The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-04-04
STEPHANIE.


She had caused us such bitter disap
pointment"
And how could Gerald care for :
pale, strengthening little witch, with
her queer name after her French moth
er? For witch, of course. she must b,
to have fascinated our fastidious brother
to the extent of marrying her."
Gerald was our only brother, twenty
six years of age, tall and svelte ant
handsome and the idol of his sisters
two of us, one widowed and the other
myself, an old maid.
Few sisters are perfectly satisfied,
as rule, when their brother has found
some one dearer to him than those who
have loved him and administered to his
comforts all their lives. Yet l really
think we should have been moderately
content if his choice had been to our
taste.
Why it had not been so was Just a
mystery. Edith Falconer, whom we
had set our hearts on seeing Mrs. Ger
aid Fame. was a daughter of the gods, "
tall and divinely fair, and it puzzled us
how his heart or his fancy could have
travelled towards this daughter of Can
adian planter, when our letters were
constantly full of Edith's beauty and
Edith's goodness, and when we had
made point of ,dilatlng on her sttrac-
tons from morn till eve whenever he
was at home.
! Edith WAS with us when the letter
came bidding us welcome his wife, and
saw the surprise and disappointment
legibly written in her beautiful 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:
81 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 mar
ried beside the death-bed of her father,
and she was scarcely a wife before she
was wholly an orphan, with never a
relative on earth. L had promised her
so much love from YOU both that she
will not, l know, feel the loss of mother
and sister, who were drowned on their
way out to America-while shall fill
the place of all others brother,
husband"
As we read this we felt convinced
how it was that Gerald had married her.
1t was from sheer pity. We fully de-
cided this point. and it did not make us
feel more pleasantly on the subject, fol-
we were sure that POOR Gerald had been
victimized.
We went about our preparations,
however, for their coming; furnished
the rooms newly and prettily. 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
Stephsnie would prefer it. 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 q radiant
face kissed us both. Then he ran down
again and lifted out tiny figure.
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 move
ment as if to rush after him, bu,
stopped abruptly. Then with CULVER
ing lips, she lifted her glance to us wi b
a helpless. wistful look; but presently q
softer light crept into her great dark.
wild looking eyes, and she clasped our
hands and bent and kissed them.
After this we took her into the draw
ing-room and introduced her to Edith,
and 1 saw her queer, dark little face
bright n up strangely as Edith greeted
her affectionately.
"Please call me Ste. and not Mrs.
Fame" she whispered in low. fright.
ened voice. ''my heart yearns to be
called ty that name Papa loved it so..''
and, turning her face away, she sobbed
once or twice.
Gerald came in Just then, and shak-
ing hands with Edith, went over to his
wife at once.
Come, my bird! You had better let
my sisters show you to your room so as
you can trim your feathers little" he
said, lovingly siroking 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
s.What queer little fright she is
she looks Ike an elf! He must only