The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-03-22
GRACE ATHERTON'S RUSE

encouraging Mr.. Ellis and MIR. Ford,
auntie 2"
"You cannot marry them both. There.
fore, you ought not TO favor them, and
90 out walking and riding with Mr. Ford,
or dance so very often with Mr.. Ellis
speak of these two young men more
particularly, as / am tod by every one
that they are the favored ones. know
you have many more upon your list.'i
"Really, auntie, you speak in fright,
fully business-like manner of my list
Just as if l kept notebook, and was
in the habit of writing the names OF my
lovers down in formal line, with dates
of when each one began to admire me. /"
Nonsense, Oracle! l never meant
any such thing. But is it certain
that you can not marry both Of the
young men first mentioned?"
"Jt is more than likely I shall marry
neither"
"They are considered good matches,
being both handsome and wealthy, Gra-
Gle.
81 know they are, auntie; but so am
1. And rather imagine, if | was not
rich, neither Frank Ellis nor Edward
Ford would wish to marry me-"
"Well, darling, you may be right; but
have you so poor an opinion of them
all. There is one whom rather think
you do not place among the number OF
gold worshipers."
"Mr. Hamilton ?" asked Grace Ather.
ton, quietly; but the color rushed to her
face violently, in spite of her careless
tone.
"Yes, / do mean Mr.. Hamilton. You
would be fortunate in becoming his wife,
my Oracle, ,heiress of broad acres though
you be- t
swell, / am going to prove them all,
and he must pass, through the ordeal
like the rest. I have formed a capital
plan to prove them; and you must let
me carry out this whinl, as you have let
me do others"
There was playful imperiousness in
her voice which brooked Of no nterfer-
ence, and none was offered.
She rose from the low ottoman on
which she had been sitting, forming such
fair picture, with her blue silk Honiton
lace and costly jewelry all flashing and
sparkling in the brilliantly lighted pom,
anG, drawing small table toward her,
she opened her desk, and wrote rapidly
for some minutes-folded note, sealed
it, and then, ringing the bell, waited half
impatiently for the entrance of a servant.
AS if by magic, one stood before her.
''Let this be taken at once to the office
of the Evening Telegraph. No answer
is required"
Half an hour later the note was in
Mr.. Browns possession. We, my read
ers, will read with him its contents. II
is brief, and runs thus;
"To, the Ed. of the Evcning Telegraph:
"SIR-Enclesed you will find an arti-
Gle which / wish you to insert immedi-
ately in your paper Accept the enclos-
ed bill, in payment for doing SO, from
GRACE ATHERToN
The editors face frightened. A ten
dollar bill was seldom so easily earned +;
and, carefully placing it in his pocket
book, he read over the article he had
just received such royal payment for in
serting.
'.Most young ladies would keep such
an event secret till after they were mar
ried but of course must obey orders,
was Mr.. Browns remark, muttered halt
aloud, as he glanced over it.
1T was night, and group of we'll
dressed and misunderstanding men
were collected in a room in one of the
most fashionable clubs in New York
Their dress. manner, and general bear
ing showed at once that they belonged
to the beau monde of the metropolis.
The evening papers are lying upon the
table. Among them is the Telegraph
One gentleman is glancing over its con-
tents. 4ir
Suddenly something in one of its col
umns strikes his eye, and he called
across the room tall, ,handsome-look-
ing man, who isengaged in conversation
with two or three others.
''Ellis, here is news in the Telegraph
that ought to interest you"
"Indeed! Pray read it, then, for the
benefit of the public" was the careless
reply of Frank Ellis, as he bent forward
to listen and complying with his friends
request, Irvine Stanton read as follows
"PERsoNAL.-We regret to state that
certain news has reached us lately that
the young and lovely Miss A, who
has for months been creating so much
admiration among the elite of this city,
has, by sudden failure of the c.
M Bank, lost all her fortune, and
will henceforth be dependent either upon
her own exertions or upon her aunt's
kindness, at whose residence she has
been staying while making her debut in
New York. Miss A. will make her
last appearance at Mrs. Qevelands ball
before leaving the circles of fashion and
beauty she is SO well fitted to adorn."
"Ah, Stanton, | must confess that
your news does rather affect my future
intentions regarding Miss Atherton. l
own to having been rather anxious to
secure golden prize, in the shape of
Miss Atherton. We we're riding in the
Park yesterday and / actually came very
near proposing to her, but my lucky star
was in the ascendant, and preventedfme. :"
ut must have been," dryly remarked
one Of the group. "It is not out of the
bounds of possibility that you might
have urged your suit in vain
Certainly not" laughed Ellis, mock
ingly; "but am vain enough to believe
otherwise. Apropos to that, Ford, if
reports are to be placed faith in, were
you not rather anxious to run the same
risk yourself?"
s'If I was, am anxious no longer" !"
was the naughty answer. 81 did admire
Miss A.herton, both for her beauty and
her fortune; but those flashing eyes and
that sparkling hair lose all their charms
with poverty to form the back- ground. /
must have everything la mode in my
establishment. No makeshift dinners,
and wife in dishabi,le presiding over my