Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-24
The HoUsEKEEPER's STORY,
By l.. Il. ).

some ten OF Twelve years ago | was
hOuSekeeper in the family ola Mr.. Ed
ward douglass, who lived alta heauti-
ful place many miles from London.
His family consisted of his wife, a son
and an only daughter, Mabel, a perfect
beauty, and one of the gayeSt, brightest
spirits ever knew.
She was her fathers darling, and he
petted and INDUCED her in everything
wealth could command. She was very
lovely, with her violet eyes and golden
hair; but her chief charm was her
voice, it was SO low, so silvery sweet,
and yet so full of JOY; SO many used to
say, when they listened to it, that it re-
minded them Of sunshine, flowers and
music. She was very kiud-hearted, and
won the 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 in
vited him to his house, where he re-
manned several months, and he and
Mabel, from being the best of friends,
ended 10y falling desperately in love
with each other. Her friends were de-
lighted 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 disliked short ell
/ gagementS, decided the marriage should
: rot take place until Mabel was nine
! teen.
/ 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 large party of
| ladies and gentlemen; among the lat
/ ter were Hugh Graham and William
| Rowland, = cousin of Mabel. Then
/ came gay times; there were balls, pic,
| MICS, rides and drives, and for Il time
| things went on pleasantly enough; but
| after a while a GOODNESS spraug up be-
/ tween Mabel and her lover. 1t hap.
| peued this way: she was bit of u
! cOQuette, and was little too fond OF
/ encouraging the attention and admira-
| ton her beauty called forth. The
! young men were devoted to her, espe-
| ciallY her cousin Rowland, and she
/ was much Oftener seen walking and
driving with him than with her be.
| trOthed. Graham chafed under this or
| der of thirgs, and demonstrated with
/ her, but To no purpose; so the breach
! widened day by day.
At last, one day in September, on
my way 10 the village postOilice, for L
had accompanied the family on their
trip, 1 saw Mabel aud her cousin seated
beneath tree, engaged in earnest con-
verSation. He was holding her hand,
. d l.. laatl OIL mn his Ghn1IllaF
\ moment after Graham passed me,
ami knew by his desperate look that
he had seen them too. That night
carried note from him To her; it con-
tanned u request to meet him alone i'll
Z the parlor. \ stormy scene enSued ;
be Upbraided her for her iutidelity, and
she acknowledged love iOrhcr cousin.
Too proud to sue for the heart he had
lost, Graham then and there broke Oft
the engagement. Ii was 4 bitter blow
to her fond old father, and he sOlemnly
declared his daughter should never
mary Will Rowland. Mabel cOaXed
and begged him to consent; but he
would not, and forbade her ever men,
tiOning the subject to him again. She
then yielded to her cousins entreatieS,
and promised to elope with him.
The dawn of day was decided upon
for the elOpement, and the night before
Mabel made her last attempt to recon-
cile her father TO her marriage with her
cousin; but he refused 10 listen to her,
and thus sealed his daughters fate.
Early in the morning Mabel left her
room, and, unObServed by any one,
Joined Rowland, who was waiting for
her with his horse and chaise little
beyond the house, completely screened
from view by the dense foliage around.
The road down the mountain was Il
very dangerous one, Astounding in ruts
and gulleys, while on each side were
fearful precipices.
They had proceeded some distance,
when suddenly the report of q gun
rang clear and loud through the woods,
and the next moment Hugh Graham
stood, like a spirit Of evil and darkness,
i'm the road before them. He was out
shooting that morning, and was in the
pursuit of game, when he saw the
chaiSe. He recognized its occupants
Immediately, and cOmprehendlng in
an instant that an elOpement was in.
tended, he resolved to prevent it. Ac-
cordingly he placed himself in front OF
the horse, and answered HOwland's
shout 10 get out Of the way by Selling
the reins, and declaring that only over
his dead body should he bear Mabel oil.
Howland's face became livid with
rage: and raising his whip, he struck
Graham. Then followed a deed which
would never have been committed had
not Hugh Graham's heart been stepped
in bitterness, envy and jealousy. lie
raised his dcuble-barrel gun, and re-
Uardless of MabelS scream, fired.
Rowland fell back wounded, and was
thrown out 10y a sudden jerk which the
frightened horse gave the chaise. The
animal reared and snorted, and finally
plunged toward the edge Of the preci-
pice; the treacherous earth crumbled
beneath his weight, and losing his foot
| ING, he fell, with the chaiSe, with fear
| full crash to the bottom.
When Graham saw the equipage fall,
| and Mabel with it, an awful look passed
over his face, and, for q moment, he
seemed transformed into stone. Then,
| with a shrek of despair: he rushed
| down to where she lay, mangled,
| crushed and insensible. His lamenta-
| tions over her were heartrending-h he
| seemed like one bereft of reason.
| Meanwhile 8 carriage with gentle
man in it had made its appearance,
and to him Howland related what had
occurred. Mortified at what he had
heard, the gentleman, who was ply
stefan, FASTENED to the poor girls assist
ance; but before they could reach her
Mabel was beyond all earthly help; in
that dark, gloomy spot she breathed
her last. They carried the corpse to
the house, and no words can paint her
| fathers grief. He called down the ven
geance Of the Almighty upon the muir
| derers of his child.
Graham was never seen again by
those TO whom he had caused such ter
rible anguish. Rowland. as soon as he
had recovered from his wound, sought
him everywhere, but in vain. He had
disappeared, and no one could tel
where he had gone.
A year after l married and came tG