Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-03-02

ociiNihS W NOu. Ou mo bS Si'o W
hear that Elmthorpe is untroubled
by any calamity just now. Much
you care, though, who take no notice
of news, and are too busy to answer
four letters by one"
She had written them-Grace was
glad of that.
"But now have news, my dear.
I am to be married. After all that
I have told you, you will guess to
J whom. Fancy me minister's wife.
Giddy me. But then Mr.. Atwood is
not a starched member. He is as
nice as though he were anybody
else (very naughty in me to say so,
of course). We shall be married in
/ October, and you must be brides
maid. Come home soon, and you
will leave that governess, now, won't
you, and stay at Elmthorpe. Are
you glad? do you approve? Write
me once atleast, before you come to
me-"
Grace put the letter in her pocket,
for she felt herself growing sick and
faint, and would have no ,tell-tale
lying near to betray her. Then she
made her way through thickly-
gathering mist to her bedside and
quietly tainted away. No one ever
knew of it. 1t was dusk when she
came to herself, and the Brown fam
lily were at tea. Grace took no tea
that night. She sent down word
that she had "a headache" Alas!
her heart ached asnever head could,
for hearts are made of more deli
cate stuff. .... ......
That night was chaos of wild
dreams, but in the morning she sat
down and wrote: '''..- '
DEAR GUssIE-God bless you!
l do approve your choice, and I shall
be home as soon as possible to help
you make all ready. May you be
very happy
And from her heart Grace meant
it. ..-- ....E .
"There shall never come ill-feel-
ing between my sister and me be-
cause Of any stranger she had said
to herself, and the thought that in
any case Harvey Atwood knew real
ly nothing of her heart, sustained
her. II will keep my secret until l
have conquered myself" she said.
81 will make Gussie's wedding dress
and be Gussie's bridesmaid, and I
will look happy whether feel so or
not"
So, when the stage stopped at Elm
thorpe on Saturday night, and Gus
sic ran into her sisters arms, she
never guessed that Grace had any
thing to hide from her.
"But this teaching has made you
pale, Grace" she said. 'fYou must
not go back again; indeed you must
not. l wish Mr., Atwood were here
to see you, but he is at his mothers.
She is too old to come to the we'd
ding. Eighty, poor soul, and it was
but fair to show his respect by be-
ing with her to the last. am going
to see her after am married. She's
been made terribly nervous by
this" #5ilaI
But just then package OF dry
goods from the city was announced,
and Gussie did not go on to say
what had made Mrs. Atwood nerv-
Gus. Her sons approaching we'd
ding, Grace supposed. Dress occu
pied their minds, or, at least, their
conversation that evening; and they
sat up late turning the pages of fash
ion magazines, measuring and fold
ing and considering. But in the
morning Gussie's merry voice walked
Grace from her slumbers before the
church bells chimed. t..
at won't do to stay home to-day"
Gussie said-"my last Sunday of
single blessedness." .g1iy
And Grace had no thought of
staying at home. If Mr.. Atwood
was away she should have nothing
to bear; and even if he had been
there to preach, perhaps it would
have been better to see him first in
the pulpit. Yet, even the church
had its associations, and Grace was
pale as the long-faded early lilies
that had bloomed in the church
when she last saw it, as she re-en
tered.
The sisters took their seats to-
gether. Grace lifted her eyes to the
pulpit. He stood there! Surely it
was he. Yet SO pale, so thin, and
"Gussie," she whispered, with her
heart beating wildly. "Gussie, you
said he would not be here 7a
81 did not" said Gussie, behind
her fan.
"And what" began Grace. .
people are staring at u.s." said
Gussie. Don't whisper so much"
But Grace could not sit still in
silence; she would have tainted.
When the girls got home, and in
the privacy of their own room, Gus
sic abruptly asked Grace: a.
Whose wife do you think | am
to be-"
"Mr. Harvey Atwood's," said
Grace. .,.
"No," said Gussie, simply. "His
brothers. What strange mistake.
How did you make it, darling?"
And then beginning to guess
something of the truth, Gussie knelt
down before her sister: .r,.
"You never saw his brother
Henry Atwood. He is younger-a
dark NANNY beau ideal, you know.
He is not a clergyman yet, but he
will be one soon. In August they
were firing at target in the woods.
A warning had been posted to keep
people away, but it seems Harvey
did not see it. Some of the men
were tipsy, too. He managed to get
himself shot, his life was despaired
of, and my Henry came down to
nurse him.
He lost his arm. There Grace.
| never knew you would care so be-
fore-don't cry-but he is well again.
Oh, Grace, why did you not tell me?
How could You be SO good when you
thought? But it never could have
been-never. Henry and l liked
each other from the first"
And in this rambling way the wo-
man told another woman all, and
they wept together.
i When the sun was sinking that
| Graon o4AnI th1 l,&<lo