, and fit rKlk'Hjri I they won't suppose It wns your fault that I cheated tho undertaker. Come IllKNSMsrlt I let's bo frlendu," nnd she took hold ot his hands and lifted up her faco toward iflkSiSlolIu I his The young man roughly flung away her hands, and, looking at her stern- 'ISrolMssW H I-, said, 'aSBniVr I ' Majba the law- will not set me free, tu you will havo the title of Duchesn ffisHflv'"!! I If title without honor pleases sou, und such money as the law compels, but 3laWlMl) I we never meet again" I JttK'S' I Ant ns he passed out of the room he heard nor dhoutlnr, "Come back, UiVr tiiif '"-I glrlst Let's drink tn the Duke's departure." London Sketch, IBtWB |
