Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-02-10
A BACHELORS ROMANCE,

A BACHELORS ROMANCE.
A vigorous pull at the front door bel
started Mr.. Wells as, with his teet com
f0rtabl poised on his desk, chair tipped
back, and the fumes of an odorous Ha
vana pervading the apartment, be in
dulged in his usual after dinner smoke
Mr.. Frederick Wells was a confirmed
bachelor, and Notwithstanding the man,
solicitations of his fair friends. whose
charms had failed to melt his obduratt
heart, still persisted in eschewing so
ciety, and living with his sister almo
the life of a recluse. But Mr.. Wells
had not always been so exclusive; only
a few years before be had met and loved
Lucy Shelton. the daughter cf one OF
Chicago's wealthy citizens. This young
lady, though refusing to be his wife, &C
knowledeed her heart to be his, but she
had promised her father to marry his
partner, Joseph Parker, and circum.
stances over which she had no control
compelled her to keep her word and
marry his rival-her fathers choice. In
vain he pictured to her the wrong she
would do him. herself. and her husband
nothing could turn her from her course (.
Not wishing to witness Parker's tri-
umph, Mr.. Wells resolved to leave
Chicago. Accordingly he, with his
only sister, removed to the East, where
they occupied an elegant house in one
of New EDghnd's fiourishing cities.
In their peaceful Eastern home rumors
had reached them OF the failure of the
house of Shelton & Parker. Later the
sad stery of young Parker's downfall
reached their sy mpathetic ears-how, by
becoming victim of the demon, intem-
perance, he had reduced his fair young
wife TO the snect ssity of giving music
lessons in order to keep starvation from
her door. Mr. Wells. by thinking o
Lucy as the wife of another and wo
man false to her hearts best impulses
sought TO Danish her forever from his
miLd, and while he pitied the uniortu
nate Lucy. be still thought that she, il
measure, deserved d her sad fate. Will.
these bitter feelings would come wish
to stretch out helping hand to thi
woman. who, by scorning bis love, had
consigned him to hopeless, hapless
existence.
On the afternoon our story opens he
was musing upon a means of aiding
Mrs Parker-for he knew her proud
spirit would refuse any pecuniary as
sistance from him-when the sound of
an unusually loud ring of the door-bel
aroused him from his reverie, and in
simultaneously brought his feet and chair
to their proper position. "Whewin he
exclaimed, as he knocked the ashes from
his cigar, something unusual is
wanted to warrant such impatience. 4"
Just then the door of his study opened,
and his sister called him to come and
see what had been left at their door
Hastily following her into the hall, he
beheld, to his surprise, in the arms of a
servant who explained that she had
found the little thing lying on the
door step when she opened tho door
an infant some seven or eight months
old, wrapped IL huge shawl, and
calmly gazing with bright blue eyes at
the as.onished group Taking the child in
his arms, Mr.. Wells proceeded to remove
the shawl and found pinned to the dress
q card bearing the name Lucy, and gath
ering the little form to his breast, great
tears welled up into his eyes as he bent
his head over the tiny baby face and
murmured: Those eyes! that name!
Surely, this is Lucy's child" Then, as
If ashamed of his emotion, he handed
the child to his sister, telling her in a
gruff voice to see to its wants, vanished
into his sanctum, ,slamming the door with
bang that plainly told her he did
not wish to be interrupted; and
here, free from mortal gaze,
gave vent to his pent- up feeli 1gs; and
while sobs shook his manly frame, the
question, can this be Lucy's child con
stantly REQUIRED to him. He had not
even heard that she had child; besides,
he knew she was in Chicago very re-
Gently, in a state of abject poverty.
But, notwithstanding these contrarieties,
the resemblance he fancied existed be-
tween this little waif and Mrs. Parker,
only served to confirm him in the idea
that this was indeed her child; then
again he would ask himself-How
came it to that cityP to his doorp None
of his friends in Chicago knew OF his
whereabouts, and how was it possible
for Mrs. Parker thus to leave her child
to the mercy Of a man she had so cruelty
wrongedp At length, not finding q
satisfactory answer to his queries, be
resolved to keep this little foundling, to
bring it up as his own, cherish it as q
boon from heaven sent to cheer bis
lonely life and bring sunshine in to his
heart and home.
ssWell! Ellen, how do you and The
little stranger agreeP" playfully inquired
Mr.. Wells, as he met his sister at the
tea-table that evening.
$ Her ladyship and myself are or
wonderfully good terms, considering oul
limited acquaintance, laughingly re
Joined his sister. Come aud see hel
new quarters, but, as she is asleep