The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-11-20


Grace's elder sister. was ut home alone.
\ telegram, Miss HarrisOn.' said the |
servant, bringing her up the fateful yellow /
mis>iv.. 1t was directed to Miss Grace tIar- !
risen, but in most fiml .cS kilograms are con.
sidcred common property, and Lucy opened
1t without hesitation. 1t wis signed 'Farrel!
Banbrid! e," and read is follows:
Yoa will receive IA letter from me to.mor.
row. II was sent you by mistake. Please
burn without opening.
Miss Lucy Harrison was extremely devot-
cd to her sister. Her engagement had been
a great trial to her, not more on her own ac
count than by reason Of her anxiety on
Grace's behalf. She had been convinced
from the first that Farrell was not the thou.
sandth part good enough for her sister.
This was not that she knew ANYTHING speci.
iic against him. She would think the same
about any young man who had presumed to
claim her darling little sister.
Lucy was however discreet young wOm-
an, and not a word did she breathe that
evening to her father or mother o! the ,ele-
IRAN. Next morning at nine with the rest
OF the mail came letter addressed in Far.
rell's hand to Grace. and with the post .lnark
of his city. An hour later Grace herself
came home. The first thing she asked, after
the kisses and greetings, was il there was .
letter for her.
ayes" said Lucy, "it's on your BUREAU"
Grace ran upstairs. There was the letter.
Never had she thought her name so pretty
rs since she saw it in her lovers hand
writing. Lucy had followed her. She saw
her catch it up, look fondly at it, and then
with quick gesture press it to her lips. she
looked around and saw her sister. =.
a. rNIn N-D
she said, blushiny and gayly laughing rs she
began to open the letter.
"Stop," said Lucy, extending to her sister
the telegram in its yellow envelope. :lhls
came for you Yesterday, and that is no doubt
what it refers TO. You'd better read it first
don't know what to make OF it,"
Grace took the telegram and read II. lhe'
she looked at the letter and read the teie
"Pm not to read it," she said in puzzle'
tone. "A mistake! Why what does n
mean? why did he write it to me II n
doesn't want me to read it:' and she re
rarded Lucy out OF violet eyes round VII
bewilderment. as if she were bound to eX
plain the mystery. But the latter answered
, Struggling her shoulders.
Ppm sure | don't know. don't preten
to explain such curious transaction. oI
> thing is pretty plain though, MI. Fare
!, cambridge would never have stuitihed mn M
self by sending such an extraordinary 'e'e
q gram unless he had some very strong reaSo
for desiring to prevent you from seeing VIM
Is in that letter."
"But how could he write me sometnln
> one minute and then the next be so anXl0l
: to prevent nv reading it ?" said Grace, read
- to cry with perplexity. That's not hatul
y II I%S. v,ot N M like Farrell ~
T. "Perhaps not" said Lucy. "You Dug
'. 10 be fully acquainted with his characte
" You've known him the whole OF six month
!, believe ;''-she could not refrain from tn
~ sarcasm-"I SUPPOSE" she continued, Nv
~ have all of us torn up GOOD many ,e'.e
u which we had written to send to people. al
i have sent some which we wish we had to
~ IN. don't pretend to guess the riddle, b
" perhaps Mr.. cambridge had an impulse
" frankness and wrote you some things viii
lu upOn sober second thought, after the III
III had gone out, he concluded he would ratll
% % YOU did not know"
e. ooh. I can't think Of it that way, Lucy
- exclaimed Grace, now crying outright.
il as il there were two Farrells. one "
=. trusted me and one who didn't. when
~, ~, them is my lOyer"
az "Grace," said her sister, iii were
I ne gagged to marry man and received let
Nv ra under such circumstances as tnese sno'
nu read it. You can't tell what may be IN
~. ~, There may be something in It that VIII
' an indeed ought to make difference III y
-. feelings toward him. You must forgive
.oa my darling little sister, II tax Plalny.
IT, there may be something in that letter Wil
tn - Won knew it would make you unwilling
|, !, marry him."
,,oI "Lucy"
'eu " Yo,i NAV cry out as you please" said
en- older sister, cOmpassOnatcly but urn
Pc "but your own sense will tell you amrl
81, Yun love him, but how little after all
..u know about him."
was g Rut have no right to open 1t when
REL, tells me not to, sobbed Grace.
an ny! eyes YOU have. The letter is as much
sii, rected TO YOU as the telegram. He sent
sea Won of hi. own free will, intending yol
;. read il, lie changed his mind atterwaro
7 IL is true. but that doesn't make it less J
"a an RIGHT to read what he wrote meaning II
ne your eve, IL he had spoken to you ms
~. of writing to you and said something W
i. ~ he afterward asked you to ignore, you :"
NC not feel bound to do so even II you CO
LORE You would have right to whatever ne
'ce. once told yon, however sorry ne mlsn
ne he afterward that he had revealed II.
VII. n';, would be just like this. lie mas toia
si, something in this letter. He tells you II
'Iu telegram to ignore it. The only diffrrer
Ie that thanks to the quickness OF the tele:r
Ilni! WI, have his first and second thoughts d.
Is . III Won at once, and you can choose when
. la nJ' will regard. can't see that MS Sc
anu. thought has any more claim on your re-
~. SSo than his first thought"
m;s. ooh, I can't divide him up that way,
1895 and think of him as II there were TWO OF
mo oh. why did he do It? lie has made
the unhappy, and was so happy before.
IN IIIcy talked some time longer Deior
cors left Grace to herself, representing u
s sE" that the only course for sell -respe
,saroj vonne lady under the circumstances
, ,ros either 10 insist upon and act upon her
IT,, to read A letter addressed to her, or,
''i nreferred out Of consideration for he
ected ,ity not to read It, to return u 10 the !,
\ he with his former letters anu = no!e
- d =, stating that she agreed with him tha
!, No onI thoughts were test, and begged
consider their engagement at an emu.
'"or,o II was easy enough for Lucy to talk; 81
' tu!,i, NOT in love. Her words fell for TN
:" h;s mart on deaf ears, as Grace, with the
lining crunched IN ner l'ttlS Ms, ~ hos"rc he
le adj the room OF stoou . !. LII, toor.o,sze
fiyedly gazing at II WIN tear's'"~e
almost like one distraugnt.
Lucy was right. She had right Il
what II was; she would know, She
the letter, she made as she Wou
= torn il omen. Then crushing 1t still III
n In. OH In her hand. she burst into tears.