The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-08-14

| but | do not know to this day whether 1t
was Yankee Doodle or Old Hundred.
She was dressed in crimson, with a white
opera-cape over her shoulders, and the
daintiest little pink hood that you ever saw
on her head. 1t looked like a wreath of
foam with the sun shining on it.
Suddenly there was a cry of fire! There
generally is, if ever you noticed, when a
building gets full of people who are enjoy
ing themselves. 1t is not often that there
really is any fire; but every body thinks
there is, and in the rush for safety any
quantity of bones are broken, and the bone
settlers get lots of jobs. 1t has long been
my opinion that the people who raise the
cry of fire at such places are hired by the
surgeons SO they may get few extra jobs
At that ominous cry, every person in
the room sprang up, and the scene which
ensued battles description. The strong
bore down the weak-women and children
were trodden under foot, and no mercy was
shown to any one. Each one was bent on
saving his own life.
fought my way through the crowd till
1 reached her side. Pale and terrified, she
chung to the arm of Charles and he had
his arm, noticed, around the waist of the
other woman. l took Mrs. Graves hand
tie glad cry at sight of me. Then put
my arm around her and my face close down
| to hers.
evil you trust yourself with me? I
asked
"Oh! yes" she said eagerly. cit is all
Charles can do to take care of Minnie
carried her out of a side door into a
wide corridor opening upon a back piazza
egress. By this time knew that there
was no fire, and had been sure of that
from the first; but the crush of the crowd,
frantic and half-crazed as they were, was
frightful, and it was indeed a relief to get
out of it. The lady was terrified, and
chung to me in a way perfectly delightful;
and put both arms around her, entirely
| forgetting she had Charles.
81 wish knew if they were safe," said
she.
"Who?" said I.
"Charles and Minnie
I dropped my arms. "Probably your
husband is safe enough" said l, feeling as
if some one had struck me suddenly blind.
"My husband? hope he is" said she,
in an amused tone; "but do not know
who he is yet.
"Not know" cried eagerly. SIS it pos
siblee My dear Mrs. Graves tell me the
truth! Who is this Charles?"
"He is my brother. TWAS his wife with
him.
"My darling exclaimed, getting her
into my arms again, and stopping all fur
ther explanations in way which is famil-
lar to all lovers, l suppose. "And now tell
me if I may not hope?"
She did not tell me, but took her silence
for consent.
"My little darling, love you! And
please tell me your first name, dear; can
not very we'll call you by your last one now.
Mrs Graves is SO formal
'rMy name is not Graves" said she arch
ly.
"Oh. then it ,cas Gaines?
'Ncither. suppose Mr.. Jasher's intro
duction was too much hurried for him to be
very particularly"
"Then what is your name?"
"Gray."
"And the Christian name?"
"Fanny.''
A light broke over ME.
Fanny Gray? Good gracious! you
don't pretend to say
eyes, do" said she, nesting a little
closer to me. "Dear old Fred, don't be
overwhelmed by it, and please don't think
planned it to win back the love of long
ago.
"Fanny, tell me, if l should say to you
just what said so many years ago in the
lake pasture"
"With your knees two inches deep in
mud" interrupted she laughingly.
s'Don't tease me, dearest. If 1 should
say over what then said, what would you
say?'
81 loved you then, Fred, in my girlish
way; but l was bit of coquette, and l
did like to torment you. You were such a
jealous boy, Fred
"Well; am to have your love now?"
She put her soft hand against my cheek.
81 suppose so. 1t has always been
yours. Many time my heart has ached
for your love and tenderness"
''Did Jasher plan this Journeys" TASK
ed, after little silence very delightful to us
both.
81 was coming West-and-and l think
he did have something to do with it. He
said you were such a cross old bache-
lor-''
"Dear old Toni cried I. I'll give him
the best pair of horses l cal find in the
city the moment get back" Toms es-
pecial weakness was horses. land was
so Jealous of Charles!'
Il know it dear. saw you reading your
newspaper upside down for the last ten
miles of our journey. May 1 ask if it was
entertaining?"
81 did not see a word. Fanny when l
90 back to New York, you 60 with me-
Do you understand me?
sLet us go home now," said she. am
anxious about Charles and Minnie"
So we went home as she called it.; and
Charles and Minnie were already there, and
laughed at our story, for insisted on tell
ing it to them; and then like reasonable
people they went off upstairs and left the
parlor to Fanny and me.
l suppose you can guess at the finale
When l went back to New York, Mrs.
Stanford accompanied me; and Tom. Jash-
err was as jjubilant over us as cat over
mouse just caught.
And I-well that journey to Chicago was
the loveliest occurrence of all my life, since
it restored to me my early love. And it
may be proper for me to say that, during
the whole thirteen years of our separation,
Fanny Gray and had never met; SO you