Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-06-01
The Housekeeper's Story.


Some ten or twelve years age
l was housekeeper in the famil,
Of Mr.. Edward Douglass, who
lived at beautiful place many
miles from London. His famil,
consisted of his wife. son and
an only daughter, Mabel, a per-
feet beauty. and one OF the gay
est, brightest spirits ever knew.
She was her fathers darling,
and he retted and INDUCED her
in everything wealth could COM
nand. She was very lovely, with
her violet eyes and golden hair;
but her chief charm was he,
voice, it was 30 low, 30 silvery
sweet. and yet 30 full of joy; Sc
many used to say, when they
listened to it, that it reminded
them Of sunshine. Of flowers and
music. She was very kind
hearted, and won tho love Of all
those about her; she was willful.
too, and sometimes would have
her own way.
Well, Mabel was IS when she
first saw Hugh Graham. Mr.
Douglass invited him to his
house, where he remained sew
eral months, and he and Mabel,
from being the best of friends,
ended by falling desperately in
love with each other. Her parents
were delighted with this; and
when Graham asked her hand in
marriage, her father readily gave
his consent The young people
were anxious to be married at
once; but Mr.. Douglass, partly
to keep Mabel little longer with
him and partly because he dis.
liked short engagements, decided
the marriage should not take
place till Mabel was nineteen.
The Winter passed by gayly
and happily to them, and the
summer was at hand; the hot
months they decided to spend
among the mountains of Wales,
and set out with a large party OF
ladies and gentlemen; among the
latter were Hugh Graham and
William Rowland, cousin of
Mabel. Then came CAV times:
there were balls, picnics, rides
aud drives, and fora time things
went on pleasantly enough; but
after a while q GOODNESS sprang up
between Mabel and her lover. It
happened this way: She was a
bit OF a coquette, and was little
too fond OF encouraging the at
tention and admiration her
beauty called forth The young
men were devoted to her, espe-
psally her cousin Rowland, and
she was much oftener seen walk.
ing and driving with him than
with her betrothed. Graham
chafed under this order Of things,
and demonstrated with, her, but
to no purpose; SO the breach
widened day by day.
At last, one day in September,
on my way to the village post
Office. for / had accompanied the
family on their trip, / saw Mabel
and her cousin seated beneath a
tree, engaged in earnest CONVEX
sation. He was holding her
hand, while her head rested on
his shoulder. A moment after
Graham passed me, and / knew
by his desperate look that he had
seen them. too. That night /
carried a note from him to her;
it contained a request to meet
him alone in the parlor. AL
stormy scene ensued; he upbraid
I'd her for infdelity, and she
acknowledged love for her
cousin Too proud to sue for the
heart he had lost, Graham then
and there broke of the engage
ment. 1t was a bitter blow to
her fond old father, and he sol
EMMY declared his daughter
should never marry Will How
land. Mabel coaxsd and begged
him to consent; but he would not.
and forbade her ever mentioning
the subject to him again. She
then yielded to her cousins en-
treaties, and promised to elope
with him
The dawn Of day was decided
upon for the elopement, and the
tight before Mabel made her last
Rttempt to reconcile her father to
her marriage with her cousin;
but he refused to listen to her,
and thus sealed his daughters
fate. Early in the morning Mabel
left her room, and, unobse-ved by
l8ny one, joined Rowland, who
vas waiting for her with bis horse
md chaise a little beyond the
house, completely screened from
view by the dense foliage around.
The road down the mountain was
4 very dangerous one, Astounding
in ruts aud gulleys. while on
bach side were fearful preci>
pices.
They had proceeded some dis,
Banoe. when the report of gun
lang clear and loud through the
woods, and the next moment
Hugh Graham stood. like a spirit
Il evil and darkness, in the road
before them. He was out shoot
nc tp1a rning. and was in the
e5it oi6game, when he saw
~ he recognized its
ccurants Immediately, and com.
ehending in an instant that an