Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-12-05
MRS. RADCLIFFES REVENGE.

MRS. RADCLIFFES REVENGE.
81 am going to have two guests at Elm
dale the day after t. morrow remarks
Mrs. Radcliffe, careleSsiy, one morning to
the old husband Mho Il ores her, and who is
fully thirty Years her senior.
YES, m, He,r O. heir?' is the amiable
answer, whis Mr.. Radcliffe Stirs the coffee
his wife ha~ just made him. II am 50 glad
to hear you say 50. was on the verge, my
dear, Of proposing some such socia diStrac-
tion. And pray who lave you hit upon?'
Ophc'ia Radcitfc'~ lands ,ma darr, eyes
are studying the tabl,-cIoth, now, and there
S the tinest little fragment of smile at
either corner OF her moath as She answers
ambiguouSy:
a lady and gcnt,eman.'
"Indeed, responds NJ. Radcliffe, with
an assumption of interest which he in reality
possesses for little exccp; his greenhouses
ard bis vegetable garden "whom have you
selected, my love? That is, do | know
thcm?''
"lou have met the lady, am sure. She
is Miss Eoi-e i>tow, and the gent eman is
Nh Parker Foi~"m.'
Mr. Radci,li' con~ les this response for a
moment and then up &" his gray-:ouched
eyebrows in unmi~takabc establishment.
"My dear, you must be making some mis-
take. have heard you say very hard things
about these people. remember Your being
very angry, indeed, at Eoi-c Bri>tow, just
before your marriage. inr-tor-'
Cant you recolcct vi So interrupts
Mrs Radcliffe, in smiling intcrrogliive.
"ruis WAS my reason for being angry
Eioi~c chose to spread abroad certain reports
about Inc when | was poor little Ophelia
Shelton. which, whether they were true or
false, concealed behind them the design of
preventing our marriage. YOU were >en-l-
BE enough not to believe the gossip, and 50
she was Defeated
But. have you forgiven her, Ophelia? ?
| thonght not,
Mrs Radclille's face is very calm and
gentle in its expression. "P~haw " my
dear Radcliffe, what is the use Of chcri>hing
grudgeS?'
"ruue, Ophclia, And this Parker Fol-
som? You used to dislike him, well re-
member. What was it, hy-the-by, that he
did to oncnd?''
"Oh. i, was TWO years before met you,
and during the year that lived in PIMA
dclphia with Aunt Fannie. All, husband
mine, what a memory you have -
Il am getting old, Ophc ia"
"Non~cnSe. You're as young as l."
"ThaukS for the delicious compliment
wait IL kiss to you acros, the breakfast table
Now, tell me what it was that your Phila
dclphau friend did y
"lIc set very dear friend Of mine, a Mrs.
Farrcn, against me- by telling her that was
trying to makc her husband fall in love with
me. He never knew thar had found the
truth out before left Philadelphia: but |
had.n
And You are going to have these two
pcopI, both of whom know that You hate,
up at Eimdae'' murmurs Mr.. Radcliffe,
lifting both hands in mock intensity of
amazemcnt Il never could understand
some of your whms, Ophelin; they are quite
beyond me By-thc-by, do these forthcom-
ing guest, know each other?''
No; doubt if they have ever heard
each others names. Parker Folsom has
always lived in Pui.adalphia You know, and
Eloi>e in New York. Mr.. Folsom is on
here, now, for month or 50, have lately
heard from Mary Waldron, an old Phila-
delpha friend lie is here for business
rcasons-trying, Mary writes, to save little
from the wreck Of his fortune
"Ah he has, then, met with severe losses?
knew he was rich-or, rather, remember
your telling me So"
"lle has lost next to everyth 'ng, they say,
BY the fiIule of RIshit & Stamm~r"
a little silence follows. Prcsen y Mr.
Radcliffe looks up from his coffee with the
lea-t suggestion of sly twinkle in his
pleasant eyes.
"And, my dear-ahem how about this
Miss Eioise Bristow? |, she-ahem we'll
oh?'
''Nut at all. 4 church-mousc is in hand-
some circumstances compared with her."
Five or six days after the above CONVEX
sation Ms Radclitfe's guests arrive at Elm
dale. Each of them is bewildered by the
invitation, and each takes it rs Il sweet sign
If peace and goodwill
"Now that she is Mrs. Algernon Rad
clife,' EIo-e Bristow tells herself, ''she
feels that she can afford to pardon The past
''Shc has heard that have lcss my