Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-01-28
FRANK REDGRAvE,s WIFE.
BY GEORGE R. SIMS,

whats the matter, Frank, dear p
Frank Redgrave looked up at his
young wife, and muttered, sob,
nothing" and went on reading a
letter which had arrived that morn
ing from England, and had been
handed to him as he came down to
! breakfast in the comfortable coffee
room of a hotel in Rome. The con-
tents could not have been altogether
pleasant, for, as he read, the young
aristocrat's handsome face grew
more and more serious in its eX-
preston.
The Hon. Frank Redgrave had
done a very foolish thing. Being
just tWo-and-twenty, the heir TO a
title as old as the conquest and to
estates of considerable magnitude,
he had fallen in love with charm
ing girl who was governess at Ia
| dies school next door to the house
where Frank visited friend who
crammed with an army tutor.
Frank was eighteen in those days.
and Nellie Vane was a year young
er. Poor NelIie's position was not
a happy one, and there is no WOn-
der that she surrendered herself
willingly to the delicious novelty of
| being loved by some one. She had
| been sent from India to be pupil
at the school, where she was then a
governess. Her mother had died
soon afterward, and her father, an
| officer in the Indian, army, had six
months later been killed in a from
tier war. When his affairs were in
vestigated it was found that his es-
tate would not satisfy his creditors,
and among the bill left unpaid was
years account for the education,
boarding and lodging of his orphan
daughter.
Nellie Vane YEAS fourteen when
she round herself in this terrible po-
sitiOn-an orphan and penniless,
and utterly at the mercy of prim
and starchy schOolmistress, who
| looked upon her as bad debt.
But primness and starchiness are
not always the signs of a bad heart.
and Miss Morton, the lady in ques-
ton, could not make up her mind
to turn the poor child adrift. She
saw an opportunity of making her
useful. So Nellie's education was
completed, and in return for her
board and lodging she was expected
to be hOuse-keeper, governeSs secre-
tary and Miss Norton right hand
generally.
The girl was grateful, and tried to
do her best. She became invalua-
BILE in the school, but thousand
little things made her feel her de-
pendent position.
When the handsome young gen.
tleman next door made the first shy
advances, by exchanging glances
and smiling at her from the window
overlooking the school garden, Mel
lies romantic nature was appealed
to at once.
1t is not given to prosaic and mat
ter-of-fact mortals to understand
these Over-the garden-wall fiirta-
tions, or to explain how they ripen
into love. We only know that
many are the instances on record
of such a romantic beginning to
life long devotion.
Frank Redgrave fell over head
and ears in love with the pretty
young gOVernesS next door, and his
passion was returned. The lynx
! eve of Miss Morton was cunningly
defied; letters were exchanged, and
well; to make long story short,
Frank managed one or two stolen
interviews, and soon had Nellie
Vane's promise to be his wife.
A year afterward, when innumer-
| able letters had been exchanged by
| the connivance of friendly house
! maid, doubtless Influenced by
Franks generous tips, the crisis
came. It was very shocking no
doubt, but Nellie had no mother, no
friend in whom she could contide,
and no legal guardian. So, having
no ones consent but her own to OBJ
tain, when Frank said: "Will you
be my wife ?" she said: eyes, and
went out one day, ostensibly to
make a small purchase, but really
to be married.
She came straight back with
Frank from the church. The young
couple requested to see Miss Morton,
and were shown into the drawing
room, from which they departed in
half an hour on their bridal tour,
leaving the unhappy schoolmistress
in state of doubt as to whether she
should send Tor the police or have
Mysteries.
Frank had plenty OF money. He
idolized his little wife, and the SEN
satiOn of liberty was TO her like
new life. They went abroad, and
the first fortnight was like story
out of "The Arabian Nights" to the
poor little governess.
She never thought to ask Frank
anything about himself. She only
ln fhn frfTOcf 6nn
est, handsOmest fellow in the world,
and that she had never been so hap
Ply before.
Frank forgot everything in the
first realization of loves young
dream, and nothing happened to
cloud their happiness until the re-
ceipt of the letter over. which Frank
sat poring in the cOffee-room of the
great hotel in Rome.
Nellie watched her young hus-
bands face grow darker and darker
as he read.
"What is it, darling ?" she asked
him, as he folded it and put it in
his pocket with sigh.
"Nothing, my DEAR" ne answered
gravely; "nothing particular. /
wrote to my mother a week ago,
telling her of our marriage, and this
is her answer"
"Oh, Frank" cried Nellie, "it
must be a very cruel answer to
make you look so miserable"
my mother is proud woman,
Nellie" he said gently. "She and
my father wished me to marry some
one else. They do not know you,
and fancy you are some adventur
ess who has entrapped me-"
He did not mean to say it. He
was distraught, and the words es-
capped him.
"An adventures who has en-
trapped yOu!'' said Nellie, repeat
ing the words slowly, as if to gather
their full force. "Oh, Frank, how
wicked how cruel!
They were up in their own rooms
now.
"Don't mind what they say, my
pet," he whispered, coming to the
place where the girl sat, and put
ting his arm round her waist. 81
know what noble, good little
heart L have won, and no one shall
come between us and our love-"
They were but boy and girl, in
| the first fortnight of a FOOLS para