The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-08-12
A GIRLS ROMANCE.
FT-s-E
BY F. W. ROBINSON. 7
CAPTER VII.

CAPTER VII.
FURTHER EXPERIMENTS.
Abel Wrayford was not wrong I'M
the estimation of his success. He had
been man Of many failures, which
he had kept strictly to his Nest; to
the world outside he had been shrewdI
and practical-a safe man; for moth
ing ofwhich he was doubtful had!
gone out to the world. He was sure
Of his color; he knew the right chan
mel in which to work, and where to
make the most of his success !; he was
known in London; and chemists and
had faith in him. The
new violet found its way speedily in
to public favor people talked Of it !;
silken and woolen fabrics took new
hues from it; there was that glorious
proof of success which no criticism.
can give, no extensive advertising be-
stow, and only the giant impulse of
the public, following, as it were, its
instincts, can impart. Every body:
talked Of Wrayfordine; and the in.
ventor of the color remained in his
Cornish home unstirred by the MUIR
mur Of the crowd. He had sold his
rights to a speculative firm, and was
content with a few thousand pounds
and a royalty on future profits. Be
fore the year was out his royalty, even
to the surprise Of those who had In:
vested in the color, brought him some
thousands more; and Abel Wrayford
woke at last to the reality of riches.
He did not look any the better or
brighter for his triumph; he did not
change outwardly; the good folk in
were not aware at first that
he had come suddenly into money.
His habits were as quiet and methodi-
cal as ever; the light in the Nest
burned as late into the night; he wore
the same shabby vestments; and
when seen in the village or met
upon the cliff he had the same
thoughtful, far-away look which "Old
Wrayford" always had.
Robert Trustworth, master-fsher-
man, was the first to suspect that there
had come a change to Abel Wray-
ford's home. He put the broker in
for two quarters rent, as he had
threatened; he was building on the
humiliation Of Grace and her prayers
to him for mercy, which he would re-
fuse contemptuously; he was laugh
ing quietly to himself at Abel Wray.
ford's bewilderment and rage, when
the broker came to say that the money
was paid in full Of all demands, and
that Mr.. Wrayford would be obliged
by a receipt. Trustworth thought
that Abel Wrayford had made agreat
sacrifice of his cherished instrument
to pay the money, until weeks after
ward, when he found Abel bidding
briskly against him for piece o
ground adjacent to the Nest which
had been put up for auction. Abe
secured the ground, and Trustwortl
felt suddenly that he was no longei
the greatest man in Greymoor.
"That old man has been and stol,
something" he said, with an oath, a
he marched out Of the cofee-room o
the hotel where the auction had takel
place. And by degrees it reache'
even Greymoor that Abel Wrayfor'
had stolen something stolen a secre
from Nature, and made his fortune b
the theft.
Time went on; the summer cav
place to autumn, and there wer
brown leaves eddying about the Co,
nish lanes; autumn succumbed /
winter, and to a fierce winter, whic
brought rough seas and keen winds t
this western point Of England. Alb
clung to his home still, and his war
kept house for him, as in the old da,
when he was poor. HIS first impul
had been to quit Cornwall, to launc
forth, to take Grace abroad, and see
society with her, but he shrank SUI
denly from his project, and Grace ".
glad Of. his change Of intention
Abroad they might meet Victor D.
foy, he thought, and he had q hol
in his heart that she &as learning ,
forget him, that it had been q passil
fancy which time would destroy if
took no heed Of it. He had new
talked with Grace upon the subje
from that strange day Of his disa
pointment, when the fulfllment
lone hope was checkmated BY the L
} of smother; he had told her, VII
they were verging upon the .subje
once, that it would be mercifhl - b