, 1881-04-29
4 BACHELORS ROMANCE.

A vigorous pull at the front door-bell
started Mr. Wells, as. with his feet
carefully poised on the desk, chair
tipped back, and the fumes of an odor-
Gus Havana pervading the apartment, he
INDUCED in his usual after-dinner
smoke. Mr.. Frederic Wells vas II con-
tirmed bachelor, and notwithstanding
the many solicitations OF his fair friends,
whose charms had failed to melt his OBJ
durate heart, still persisted in eschewing
society, and living with his sister almost
the life of recluse. But Mr.. Wells
had not always been so exclusive; only
n few years before he had met and loved
Lucy Shelton, the daughter of one of
ChicagO's wealthy citizens. This young
lady, though refusing to be his wife, ac-
knowledged 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 Parkers tri-
umph, Mr.. Wells resolved to leave Chi
cagO. Accordingly he, with his only
sister, removed to the East, where they
occupied an elegant house in one of
New England's flourishing cities. In
their peaceful Eastern home rumors had
reached them of the failure of the house
of Shelton Il Parker. Later the sad
story of young Parker'S downfall
reached their sympathetic ears-hOw, by
becoming victim of the demon, intern
h.,h 4 Il g..
wife to tine necessity of giving music les
sons in order to keep starvation from her
door. Mr.. Wells, by thinking of Lucy
rs the wife of another and a woman false
to her hearts best impulses, sought to
banish her forever from his mind, and
while he pitied the unfortunate Lucy he
he still thought that she in a measure
deserved her sad fate. With these bitter
feelings would come a wish to stretch
out a helping hand TO this woman, who,
by scorning his love, had consigned him
to a hopeless, hapless existence.
On the afternoon our story opens he
was musing upon means of aiding Mrs.
Parker-for he knew her proud spirit
would refuse any pecuniary assistance
from him-when the sound of an un-
usually loud ring of the door-bell
aroused him from his reverie, and in
simultaneously brought his feet and
chair to their proper position.
"Wheww he exclaimed, as he knocked
the ashes from his cigar, something
unusual is wanted to warrant such i'm
patience"
Just then the door of the 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 doorstep
when she opened the door, an infant
some seven or eight months old wrapped
IN huge shawl, and calmly gazing with
bright blue eyes at the astonished group.
Taking the child in his arms, Mr.. Wells
proceeded to move the shawl and found
pinned to the dress card bearing the
name Lucy, and gathering the little form
to his breast, great tears swelled up into
his eyes as he bent his head over the tiny
baby face and murmured: ''Those eyes,
that namei Surely, this is Lucy's child. !"
Then, as If ashamed of his emotion, he
handed the child to his sister telling
her in n 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 while sobs shook his frame the
question, can this be Lucy's child? con-
stantly recurred to him He had not
even heard that she had child; besides
he knew she was in Chicago very recent
ly in a state of abiect poverty. But not
withstanding these cOntrarieties. the re-
semblanee he fancied existed between
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
city? to his door? 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 wronged? At
length, not finding n satisfactory an
swer to his queries, he resolved to keep
this little foundEng, to bring it up as his
own, cherish it as a boon from heaven
sent to cheer his lonely life and bring
sunshine IN to his heart and home.
''Wen Ellen, how do you and the lit
tie stranger agree?" playfully inquired
Mr.. Wells. as he met his sister Mt the
tea-table that evening.
"Her ladyship and myself are on won
derfully good terms, considering our
limited acquaintance, laughingly re-
Joined his sister. Come and see her
new quarters, but as she is asleep, you
must make as little noise as possible"
"Oh! 10! the little tyrant has issued
her DEGREES thus early in her reign, gay
ly retorted Mr.. Wells, "but she'll not
find an obedient subject in me-" and
with stealthy steps he followed Ellen into
the next room, where lying upon an i'm
promptu couch. improvised with an arm