Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-01-05

little conversation at the breakfast
table the day before Christmas. and
how Adelaide blushed after her sug.
geaion, and then it rushed upon her
that Frankie'S red mitten had been
lost on Christmas Day.
She saw it all. Who had profted
by her quarrel? Who had angled
for Georges attentions? Who had
been 50 cold and distant as soon as
she secured her triumph?
Grace thought that She could have
forgotten all this treachery better ff
Adelaide had really liked George.
butlt was plain she did not. II W5s
mere vanity on her part, and this
last, meanest, Shabbiest trick was
beyond forgiveness.
She was angry with GEORGE for
suspecting her, as he evidently did.
yet he was not to blame dear fellow
# she had only known what vas %
lhg Oh soo0ert She thought of :
hundred thines sk,= could ha4+4ssiif
so make all right, but me time was
past. What a sueer happiness Ade-
ialde had destroyed, a.. Tor an idle
Irritation!
Grace medtated dav and niobt
how to end the quarrel-how to re-
store the friendship that had been
broken. But what was she to do in
her country home? George. think
ing she had inSulted him. would not
come near her. And if she wrote to
him, what could she say? There
had been no promise between them.
and, IT he chose to transfer his affee-
tIonS to Adelaide, she had really no
right to interfere.
1t she betrayed her knowledge of
what had happened, he would have
double reason to suspect her. If he
had really ceased to like her, she was
100 proud to seem to wish him back
Altogether it was a great dilemma
and intolerable.
So the year passed, and Grace
grew cynical and morosc. She was
sure of a hundred disagreeable
thIngs-sure that if she was an heir
ess like Adelaide, George would not
have taken her offense for granted
so readiIy-sure that constancv was
thing of past romance-sure that
female friendship had no existence.
George and Adelaide were much to-
gether, she learned through other
cousins, and when December came
again neither of them had been near
her, not written even line. The
poor girl longed to refuse grandpa's
invitation, but pride prevailed, and
perhaps a wish to see George again.
1t was just as she anticipated
Those two together, always togeth-
er, distant to her and friendly with
each other; and, nursing her pride
and wrath, Grace almost forgot
Georges real attitude in the affair.
and wishing herself at home sincere
ly.
Accident had thrown the two girls
together in room where the child
ren were playing, when a pertinent
question arose among the group
question thar made Grace and Ade-
laide each look up from an unsoelaI
book, which had been used merely
to cover the awkwa7 iness of the sit
uatiOn.
"Do you know what Cousin
George found in his stocking last
Christmas" asked frankie, in high
glee.
WHAT" cried a chorus of little
voices.
"a red mitten," piped Frankie.
Adelaide's face turned crimson,
and Grace caught her guilty eyes as
she hurried from the room, drag zing
the little boy by the hand.
Grace hurried out herself, to hide
the tears, and, once alone in the
great easy-chair in the library, all
the pent-up trouble of the past year
burst forth, and she fell to sobbing
bitterly.
1t was of no use now, George was
entirely weaned from her: but she
felt 1t her duty to free herself from
the vile suspicion which had been
fastened upon her.
To have offered George the "mit-
ten," when she wouldn't for the
world have had him know that she
understood his delicate attentions!
1t was very, dreadful It was tsagic,
for did rot the whole hsBiliu - Of
her life hang on tat one misander-
standing?
Under other circumstances the
trick might have PASSED for an idle
iest;-6gt Adelaide was deep 10 their
confidence, a,r55.- bad known what
weight such a trific w6nit4A- have with
George at that moment. Oh, wick
ed, wicked girl! She should be de-
nuunced before her bridegroom on
the very eve of their wedding, for it
was sure to come to that between
her and George.
W Icked, wicked grill
Grace uttered the words aloud,
and then she was aware that some
one was stirring in the room close
beside her, and raised her ewes, all
red with weeping, to see her enemy
standing, triumphing in her distress.
On second thought it did not look
much like triumph, for Adelaide was
pale and trembling, aud her lips
quivered
go Gracem she cried out, catchiGg
at her Cousins hand, 81 aa so very,
very sorryr'
dts too late now" said Grace,
rising to leave. ut is of very little
She tried to pull her dress away
from the eager grasp that held her.
"Gou must hear me, Grace-dear
Grace! Il is of consequence. /
thought-George thought-that you
had-O dear. How could wei But
frankie put his miIteu in Georges
Stocking, and the little mischief
wouldn't own that he had done it
and George is so unhappy. Kiss me,
Grace darling And-and YOU do
love George a little:"
"Better than my hfe!" cried Grace,
with fresh burst of tears. II have
been the most miserable wretchr'
And George, having beard the