Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1884-01-15

A sor, Of family shiPwreck had waited
John 10 my threshold. Oar household
vas sadly broken up, and found my
self comparatively young in year, with
half invalid father. large house ard
very little motey whA, more natural
determination than 20 take boarders
And among the frat were Mr.. Cfanford
and his son. and sister. who had iast
been wrecked themselves by the death Of
The wife and mother in a foreign land
one Of those sudden. unexpected deaths,
,ha, leave the survivors IN a dared con-
di,ion. because !, i 90 diheul, TO mag
Inc the gay wording who has been called
hence Ia another state Of being.
Mr.. Cranford was one Of my admiFa-
tions from the hr, Tall. pale. with
dark hair and EYES. he reminded me Of
Dante. only be was hAnisomer and be
bad such a general ar Of knowing every
thias worth kno~ins wi,hou, the least
poiantfy. hosever) that ! was qai,e
afraid of him. lie was evidently wrap
pei up In Joho. and pA,ien, With his
sis,cf-~hicb WAS asking quits enough
% Christian charity under the sun. ioT
Mrs Sheusrose was an unmiiigaiei nui-
sance. Slch a talkcr babbling Of her
o~n and her brothers aa.iis With equal
iaJis,re,ion. and treating the latter ss
though be- VS. an incapable 'afan,.
They stayed wi,h "a. for three years.
and dariag that time ~as fairly prose-
eu,ed about John Mr. ShellgrOye wrote
me letters on the subject, in which she
informed me that che whole family were
Ready o. receive me with open afms--a
prospect that I DID no, 6nd q, al allar.
ing. They seemed o. have iheif hearts
~ upoa me A. q pcr.oa Pecahaily hi'ed
o. irain John ia ihe way be shoaIi -.
I Everything. "a. tod. dsPsaiod On hs
getting che usL, kind o. = siie
A special ia,criew siih NJ Cfsa'o'd.
a. hi. particular request. touched me
considerably
81 hops" .ail be-. ",hat yoa wiil not
refuse my boy. Nj. Eiaa lie has "a,
Do, heart % fully upoa yoa. aud yoa Arc
everything ,ta' I could desire IN q
daughter I van, some one % pet |
feel ,ally loasly .; ,ine'. sad ] am 'arc
,ou would hl ,he ,aeAn, niche.
I drew my band away from hi' cafcs'.
and almo,, ieii hke hating John Gran
ford Life with him would be one q
ease aad luxury bat / decided that |
bad rather Keep boariefs.
", long after ,h.s the Crsnford. con
eladel io 80 90 Housekeeping. and Mr..
Sheugio,e vs. in her sloy. She al
ways came Co luncheon Ia her bonnet.
aud gave minute details of al that bad
been done and talked q abou, the house
iu the las, twenty-f0ar h0srs.
"li j. really magnificent. said she.
lens,heuing oui each syllable "Bro,hei
/ has .ueh Pssioo, taste. And be j. act
aaly furnishing ,he library. Misc Eina.
aner ,ouf ssgscsiion. loa sec We look
upon y0u quite a. one q the family"
"Iha, j. very good u you. | replied
shortly "bnt certainly have no eNPee-
ta,ions % ever bclonging 70 it"
Mrs. Shelgrove laughed a. thoagh /
bad pcrpe,raied an excellent joke.
"Yosag ladies always deny these
thing. % course but John tells dif
fercni story"
I ra,ilcd the cups and saucefs angr.ly +;
and my thoashi a'Aied of, 40, 10 John.
bat % Joha's father. sitting lonely In the
/ library furnished after my suggestion.
wasa', IL, After Al, my duty 20 marry
the family generally
The tolss was finished and moved IN
O.. and John spent his evenings With me.
F. used 20 get dreadfally tired q him.
he was too devoted 10 be a, al interest
ing. and had reached ,hA, state Of feel
ing which. II summarily ordered 10 take
my choice between him and the gallows.
I would have prepared myself fo' the
latter with d .o', of chesrfally alscriiy.
/ I locked the door upon Joha on the
evening IN question, when | had haaly
gotten rid Of him. with these things in
full force and meditA,ei while IN
dressing on some desperate move that
would bring matters to crisis.
Bat the boy had become reused a,
last. lie. too. had reflected in the
watches Of the night and next day
received quite digniael letter from him
telling me that business called him from
the city Coz two os three weeks. and ,hA'
possibly on his return | might appreciate
his devotion better.
/ feli ineSpress.bly relieved. IL sP'
peArod to me the mos, sensible move
tha, John had made in the whole eoase
Of our sequAiniAnce, and | began to
breathe with more freedom.
Time few. however, and the thre'
weeks leag,henei to six withoa, Joha''
return tie wrote to me. but his letter.
became somewhat constrained; aud
scarcely knew wha, TO make Of him. !
he would oaly give me up. thought
bu, I tel, sure thA, he would bold me %
th., weak promise Of mine, thA, shOul'
either become Edna Canford or remAil