Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-07-07

manger. 1t was a comfort to know
that if he could not gather the flower
himself, no one else would.
A sort of family shipwreck had
waited John to my threshold. Our
own household was sadly broken up,
and 1 found myself, comparatively
young in years, with half invalid
father, a large house, and very little
money. What more natural determl-
nation than to take boarders? And
among the first were Mr.. Crawford and
his son and sister, who had just been
wrecked themselves by the death OF
the wife and mother in foreign land
-one of those sudden, unexpected
deaths, that leave the survivors in
dazed condition, because it is so diff
cult to imagine the gay wording who
has been called hence in another state
of being.
Mr.. Crawford was one of my admira-
tions from the first. Tall, pale, with
dark hair and eyes, he reminded me OF
Dante, only that ne was handsomer;
and he had such general air of know
ing everything worth knowing with
out the least pedantry, however) that
was quite afraid of him. He was
evidently wrapped up in John, and
patient to his sister which was asking
quite enough of Christian charity under
the sun, for Mrs. Shellgrove was an
unmitigated nuisance. Such talker.
babbling of her own and her brothers
affairs with equal indiscretion, and
treating the latter as though he were
an incapable infant.
They stayed with us three years and
during that time was fairly persecu-
ted about John. Mrs Shellgrove
wrote me a letter on the subject, in
, which she informed me that the whole
| family were ready to receive me with
open arms-a prospect that l did not
/ find at all alluring. They seemed &c
: have their hearts set upon me as per
. son peculiarly fitted to train John II
] the way he should 60. Everything,
was told, depended on his getting th'
| right kind of wife.
A special interview with Mr.. Gran
9 ford, at his particular request, touched
S me considerably.
}. 81 hope" said he, "that you will no
: refuse my boy, Miss Edna. He has Sc
! his heart SO fully upon yo9, and yo'
v are everything that l could desire in
daughter. / want some one to pet.
7, feel sadly lonely at times, and L an
= sure you would fill the vacant niche"
# 1 drew my hand away from nj
# caress, and almost felt like hating Johl
!. Crawford. Life with him would b
L one of ease and luxury; but ! decide
/ that had rather keep boarders.
le Not long after this the Crawford
re concluded to go to housekeeping, an
III Mrs. Shellgrove was in her glory. Sh
to always came to luncheon in her bonne
is and gave minute details OF all that ha
RS been done and talked of about tn
house in the last twenty-four hours.
I'd at is really magnificent" said sh
lengthening out each syllable. "Broth
w has such perfect taste. And ne
n. actually furnishing the library, Mi
Id. Edna, after your suggestion You s.
if we look upon you quite as one OF Il
or family" =
sThat is very good of you" replie
ay shortly; but l certainly have no
an pectations of ever belonging to it."
ut Mrs Shellgrove laughed as though
ire had perpetrated an excellent joke.
ny "Young ladies always deny the
of things, of course; but John tells q
ferent story
ly, Irattled the cups and saucers angri
on and my thoughts flew off, not to Jof
ere but to Johns father, sitting lonely
ion the library furnished after my sugg
The ton. Wasn't it, after all, my duty
marry the family generally?
art The house was finished and moN
set into, and John spent his evenings W
me. l used to get dreadfully tired
Of him. He was too devoted to be at
,ers interesting, and l had reached IL
state of feeling which, if summary
18th dered to take my choice between b
h. and the gallows, would have preE
hn, ed myself for the latter with sort
alacrity.
l locked the door upon John on
l evening in question, when had fin
ess- got rid of him, with these things
With full force; and meditated while
ing dressing on some desperate move
ne? would bring matters to crisis.
and But the boy had been reused at
He, too had reflected in the watches
pur- the night; and next day recei
hts, quite dignifed letter from him,
bile, ing me that business called him Il
no the city for three or four weeks,
care that possibly on his return l might