Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-06-17
so NEARLY WON.

The carriage was just turning the
conner of the drive where the tall ever
kreens grew thickest, the final shower
Of rice and the last old satin slipper
were falling far behind it, when James
Grafton realized for the first time that
Lettie was gone indeed, and had left
him there alone and unprotected. For
him the bright June day seemed sud-
denly overloaded, and his own little
domestic world strangely empty in
spite of the merry chattering groups OF
bridal guests on his sunny lawn. In
another instant the carriage had diSap-
peared; the bridesmaids and their at
tendant SWANS turned laughingly
away, and sauntered of mostly In
couples; for one wedding Is very provo
caIIVe OF another, few things being
more infectious than love-maklng.
James Grafton went toward his
house with very grave face (he had
been standing on the path that he
might watch the carriage to the very
lSsl), aud on the doorstep he met his
two sisters. in-law, Mrs. Charles and
VI
i'm differing shades ofirOn-gray silk. 1t
was awful TO have to face them alone
without that good kind, brave lIettie
who had hitherto looked 80 we'll after
him and had interests, who had always
stood between him and the widows.
They seemed to have come fearfully
near to his sll at once. Were they GO
ing 10 crush him completely? Would
they eat him up and pick his bones?
What would they do TO him?
James Grafton was a bachelor of ID
or lheT, about. Lettie, his only sister,
whom he had couple of hours ago
most unselfi,hly given away To Mr..
RsthtOrn at the little white church
at the foot OF the hill, although many
years younger than himself, had al
ways fought his domestic battles for
him and had been quite equal To the
task Of defending HIM from any num-
Der of aggressive relatives. And James
Grafton ne, ded prOte otOr badly, for
he was the only mau Of his family WIN
had ever made any money, while his
brothers, after trying hard 10 ruin him
~ well as themselves, had died penni-
less, leaving him thirteen neDhews and
uieCes to care for rs we'll as two widows
whOee only jOintUreS were couple of
very different, but, To James Grafton,
equally Objectionable tempcrs. a
heavy burden, truly, but he and I.ettie
had taken IL up braVely aud chccrfully,
and had done very much more than
their duty.
But now James Grafton had given
Lettie away; she WAS gone, and the
widows were standing on the doorstep
saying all sorts of pretty things about
the pretty wedding and charming
bride. There vas great blank where
Lettie had been. Oh! then, surely the
widows aud the thirteen children could
I'LL il! Everything his friends said
brought this thought to James tiraftOn'S
mind; but that only made the blank
look blanker. Mrs. Charles and Mrs.
Harry did not love each other. How
could they, being the mothers of two
rival clans of children THAT wO-
Inan" was the term by which the one
Indicated the other in q general way,
but to. day as each tried to excel the
other in doing the hOnOrs OF James
GrsftOn's very picturesque little house,
no one, except the keeueSt observer,
could have told that open war ragged
permanently between the two smiling
ladies who received so graciously the
ID
guests. James Grafton, however, knew
the state of affairs only to well, and as
he watched the groups on the lawn thin
ming, and carriage after carriage driv-
ing off, his heart san$ down and down,
and the blackneSs settled upon him.
At length all had departed except the
sisters in-law and their elder children.
Mrs. Charles at once began to explore
the house, which during I,ettie's reign
she never had been able TO do quite 10
her hearts content; and Mrs. Harry
followed her stealthly about, a. de-
tectiye might watch = suspected thief
AS for James Grafton, he CROPPED his
melancholy way into his library.
"Ha. what's this?" he exclaimed
with sudden Joy, a. his eyes fell upon
note lying about his desk. 'From
Ltttie! Dear girl. How thOughtfulw
He esgerly tore open the envelope. 1t
already appeared to him As it she had
been gone some centuries. The note
had been scrubbed in desperate haste
and excitement, but il brought hope
and courage with it. "My dearest old
JIM" it ran, "be firm now, or you are
lost forever. ] see they don't mean to
GO. They must go, both of them. You
dear lamb, how | gTieve to leave You
40 defenseless! ITyou value my peace
of mind, speak To Eunice Bell to-mOr-
row and know your fate. She like you |;
am sure of il. / am fond of her; so
are you. Perhaps you think you are
not but mind what | tell yOu-yO are.
How happy should be il could only
feel you were in her good hands. Be-
iieve me, dear, she is q most sweet
thing. With fondest love, yoTr own
I.ettie." James Grafton had always
had fair and rather delicate complex
ion. 1t was not much the worse for
wear. Ii turned u vivid scarlet rs he
read the last part of his sisters note. .
"HOT on earth could she have guess
ed? What have said or none to sug-
gest such an ideac Believe me, dear,
she is = most sweet thing l knew
that well enough without I.ettie's tell
ing me. I'm fond of her; 80 are YOU"
And in spite of having lost first love
"wbOn the angels call Lenore," or
some other delicious name, James
Grafton, this bachelor Of 40 years, sigh
ed with almost youthful fervor for his
second. "She likes you; | am sure of
it," Aye, there's the rub! Likes
likes-hkes me- he repeated, "but
perhaps still loves someone on the 9TH
er side OF the world. Does she? Why
shouldn't knows"
He read Lettie's note through again
il was singulsrly inspiriting; never be-
fore had the case been put before him
go clearly, never had he dared, even in
his Utmost thoughts, 20 put 1t clearly
20 himself. He opened his eyes widely.
"Have i been q fool, | w0nder%
must have been or 1 would have"
But here he was roughly interrupted.
Mrs. Charles girls and Mrs. Hsrry's
boys, who had the greatest contempt
for each other, had come to blows,
and now burst into the library crying
and sobbiDg, and making the house re.
sound with their ciamoToGs demands
for instant justice. The mothers who
had been barrying each other until frail
human nature could stand it no longer
rushed to the rescue. The noise be-
came terrific. Mrs Charles demanded