The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-08-19
A GIRLS ROMANCE;
BY F. W. ROBINSON.
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BY F. W. ROBINSON.
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CAPTER VIII.
THE RIVALS RETURN. is::..;4, :, ,
Wrayford began: his solitary exist
ence with a morbid satisfaction,
which did not grow less with time. It
was his pleasure to set himself apart
from his kind, to grow more old, dog
ged, and uncharitable in his "Nest,''
The torpedo was his excuse to-. shut
himself from Grace. and to separate
her from him; and though. he studied
hard to perfect it, and to prepare it
for those experiments which the gov.
ernment had undertaken to make it
was still a plea behind which he con-
cealed almost efectually, his desire to
live alone. y]~: .~.:..- s....:: INK
:, He could no, longer bear Grace in
b his .l,1o' home he had given up i! every
foolish hope that he had ostered, and
had acknowledged to himself that she
was too young for him, and that he
had grown too old. Theletterso sof We
tor Dufoy to Grace, breathing Of his
affection and undying passion for>her,
had destroyed -Abel's last chimera,
and he felt that he was far too weak
to hide his sorrow and his secret from
one who was always at his side. It
was right that she should 90, and that
he should remain in solitude until he
had learned better to disguise himself:
Grace had not dreamed Of her gray gray
haired, sober-faced guardian loving
her with al1 . youths affection !: and
he would have preferred to die, he
thought, rather than that she should
guess the truth. So let him study
his torpedo until Disappointment had
killed or hardened him to stone-he
cared not which. He had been away
some weeks when Grace surprised him
by a visit. He met her at the door
with shaking hands that would have
almost thrust her back from him. 50':j
"Grace, you must never come again.
This is rash of ou-unfair.'' .':''! >'.'
cam I in greater danger than your
self?" '." " ~. .', -'..r III:
II have answered that question be-
fore," he cried, with great excitement !;
"and you have promised to keep away:
This is a mad step. If 7 had made
up my mind to destroy the old place,
the wires might have been connected,
andI hiding in safety somewhere.
Who can tell?'' ...ls,........-.>.l4, +:
i Grace regarded Abel Wrayford
with astonishment. >s9@ y; .to,h
: "You look surprised Grace" he
said.: attempting a smile, "but 1 have
resolvedupon an experiment of my.
OWN before I submit my plan to a
clumsy government. why should I
not try It on the oNest?'', .s9" mi !
. a"Our ;homews ws.)i,i;s IL <u.r"T .;p.ti
sit isnot like home now; it will
never be home again to me" ",r51i1 10
"Not when I retnrnf''. :s5.,3.r Y,
"Oh, you will not return, Grace. I
81 am going to build . large house fur,
ther inland where the wind will
swoop less at me in such bitter winter
weather as We have had lately, :,
am gettiing-old, and feel the, weather
more acutely.'''; ,'''' >'.''s go q, -
\ "But you will not destroy dt1 y this
place? This was your fathers home =
EYES," he said, ,carelessly. II know
that, but 7 have .outlived my liking
for it. There leave me, and do not
come again wait for me to come to
you =: t... ,..'.'' ',.
>, =, "But you come SO seldom ? Do you
know how long it is since we saw you
last at Lawson's?' 1 - .
"A week or~two," he answered. Il
will come give me time.' .'',tf3 - /
f*'3 II have been afraid Of your illness
I have been watching for your signal
very often.' @' .'@ *=5s>*z a1T'sil'al !
s"You need not watch, Grace. ]
was never better and stronger in my
Ilife.n.r lszs s%ss5FI s,,is ttt.4 Ils5s.st It n
Isn Grace left ! him. puzzled by hi,
words, regretting the change, seeing
not in the distance any brighter day.
in store for him: Did the pursuit o
riches, the study Of philosophy, rendel
kal men 20 hard : she wondered. a. |
HI Abel W ordsurprised Grace ami
her friends by a,Yisit q few days afte,
this, but he was not, agreeable com
/ pany, and ieutenant, lawson, not
withstanding that he was an olSt 1
friend, was glad when he had take,
bis departure. \ Abel , was argumrenta " 1
tive, and satirical !; he. declined t
give any m details concerning the Wray
ford torpedo, q topic which woult
have greatly interested his friend, AMI
he entered into discussions upon naya
matters, and fatty contradicted Iii,
Lieutenant in every particular. III
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