The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-08-11

which was asking quite enough O
Christian charity under the sun, TO
Mrs. Shellgrove was an unmitig ate(
nuisance. Such a taIker! babling 0
her own and her brothers. affairs will
equal indiscretion, and treating tht
latter as though he were an incapable
infant.
They stayed with us three years
and during that time | was fairly
prosecuted about John. Mrs. She'll
grove wrote me letter on the sub.
iect, in which she informed me that
the whole family were ready to re.
ceive me with open arms-a prospect
that did not find at all alluring,
They seemed to have their hearts sci
upon me as person peculiarly fitted
to train John in the way he should
go. Everything. was told, depend
ed on his getting the right kind of a
wife. sss sss.s !.
special iAterpiew with Arr. Gran.
ford, at his particular request, touch.
ep me considerably.
81 hope" said he, "that you will
not refuse my boy, Miss Edna. He
has set his heart so fully upon you,
and you are everything that L could
desire in a daughter. 1 want some
one to pet. l feel sadly lonely at
times, and 1 am sure you would fill
the vacant niche" s
| drew my hand away from his
caress, and almost felt like hating
John Crawford. Life with him would
be one of ease and luxury; but | de-
cided that | had rather keep bOarders.
Not long after this the Cranfoi DIS
concluded to go to housekeeping, and
Mrs. Shellgrove was in her glory,
She always came to luncheon in her
bonnet, and gave minute details of all
that had been done and talked of
about the house in the last twenty
four hours.
"It is really magnificent" said
she, lengthening out each syllable.
Brother has such perfect taste. And
he is actually furnishing the library,
Miss Edna, after your suggestion.
You see we look upon you quite as
ono nf tho E., ,p,iIxy -
"That is very good of you," L re-
piled, shortly "but l certainly have
no expectations Of ever belonging to
it,"
Mrs. Shellgrove laughed as though
had perpetrated an excellent Joke.
"Young ladies always deny these
things, of course; but John tells a
different story"
/ ratified the cups ana saucers 81
grily; and my thoughts flew off, not
to Johns father, sitting lonely in the
library furnished after my suggestion.
Wasn't it, after al, my duty to marry
the family generally?
The house was finished and moved
into, and John spent his evenings
with me. | used to get dreadfully
tired of him. He was too devoted to
be at all interesting, and l had reach
eel that state of feeling which, if sum-
marily ordered to take my choice be,
tween him and the gallows, 1 would
have prepared myself for the latter
with sort of alacrity.
L locked the door upon John on the
evening in question, when / had
finally got rid of him. with these
things in full force and l meditated
while undressing on some desperate
move that would bring matters to a
crisis.
But the boy had been reused at
last. He, too, had reflected in the
watches of the night (; and next day
[ received quite dignified letter
from him, telling me that business
called him from the city for three or
four weeks, and that possibly on his
return l might appreciate his devo-
tion better.
L felt inexpressibly relieved. 1t
to me the most sensible
that John had made in the
whole course of our acquaintance, and
L began to breathe with more freedom.
Time flew, however. and the three
weeks heightened to six, without
Johns return. He wrote to me, but
his letters became somewhat con-
strained and / scarcely knew what
to make of him. If he would only
give me up, l thought; but l felt
sure that he would hold me to that
weak promise of mine, that l should
either become Edna Crawford or re-
main Edna Darlington.
"Mr. Crawford" was announced one
evening, and l entered the paror
fully prepared for an overdose of
John, but found myself confronted by
his father.
He looked very grave, and instant
ly l imagined all sorts of things, and
reDrOached myself for nv coldnasS.