Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-08-19

tnlnk OF Dlm % Lonk' 4hat csohihS
Lord Happercraw came 70 dine with
them, and there came also the Duke Of
- and the Honorable MI. Speaker,
and other titled ladies and gentlemen;
and the conversation turned on mar
riage, and some one said that las 9
lady always fell or rose to the social
level Of her husband, a n~aesaniance was
much worse for her than for q gentle
man." and how very true that was,
thought Lady Grace.
That night, when the moon had set
and all the fine company gone home,
Gilbert walked under the window of
the chamber where she slept, as Romeo
walked under that Of Juliet; but she
knew nothing Of it. Only she dreamed
of him-a strange, wild dream.
She thought that she was in 8 car
rage with Lord Happercraw, and that
The wore white satin and pearls, and
that the coachman and footman were
bsdecked with white feathers; and that
across the road lay some ne cast down,
and my lord babe the coachman drive
on, ard he did so; and then with hor-
rOr to which words can give no express
sion, the mysterious, death-like horror
Of a dreadful dream, she leaned over the
carriage side and saw the face of Gill
bert, all dabbled with blood, and cried
out and awoke, crying: awe have rid
den over bis headW But in the morn
ing she was Lady Grace again, and he
was "only Gilbert" And in the MORN
ing, in his study, her father told her
that Lord Happercraw had asked his
permission to address her.
II will not force your inclinations, my
child" he said, ''but it is an excellent
match. Though if you prefer the
Duke Of"
1T will be better to be the wife Of a
good old man than Of bad young
one" she said. "But l wish neither
had ever seen me-"
"Yet she did not say mo" outright.
She knew that Lady Grace Cuthbert
mustSmarry some one soon, and my
Lord Happercraw's lady could hear
herself brayely in society, ride in q
splendid carriage, wear diamonds that
set women's heart beating with envy,
and be cOurted and fawned upon to her
hearts content. The mortgage upon
the Cuthberth estate nearly swallowed
il entirely. Even when she was a lit
tie girl the family diamonds had gone
mysteriously, and left worthless paste
i'm their settings.
"Papa was right; she must marry.
And how would Gilbert feel%' Asking
herself this question, she turned upon
herself with scOrn. "Ifa farmers sonhss
dared ia love Lady Grace Cuthbert, he
ought to suffer-" she said. "\Nhat
right had he 10 be so iusOleut!"
He had never said a word to her that
could tell his secret but a face like his
is easily read, and some women are
good readers of faces. Grace was, |
suppose. .
Lord Happercraw "wOOed her wi
brooch and rIng," and she yielded To
the wOCiug. He was as old rs his faith
er, and very grave and slow; but he
was kindly, and he was better, as she
said, than 3 gambler and a sot who was
younger. No II else courted her, and
She must msrry-partly not to make a
fool of herself by plying a farmers son
for his presumption, so she told herself.
And the affair was decided and she be-
gan TO turn her thoughts to her ward
robe, and to purchase laces and white
satin, and glittering, snowy silks. The
very wedding dress was ready when a
great calamity fell upon her.
Her father died. OF course the we'd
ding was postponed, and the poor girl,
almost broken-hearted, mOurned bitter
~ for a long while. She had only her
father in all the world to love, and her
life was very desolate without him but
the year being gone by, Lord Happier
cTaw pressed his suit again, and once
more she yielded. She had seen more
of Gilbert and his mother in the interim
than was good for her, she knew. She
must remember her position. To be
Lady Happercraw was worth some sac
ritice.
Again the white satin glistened in
the hands of the needle-women. Again
the wedding day approached; and in
his humber home Gilbert Acres fought
with himself tiercely. His mother
guessed what was going on, and | fancy
Patty Whimple did also, and both hated
my Lady Grace, for different reasons.
"A proud, insOlent creature" said
Patty:
shes a right to be proud" said the
old woman. II blame her more for
other things. But what those other
things were she did not tell Patty.
zone night the girl had stayed at the
Acres farm house for some reason. y
servant had been sick and some help
was needed, for it was hayiDg time, |
believe; and at two in the morning a
hand had shaken her softly, and the
old DANES voice whispered:
"Get up. Look! there's an awful
fire somewhere. It's Cuthberth's house,
l think. Look you, Patty"
"Ohm cried Patty. at is the house
nothing else. ] wonder wether she
is burning in it?"
God fOrbidw cried the old woman
~ nursed her at this bosom. Though
she is proud and naughty now, my
little iOster-baby she has been. God
have mercy on herr Then, Whats
that" she cried, and pointing to a
lark figure flying past the window, and
Patty answered:
"II's Gilbert going to her. Away he
sped across the fields, flying rather than
running. "He'll put himself into any
danger for her" said Patty. Then
they dressed themselves and followed
him.
1t was a dark night. The flames
flashed red and lurid against the black
sky. The wind drove them to the
westward, and was so strong that the
women could scarcely fight against it.
They were a long while in reaching the
spot. Then they stood aghast. Some
one cried out, Its his mother; she'll
never see him alive againw And
they saw that Gilbert was not without,
and knew he was within the burning
building.
The mother flung herself upon her
knees and moaned. The girl stood with
clenched hands and gazed At the blaz-
ing pile of masonry before her.
mo, he could not come out of that
oven alive. He had persisted for the
sake of that iDSOlent lady-he whom
another woman would have loved so
he with his beauty aud his youth, and
so much to live for. He was gone!
gone! gone!
But suddenly there was a cry. The
little crowd shivered with n accord. A
black figure stood at an open window
holding a burden in its arms, the flames
pursuing it. Ladders were lifted; strong
men dashed up them; bearer and bur-
den were seized and brought to the