Daily globe., 1883-08-25
FLEEING FROM Il FORTUNE.


Grace Sylvester's wedding morn; the
air was balmy, the sky blue, and all
nature seemed in sympathy with the
happy day.
Presently stir awoke in the house
hold, that soon swelled into a murmur
of CONSERVATION. The bride was miss.
ing. Some one had gone to her cham
her to awaken her and found it empty.
Immediately a search was instituted,
which proved fruitless. The bride
groom was sent for, but he could off
no explanation like the parents, he was
distracted with anxiety.
Grace Sylvester was a proud, impul-
sive girl, with warm heart and impet-
uous temper. She was an only child,
and somewhat spoiled, as was natural !;
but nothing that could be imagined or
adduced could account for this unheard-
of freak she had not even fastened
note on the toilet-cushion, as key to
the mystery, after the custom of hero
ines.
For week previous to this now un-
lucky day, the Sylvester mansion had
continuously opened its hospitable por-
tails to arriving guests. Friends and
relations of Mr.. Frank Howard, the ex-
pectant bridegroom, crowded to do
honor to the occasion, which the Syl-
vester connection were not less eager to
embellish with their presence.
This singular occurrence, therefore,
could not possibly be preserved secret,
and the chagrined and distracted host
and hostess had all the added misery of
knowing that their daughters inexpli-
cable fight was the subject of all sorts
of surmises and discussions by those
who in set phrase endeavored to condole
with them, and at the same time hint at
insanity as the only solution Of such an
pprecedcnted freak.
But a special g!eam was soon destined
to Hume the darkness. Grace had not
been unmindful Of her dear parents, nor
her devoted lover. A letter addressed
to the former had been dropped by her
in the postofice. Tt was brief, and evi-
IDENTIFY written Un@er the pressure of
excitement; but, even in its fragmentary
haste, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester could
trace their daughters tenderness and
her lover, despite the undisputed mys-
terry of It's tone, took consolation from it.
Its contents may be rendered thus
She had left OF her own free will and
unaccompanied, though she admitted
that she would be met at her journeys
end by a worthy guardian, in whose care
she would remain, and who, at the ex-
piratiOn OF a week, would bring her
home again; until then, she begged
they would wait for her explanation.
and above all forgive any l'a;n or annoy
ance her hasty disappearance Lad
caused.
This epistle, though gratefully re-
ceived, since it assured them of her
safety, was not, of course, entirely satis-
factory to her parents and lover.
Despite her promise to return, they
could not remain quiet till the eypira-
ton of the time named, but sought her
in every conceivable place; but, as was
evident from the security of her retreat,
Grace did not mean to be found till af-
ter the interval she had named
One by one, or in small parties, as
they had come, the wedding guests de-
parted. They carried to their own
houses a charmingly inexhaustible theme
for gossip and wonderment, Every one
held separate solution and theory, and
the subject promised to be one Of unu-
sual variety and entertainment
But only one of them possessed any
clew to the truth-and she, shy, insidi.
GUS plotte1 that she was, had laid train
whose success promised even beyond
her hopes. She watched its develop
ment in silence. It was not her cue tc
speak but to await the fulfllment of hel
design, and so she fingered, protesting
the intensest sympathy for all, and al
the same time contriving to bestOw the
most of it on Frank Howard, her distant
cousin.
This young lady, May Prescott by
name, had long been hopelessly in love
with her Cousin Frank. She knew thai
his heart was devoted to another, but
had never had an opportunity of seeing
her rival till the generous and unsus
pecting Grace, wishing to give both hel
and Frank pleasure, had asked her by
letter to be one Of her bridesmaids.
Mays darling object was then gained
She had unlimited faith in her own pow
er of creating discord, and had secretly