Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-05-30
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY 80, 1873.

Tended look upon her face, and to hear
an offended tone in her voice. offered
my arm. She rejected it, replying that
the ground was damp, and that her hands
were occupied with her dress, but | knew
this was merely an excuse and feeling
myselfin the wrong and having swallow
ed more wine than | should at the sup
per table, | grew very angry.
"May | ask what | have donc?' I said:
"You know" said Grace.
81 know" repeated. "Nay I know
nothing of woman's fancies. You must
explain"
Il scarcely think it worth while" said
she. IF you do not know that you have
done wrong tonight, | should not care.
You have neglected me, and devoted
yourself to that vulgar woman, / heard
a lady near me say that you seemed to
be tired of your bargain. She thought
you were in love with that creature. So
did other people. Under the circum-
stances, | have right to feel offended,
insulted"
Perhaps she thought that | would deny
the charge Perhaps she expected me
to plead for pardon. God knows what
possessed me. | answered.
May not talk to a pretty woman
because | hope to marry you some day"
You were Airting--almost making
love to her." she replied.
'She is the sort of woman with whom
men fall in love-" | said Irresistible in
manner. I've heard she makes conquests
everywhere; | don't doubt it,
Grace looked at me with stern face,
white in the starlight as marble statue.
"Other women are always jealous of
such women | added
II am not jealous of her," she said.
Il would not be like her for kingdom
She is terrible woman. But since you
admire her so you are free to tell her so
after you have seen ME to my door"
"Grace !" said
"Mss Hunter, if you please, Mr..
Rutherford" said she. eve have both
made little mistake, easily rectifed E;
that is all"
| felt, as | stood looking at her, that
the effect Of the wine had drank upon
me vas stronger than had thought, but
gave no heed to the warning of my gid
dy head and rapid pulse.
"Just as you please" | said. 81
should think that a jealous woman would
curse any mans life. I'll go now.
won't trouble you any longer Good-by.'
We were not at the door of her home
we were about half block from it; bu
turned on my heel then and there; anc
| was hot and angry. | made my way
home, and without undressing, fell upon
my bed and dropped asleep.
| In two hours | awakened sober. sal
up and looked about me. The scenes Of
the evening REQUIRED to me wildly.
saw how blameworthy | had been, and q
terrible grief oppressed me. | put my
head down upon my hands and burst in
to bitter tears. had lost her, and with
her all that made life precious. Then
hope dawned upon my soul. | would
write to her; tell her how, unused to IL
quor as | was, the wine had affected me.
[ would tell her that to my sober sell
there was no charm in the woman who
had seemed to enchant me the evening
before. | would draw the comparison
felt 50 kecnly between her pure self and
that bold-eyed firt. | would pray for
forgiveness, and she would forgive me.
Springing to my feet, | rushed to my
desk | drew from pen and paper. |
wrote a letter overlooking with rcmorse
and tenderness. | read and re-rcad it.
Then, leaving it upon the spot where it
was written, | stood at the window, wait
ing for the tardy dawn, very jealous OF
the slow hours that kept my missiye from
my darling.
| had put out my candle when | left
my desk, and the room should have been
dark; but as | turned my head, after a
long and anxious revcrie, saw it was
full Of a pale radiance like that ola moon
light. Had miracle occurred-had the
sun risen again Z
Suddenly, amid the silvery light, APP
pearcd still whittier radiance. 1t slowly
took form. A female figure, in white
garments, 50 bright that they dazzled the
eyes, stopped bending over the letter.
| remained motionless-to speak or
stir was not in my power-and gazed on
the strange object with terrified intensity
The figure seemed to turn the pages Of
my letter with transparent hands. /
heard a gentle sigh; then the head turn
ed toward me, and | saw q face knew /;
the face that seemed the loyeliest of all
on earth to me, endowed with :nysterl-
Gus, divine beauty for which no man
could find words-thc glorifed face Of
sweet Grace Hunter
At the sight burst the bonds which
held mc-bonds as tangible as though l
could have seen thcm-and rushed for
ward. / strove to clasp my love, or her
shadow, in my arms. a shock such as
one might experience from an electrical
machine, flashed through me, and | fell
powerless to the floor
When recovered the day had dawn
ed, and under the blue morning sky the
city had awakened but my day never
dawned again. Ny heart never awokc
to LIES sweetness.
TO end the story in a very few words
Grace Hunter never reached her home
that night, and never was heard Of again.
The family imagined that she had re-
manned with her friends, and were not
anxious about her | had left her within
sight of her own door, and why she did
not reach IT, | shall never know. But
l. L.o,r IL - L. ll.,.an ,unnful tnanncr sho