The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-01
STEPHANIE.

't1OW on eafJn could We love leEE sue ndu
caused us such bitter disappointment"
'And how could Gerald care for pale,
Strengthening little witch, with her queer
name, after he French mother? For witch, Of
course, she must be to have fascinated our fas-
tidious brother to the extent of marrying her."
Gerald was our only brother twenty-six years
of age, tall and svelte and handsome, and the
| idol of his sisters-two of us-one widowed
and the other, myself, an only maid.
Few sisters are perfectly satisfied, as a rule,
when their brother has found some one dearer
to him than those who have loved him and ad-
Mustered to his comforts all their lives Yet [
really think we should have been moderately
content if his choice had been to our own taste.
Why it had not been so was just a mystery.
Edith Falconer, whom we had set our hearts on
seeing Mrs Gerald Fame, was daughter of
the gods tall and divinely fair and it puzzled
us how his heart or his fancy could have tray
eled towards the daughter of Canadian planter,
when our letters were constantly full of Edith's
beauty and Ediths goodness, and when we made
point of dilating on her attractions from morn
| till eve whenever he was at home.
Edith was with us when the letter came bid
ding us welcome his wife, and 1 saw the surprise
and disappointment legibly written in her beau
| tiful blue eyes.
| Not that Edith was really in love with him,
but she had always felt an enormous interest in
| the brother of her dearest friends-an interest
which we had fully thought would ripen into
| love.
And this is what Gerald wrote:
Il shall bring her to you, my poor, stricken
! little Stephanie She would be quite alone in the
| wide world now if it was not for me! We were
| married beside the death-bed of her father, and
she was scarcely y wife before she was wholly
orphan, with never a relative earth l have
promised her so much love from you both that
| she will not, know, feel the loss of mother and
| sister, who were drowned on their way to Amer
ica-while shall fill the place of all others
| father, brother, husband"
AS we read this we felt convinced how it was
| that Gerald had married her. 1t was from sheer
pity. We fully decided this point, and it did not
make us feel more pleasantly on the subject, for
we were sure that poor Gerald had been victim
| lied. sacrificed, etc.
! We went about our preparations, however, for
| their coming furnished the rooms newly and
prettly and did our best to insure comfort to the
bride; but it must be confessed our hearts were
| not in our work.
On the evening they were expected we had no
| one at the house, thinking Stephanie would pre-
| fer it so. That is we had only Edith Falconer
| but then she was Just one of ourselves.
Gerald looked handsomer than ever as he
sprang out of the carriage and rushed up the
| steps, and with radiant face kissed us both.
| Then he ran down again and lifted out tiny fig
ure, which he bore in his arms as if it had been
a child, and, placing it before us said
| Here's my darling! the sweetest little darling
! that ever trod the earth!"
He went away then to attend to the luggage,
and she made sort of a movement as if to rush
| after him, but stopped abruptly. Then, with
quivering lips, she lifted her glance to us with
helpless, wistful look but presently a softer light
crept into her great dark, wild looking eyes, and
| she clasped our hands and bent and kissed
| them.
-
and introduced her to Edith, and saw herqueer,
dark little face brighten up strangely as Edith
| greeted her affectionately.
please call me Ste and not Mrs Fame" she
| whispered in low, frightened voice. my heart
yearns to be called by that name. Papa loved it
| so" and, turning her face away, she sobbed once
| or twice
Gerald came in just then, and shaking hands
| with Edith, went over to his wife at once.
| Come, my bird! YoUhad better let my sisters
| show you to your room as you trim your
feathers little" ne said, lovingly stroking back
the soft, fluffy dark hair gently from her fore
| head. My sister carried her off at once, and of
course Gerald followed He did not seem able to
| take his eyes off her for moment.
! What queer little fright she is-she looks
| like an elf! He must only have married her
| from pity. supposed" could not help saying.
Not alright, SURELY" Edith answered quickly.
| I'VE see her In an unfavorable moment. Her
grief has told on her face, but she has glorious
eyes, and can see what took Gerald. It is her
! NlIllllS iuduuef-JuSJ like Il peUUeu CnlluS.
glanced at Edith admiringly, thinking what
an angel of forgiveness she was, and when the
| bride came down again took a malicious pleas
ure in comparing her with Edith.
| Edith, so fair and so lovely with hair like
| spun gold and wild rose bloom on her cheeks,
| and graceful, willowy figure. And 'Ste-to
| call her by the curious abbreviation she wished
so small and dusky, with eolorless skin and
nothing to recommend her but two immense
black eyes, which certainly were as lustrous as
| twin stars and as soft as velvet.
Later in the evening, when dinner was over
| and Edith had drawn her away to look at Ger
| aids drawings he came up and sat down by me.
''Ellen, you must not form an opinion of Ste's
| attractions now" he whispered, earnestly; ''she
/ is not herself; naturally she is as bright and
| happy as a bird and altogether charming. You
| bring back her smiles. And then, you don't
know how pretty my little one is when she
smiles, he went on, enthusiastically.
| And wondering how she could ever be pretty,
| | forgot to answer So after momentary pause
| he said
edith is more beautiful than ever see!'
''Ahf thought The could not help comparing
| the two-the girl he had needlessly thrown aside
| and the girl he had linked himself to for life"
| 1t was not long before Ste twas more like her
self" as Gerald said. Her sorrow had been so
wild and so passionate that naturally it soon
wore itself out The color came back to her
dark cheeks, additional luster to her eyes, and
could often hear her carolling snatches of songs
They were mostly French ones-some with a
wonderful pathos running through them; and
the pronunciation of her maternal tongue was
the prettiest thing imaginable. Yes She was
growing merry enough.
Gerald's love was so perfect, and he filed the
place of father, brother and husband so entirely
as he had said, that he left her nothing to wish
| for.
! My sister was growing very fond of her and
declared her to be remarkably pretty, but l
could see no beauty i'll her neitheI could love
her My devotion to Edith utterly prccluded it,
Ste grew to be popular with Gerald's men
friends, too. They thought her charming, and
his especial friend a young fellow who was rap
idly rising in his profession, and who had been
an admirer of Edith's, came more frequently
than the rest.
Before GGeraId's marriage DR.. Percival had a