The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-07-29

| S A uoiO say q DOCto1 iAoi
than any one in Greymoor, and a
catch for any woman. It's chance
for Grace; she's young, but I'm only
two-and-forty myself, Wrayford, and
full Of health and sperits. It mayn't
strike her at fust, but she will get
used to the notion, for it's a good
chance that lots Of gals would jump
at. Why, the widder at the Lobster
Inn has been ajumping at it ever
since I buried Trs. T."
Wrayford had ceased to pay any
attention to this selfeulogium. He
had made a savage dash at the ink,
and commenced writing; and to Rob-
ert Trustworth's fancy it seemed as if
the student were taking down in
black and white all those qualifca-
tions on which he had waxed eloquent.
But Wrayford was trying to write
him down-to forget that this obnox-
ious individual had obtruded into bis
presence; and although the effort was
an impossibility, he continued to
write with great rapidity sentence af
ter sentence of a vague and incompre-
hensible character. When there was
a pause Wrayford looked up at the
big evi]-looking man by the window.
"You wish to marry my Grace?"
''Well, I don't think you can make
a mistake there"
when she has given you her con-
sent to the match you can call for
mine. Good-afternoon."
"Then you've no objection?
"Man, I will give you my objection
afterward, if it ever come to mine! If
Grace give you her answer, a fiat and
decisive No, there will not be any oc-
casion for us to talk of this again."
"On yes, there will"
II tell you there will not" cried
Wrayford, with more 6erceness, and
bringing his hand smartly down upon
the desk. "Can you not see that?"
''Blest if I can. You don't mean
to say"
81 say nothing more, Robert Trust
worth. I would rather not speak out
all that is in my thoughts at present
Il am too excited. Ihave my work
to do, and wish to keep calm"
eyes bu-"
II think I did say good after.
noon?"
"Oh! good-afternoon to you. It's
never not much good a-talking to
you, ,Wrayford; but you'll think over
all that I've said to you after am
gone"
He had departed very much like
a man who had been treated uncere.
moniously; and he slammed the doo1
noisily behind him. He went away
cursing Abel Wrayford's want Of Ger
emony. He was a rich man, and
had made noble offer, of which tht
silly chemist did not see all the advan.
tages at present. In good time he
would, no doubt. He marched dowr
the hill from the lonely house as i
all Greymoor belonged to him; anc
Abel, who had left his desk, watched
him along the sloping path toward thu
village.
"He will meet Grace he mutteret
to himself, "and frighten the poo:
girl with his outrageous love-making
What an odd idiot he is, to be sure
What mad fancy to get into his ug
| ly head p
He sat down by the window in tn
full glare of the afternoon sun, whicl
came in upon him there, and thought
of all the oddities and inconsistencie
of life, this was the oldest and thu
strangest. An old man like Trust
worth-not very old perhaps, not ole
at all, in fact, scarcely middle-aged
but an illiterate, ill-mannered, ugly
and bad-tempered fisherman to insul
him by a proposal for the hand 0
Grace Edmonds!
Il should not have dreamed q
that man thinking of my ward," h
said; and then words which Rober
Trustworth had SPOKEN in the room
rang so forcibly in his ear that he NUT
tered them aloud. He sat down b
; the window at last and reflected deep
ly, reflected himselfinto bad tempe,
and stamped upon the floor in hi
new rage. f'To think that anything
that that unlicked bear could say
mel" he cried, getting up from th
} window at last, and beginning to pac
the room to and fro in a bear-ike fash
ion himself: How long he promen
: AIDED in that manner he never knew
the sunlight faded from the room an
from the sea, the twilight was upo
him, and he was still forgetful of hi
t work, when a voice, full Of the musi
} that he loved best, brought him bac
to waking life.
"Why, Gardy, what is the matter
He looked around. Grace wa
: standing in the room, taking off he
bonnet and shawl, and regarding hi
, with dnxiety.
Nothing is the matter my dear
t that is, not much the matter. I ha,
been put out little"
"Has another idea failed?"
8 "Oh mol"
"And you have not let ano tn
craze take possession of you, or bee
l carried off by that old color projec
q which was quite ten pounds out of ou