The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-12-09
@istellaneOns Selections.
FANNY CHESTER'S DESTINY.


Fanny Chester was firt. Every
one, herself included, acknowledged
that.
Her old guardian, Judge Spoford
watched her perfect recklessness Of
conduct with an anxious eye. Hav
ing no children of his own he had
taken the little orphan left to his
care into his heart as well as his
home. She had proved afectionate.
good and everything to satisfy hin
save the horrible propensity of fiirt
ing, which she had evinced almost
from her baby days.
In vain the Judge demonstrated
with her; his words had no effect
whatever.
"If men are SO weak" she would
respond with a wicked shake of the
head. Il am not responsible. They
must bear the consequences"
"Do you ever intend to get mar
ried?" the Judge questioned her one
day.
She looked at him gravely for a
moment.
NO." she responded frankly. "My
intentions are to remain always as
now. 1 have wealth, beauty, youth
and an affectionato guardian; what
more do l want2"
"Atpresent, nothing" he returned
"But the day may come when all
these may be swept away. Your
wealth may possibly disappear, your
beauty may fade, your youth be but
a remembrance of the past, and 1
your gardian, be mouldering in the
dust. In that day what resources
would you have left?"
She smiled and then laughed out
right.
'What a doleful picture you have
conjured up" she calculated. "Ii
ever such an extremity comes, l will
teach, or sew, or do something to
support myself. Anything, gardie
would be preferable to marrying one
of the deceitful dandies of the nine
teenth century"
"You are to hard" the Judge re-
joined quickly. There are some
men left yet. All are not dreaming
popinjays. For instance look at John
Wallace"
The beauty curled her lip disdain-
fully. John Wallace to be mentioned
to her! John Wallace, poor, friend
less orphan, that had entered her
guardians Office as an errand boy
and had studied and worked himself
up until he was admitted to the bar,
was too much beneath her in social
rank for even his name to be toler-
ated.
"John Wallace" she reiterated.
"Why, guardie, l am surprised that
you should refer to man like him.
One without blood or lineage; one
who knows not but even his very
existence may be an inefacable dis
grace!"
"You have too aristocratic ideas
for Republican America" he re-
sponded, and then he longed to tell
her something of her family, of which
she had lived in blissful ignorance.
From that time forth she seemed
TO flirt even more desperately than
before. If she accidentally met John
Wallace when he came to the house
TO consult the Judge, she treated
him with supercillious contempt
The Judge flushed with shame.
Fanny, DEAR" he ventured to say
10 her, after she had been more than
frigid in her conduct, you
wound me. What pleasure can you
ind in humiliating John Wallace as
you have done? Why not at least
,reat him in a lady-like and polite
because his airs annoy me" was
,he reply. "He bears everything
With that cold, calm, unimpassioned
bearing that seems to say, Il am as
good as you, and do not heed yor,"
which 1 consider insufferable insol-
,nce from an inferior"
The Judge sighed, but made no
New Years came at last, and
Fanny was preparing for ball. She
ooked into the mirrors that reflected
her with evident satisfaction, and
then swept down from her apart
nents to the Judges library to ask
lis opinion of her toilet. Voices
within attracted her attention.
81 wish to address Miss Chester,
md first ask your consent" she
heard some one say.
"The puppy" she calculated, as,
he recognized his voice as that of a
-oung Englishman with whom she
lad been recently made acquainted.
The Judge hesitated for moment.
"Miss Chester must plsase herself"
lie returned; but as you have men
ioned it to me, feel in duty bound
o correct you in regard to popular
,elief. Miss Chester's fortune, as
veil as my own, has been lost through
IN unfortunate speculation"
The fellow fairly gasped.
''Is it really so?" he asked.
The Judge bowed his head.
"But of course that will make no
Inference with you" he suggested,
as you wish to seek my ward
through no mercenary motives"
pardon me-" he stammered. Il
ave labored under a mistake"
Jot, he added, "that l wish to seek
Ter wealth, hut now that she is re-
.uced, she might be induced to fol-
ow her mothers early profession
N actress"
The Judge rose to his feet.
"Be so kind as to leave my house,
ir," the Judge commanded, and the
elbow skunk out.
For a moment Fanny stood like
ne transfxed. The calamity-that
f her losing her wealth-would
ave appalled, her; but the other
hat her mother could have been an
etress-chilled her blood. She