The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-02

she would start hastily for the doc
In very unusual manner for suci
a self-possessed young lady. aspd .
Grace had taken away her LITTLE
charges sometime before the rins
came which announced the arriva
Of the visitor Alice was evidently
expecting. @}a Il 1s'.tia
She went to meet him in fluttel
Of excitement. s:.a.a.ti
Wayne she said, it's the lucki
est thing you ever did in your life
to draw that valentine for the young
ster who sent it to my little cousin
for but for that / should not have
known you were here. Now Iwan'
you to answer me Il question: Are
you still fond of Grace? / ask be
cause you wrote me such a bittei
letter about her that / am sure, dis,
appointed, but faithful love gave il
it's sting --..a.-..a f-saiq
The animation which had bright
ened Wayne's face at meeting Alice
died out suddenly-usurped by a
panied expression.
Don't rake up that old wound,
Ally; it is not sufficiently healed to
bear probing. Do what ] will !
cannot help loving the girl, and ]
wish l could hate her. the heartless
coquette! to play with a mans hap
piness and then throw him over for
q richer loyer.' ..... "a. -
Are you sure she did that,
Wayne?' .-r. ....i .
Am l sure that l am aliyeY he
answered, bitterly. But why do
you ask? .''
4 will tell you. Grace is here in
this house, and she loves you as
dearly as you love her. 1t was jeal-
ousy made her act as she did, for
she told me so with tears in her
eyes, ..
Wayne looked the surprise he felt.
Then it was you she was jealous
of, Ally he said, after moments
thoughtful consideration; 'for now
that you put it in that light, she
was never the same after l showed
her your picture, saying, jestlngly,
that / had fallen in love with the
original. She showed no signs of
annoyance at the time, and like a
fool, kept up the delusion. Then
l grew angry at her for seeming
pleased with Herman Lancaster S
attentions, and we quarreled and
parted
You did very wrong, Wayne,
said Alice, seriously; 'and you have
both been punished for playing fast
and loose with your happiness, but
unless l am mistaken, this will be a
happy Valentines Day to you and
to Grace. Wait moment -
Alice, after a brief absence, re-
turned. Grace followed her, with
wide wondering eyes.
4 told you l had valentine for
you, Miss Alleyn, and here it is, or
rather, here he is. l will give him
into your charge. and then excuse
myself, as l have letters to write
will you forgive me Wayne? said
Grace, looking pleadingly up into
the agitated face of her lover as she
went toward him, after one incredu
lous look, succeeded by a burning
glow of happiness, which irradiated
her face.
Upon one condition. he said,
drawing her to his heart, and hold
ing her there in a close embrace
that our wedding take place at the
same time with my Cousin Alice's.'
That is next month Wayne, and
but must tell you something be-
fore we renew our engagement. /
am no longer my uncle's heiress-
l am poor, and am earning my own
living 90
What difference does that make?'
burst in Wayne, impetuously. L
did not fall in love with your uncle's
money; 1T was with you.
4 did not mean that, Wayne, but
l shall have to make my own things,
even to my wedding dress and bon
net, and that wouldn't give me time
And l say that you couldn't lock
nicer in my eyes, in any gown than
in the very one you have on now.
So that's no excuse, and I'll not ac-
cept it. Well be married first, and
you may afterward spend months
in making things as you call them.
Wayne had his way about the
marriage taking place with that of
Alice. Grace was married in white,
and looked as fair and graceful in
her simple dress as did Alice in her
rich toilette of satin and point-lace.
She would have dearly enjoyed
presenting Grace with q rousseau
as handsome as her own; but she
could not prevail upon her to accept
anything SO costly, and so she had
to content herself with giving a
pretty and serviceable tea-set of sill
yer for her wedding gift to her new
cousin, f#-s-* @tlts
..4t -~es ---------- So. !