Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-01-15
to forward this, as ! am ignorant
your whereabouts.
Your doting, irascible father,
Marcus TempletOn.


your whereabouts.
Your doting, irascible father,
Marcus Templeton.
+. S. Claxton, the rector, Is dead.
A bright light sufiused the face OF
Grace. She took the blank leaf from
the letter, and taking out her lead
pencil, wrote rs follows:
My Dear Father--I hold no bitter
ness. The death Of Rev. Mr.. Clax-
ton leaves the rectorship of Shades
town vacant. / will return on con-
dition that you give me the living at
Shadestown to whoever / may name.
Your daughter, GRACE.
Folding up the note, she handed IL
to the servant, and said: lrN
"Mr. Williams, give that to your
master. will expect you back with
an answer tomorrow noon."
The man bowed, retired, and APP
peared the next day with the follow
aAersed. Please name the rector.
Be back tomorrow. N. T."
Grace found it necessary to make
my lady Of Foley Hall her confidant.
Her story was q simple one, and may
In part have been OWNED by words
she let drop before the curate on the
steps Of the lodge, and by the tenor
Of her fathers letter.
The latter was stern, selfopin-
donated, irasclble old gentleman. A
absolute young fellow, named Clai-
born, who pretended to be of noble
descent, and immensely wealthy,
had ingratiated himself into the
Earl's friendship. To such an extent
had he accomplished this, that when
he proposed for the hand Of Grace,
the old gentleman was delighted,
and insisted that she should comply.
But she had read the character of her
sutton and perslstently refused. One
violent interview followed another,
until Grace left Templeton Place,
willing. to endure any privatiOns
rather than marry against her will,
or submit to . repetition OF the vio-
lent scenes. In the end the Earl was
forced 70 confess that he had been
wofaily deceived, and truly unkind:
Grace was standing alone with
Paul Ventnor In the great library of
Foley Hall. He knew that she was
going away on the morrow, but he
did not know that she belonged to
the n06iesse. His heart was sad, and
he kept his teeth hard shut, as II
thereby to be more able to keep back
an avowal of his passion. Grace had
learned to love him dearly. and sus-
pected his motive for remain Ing 81
lent.
81 must bid you good bye, as you
will not be here Tomorrow she said
softly, holding out her white hand to
him. "Oh, I shall miss your SER
mons very much"
"And myself, also, had hoped, ,,
he said, sadly, humbly.
"And yourself ALSO" repeated
Grace, in her truthful way, and with
hslghteued color. "Your cougrega-
tlon do not appreciate you, Mr.. Vent
nor. Your salary IL far too meagre
for the talents ysu possess, for the Ia
Dor you perform. The roctorate o!
Shadestown Is vacant. It IL worth
two thousand pounds. All, II you
mad that, Mr.. Ventnor."
j Eyes, II I had,n said Paul, hi.
voice trembling, II know what
would do them"
4 He averted his face TO stifie his
emotion. Grace knew what he
wanted to say, and woman like, she
determined to make him say It
With her eyes fixed upon him, and
tapping the floor with her dainty
slippered foot, she said In q low
sweet voice:
"What would you do?"
, He turned full upon her, his dark
handsome face all aglOw. He caught
her hand, and, In thick, husky
tone, said:
"What would I do then? would
hold your hand thus, and say, Grace
L love you with my whole SOUL
cannot live without you! will you bt
mine?n
Paul was trembling, and Grace'i
face flushed with pleasure.
1T strikes me that you have sait
II now" she said with q little gay
laugh, and withdrawing her hand
When you are rector ofShadestowr
/ will hear you with more compla
cency. Good night, Mr.. Vcntnor.n
Foley Hall with . heavy heart, anG
the next Sabbath was dull ant
heavy one indeed. But on the mex
Monday following, he received q
very great surprise, In the shape Of .
document bearing an Earl's crest
, which read rs follows:
!, To Paul Ventnor, Citrate of Biade
, burg-Reverend Sir: The Rectoratt
: Of Sbadestown awaits your accept
, ance. By Christmas we would OK
pect to find you In charge.
. Yours in haste,
n Marcus Templeton.
Templeton's Place, Dec. 8. 1s49.
Then followed one of the Earl
blunt postscripts:
My daughters Grace has recon-
, mended the appointed"
} Paul Ventnor was almost dunn.
founded. He sank into o chair an(
burst into tears. He was appreciated
, at last, and the rectorate OF Shade
town was his. How was IL to be ex
the Lodge gate an Earl's daughter
Had the crown piece he dropped int
} her hand brought him an annuity o
, Of $4,000 year.
! He accepted the offer, and by tn,
holidays she was In charge. II
course Of time Grace explained all t
him: then he renewed his proposition
which she entertained with very graf
flying "complaoency."
But when he applied to the Earl h
was bluntly refused. Grace interce
, ded and was also refused.
Father" she said, whats TEN
pleton's word worth ?"
"As much as his bond, child, an,
rigidly kept from father to son dowi
a proud ancestral line"
Grace laughed softly, with a spar
kle Of triumph IN her eye. She tool
!. from her bosom the letter the Ear
had written 10 her.
"See," she said, ~ hold your writ
ten word-a terse bond, indeed, will
. your crest and name attached. In
D you say, shall marry whom-soeve
II shall please me to marry Well
z I please TO marry Paul Ventnor, tn