The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-05-17

in society. So we were intending to be very
yielding, and fall in with all of his plans
there would he little use in doing otherwise
and hoped thereby to gad him over to some
of ours.
We had planned that il would be most
excellent thing for Sue 10 have the advantage
Of such society rs they would naturally draw
about them, and had tried to make her prom
Use to use her influence with him, all to little
purpose, however. In fact, she acted in a
most peculiar manner, till felt that it was
possible that the girl had some secret upon
her mind, and tried to prepare myself for IA
mine to be sprung under my feet at any mo-
mCnt
Wen, Hugh came, as | said We were
warm in our welcome and congratulations
but careful not to overdo, as he had such a
horror of beng lionizcd At last mother said :
I'VE are waiting to hear something about
your promised wife, Hugh. How and where
did you leave herr"
He looked up at Sue, comically, and asked
Don't you want to see her picture? Her
looks ought to interest you, I'm sure. Wo-
men usually count a good deal on personal
appearance"
| Now ii was one of our notions that ii was
the privilege of literary women to be as
Ihomely as possible; SO we had made up our
minds to accept Il sister who should be desti-
tutc of style as a nun, and as plainfcatured
as she chose. But, then, our acquaintance
with literary people has not been extensive.
He gave the picture into mothers hands.
We all noticed a peculiar expression as of
mingled doubt and surprise, cross her face
She took off her glasses and rubbed thsm
and looked again. BY that time our anxiety
had run away with our patience, and we
looked over our shoulder, like parcel of
eager school girls
Hugh Hastings! 1t is Miss Graves" cried
Jcnnete.
That girl across the street." said in
rage forgetting my dignity THAT deceitful
creaturc Author, indeed! Perhaps you ex-
pect us to believe that! I'm astonished at
you-no, I'm not astonished, I'm-well, it's
just what we might have expected"
You're not exactly clear" said Hugh, "but
| expected some such outbreak, so have
tried to possess my soul in patience. I'mnot
surprised at your surprise. But l am by no
means inclined to accept any expression of
any other feeling. | am engaged to Miss
GraveS-'thc saints be praisedr the girl
across the street, who could not by any pos
siblity be an author; and being engaged to
her, intend to marry her; any marrying her,
propose that my mother and sisters shall
love and respect her. You would have done
that long ago, if you had not been blinded by
pride and prejudice"
But, Hugh" said mother, II thought your
early love was lost, and that YOU"
MY early love and Miss Graves are one.
| was engaged to her six years ago; the en-
gagement was broken by my own folly; and
when | came down here and found her living
across the street, | felt as though God was
giving me another chance. A few words sep
arated us, and few words made the wrong
and suffering of years right again She is the
'wiseSt, discreetest, best in the world, far too
good for me, and as far above us intellectual
ly as the heavens above the earth, TWAS my
notion, keeping it from you all. wanted
you to learn to like her. As soon as she had
won Sues friendship, she told her; but you
are all so bound to your idols that | couldn't
wait for her goodness and grace to work mir
acleS, so l told you, confident that the magic
words, famous, gifted etc, would work
what years on unenightened intercourse
would fail to accomplish. | am going over
to see her now, and I'm going to tell her that
some of you are coming over by-and-by, to
congratulate her upon having won such a
treasure as | am"
We were glad when he went, for we sat
down and talked it all over. We were vexed
at our own lack of penetration; to think that
we had had famous writer for our neighbor
for two years, and had persistently snubbed
her upon every possible occasion. To think
that we had Inundated ourselves by talking
of Hugh's engagement, and eXpatiating upon
her reputation as writer, to the lady elect
herself, and had even, after delightful fash
ion women have sometimes, gwen her crumbs
of comfort for what we considered her disap-
pointment. And worse than all, had shown
ourselves lamentably ignorant of the literary
nOtorietes, not even knowing the nom de
plume of one Of the most popular poets of the
day. had even asked her if she found copy |
ing law papers profitable.
Alas, alas! Now nothing remained but
to make the best of it; for Hugh would stand
no halfway measures. So mother and | call |
ed upon her that very same day We were
both as gracious as could be; we accepted
the situation as though it was the one of all
others we should have desired. We congratu-
lated her upon her success as well as playfuly |
Gliding her for not taking us into her conf !
lence All this we did with resolution, while |
nwardly we were groanng over our stupid
folly.
There was some comfort in thinking that
Hugh would have too much honor to betray
our dissatisfaction to her.
She received all our congratulations with
ease and grace, and said she knew if any eX-
cuses were necessary for her apparent decep.
lion, Hugh had made them for her
Looking at her, l wondered that it had not
occurred to US that she was beautiful woman.
had always thought her rather plain; but
as she talked, her cheeks took on lovely
color, and her eyes shone with such a happy,
restful expression, that did not wonder that
4 man should serve seven years for her sake
But love is a beautitier, | have always heard
il said.
Only once did she seem to remember that
we had been other than the gracious friends
we were at that moment. When mother said:
i am delighted, Miss Graves, that Hugh is
% give me daughter can love and respect
Is do you" she replied:
II am glad of your love and respect, Mrs.
Hastings l trust shall merit both; but
I'm sure had it been withheld, his would have
,een all-sufiicient entertain no false notions
If that kind; however, let US be glad that |
I'm to be welcome, that you are to gain
laughter, instead of lose a SON"
The sweetness of the sDecch rolled itself