Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-05-01
TIE PORTRAIT.

"It's of no use, Delphine," said Miss
Stratton, turning round from the glass
before which she had been crimping her
dyed frizzes-ssno use whateverl I'll never
give my consent to your throwing your
self away upon man who can't earn
enough to support himself, much less a
familyI'
''But, aunt, he is clever, and will get a
good practice in time"
Gin time ?' repeated Miss Stratton,
contemptuously. eyes, in about twenty
years or SO, perhaps And, meanwhile,
what do you and hepropose to live on n
''The-the money that grandma left
me would help us to begin with, said
Delphine, timidly.
give thousand dollarsl How far
would that go2 And besides, you for
get that it was left to you only condi-
tionally. l should be false to the trust
reposed in me-" said Miss Stratton,
erecting her thin form with an air of
moral dignity, ''if gave my consent to
your wedding yourself to a life of pow
erty, and the wretchedness which pow
erty always entails. You can marry
George Irving if you choose-mind, l
/ don't say that l forbid it-but with my
consent, no hard-earned money of my de-
ceased brother shall ever 60 into the
pockets of an Irving
In the last sentence, Miss Stratton be-
trayed herself.
The high, moral tone vanished before
the self interested motive, which was the
real basis of her persistent opposition to
Delphine's marriage,
She had not forgotten that young Doc
tor Irving's father,had Tilted her in her
1 youth, and married her bosom friend
Mary Lane; nor that this course had been
brought about by Doctor Irving's Aunt
Dorothea, who had been her special rival
from their very babyhood, and who had
warned her favorite brother that he would
not be happy with Millicent stratton as a
WIFE
AS to the doctor himself-who had as
] yet barely become accustomed to his new
professional title-it was true that he
was very poor, but Delphine had been
right in saying that he was clever, and
would probably win a good practice.
And if-the girl often thought wist-
fully-if only she could bring him that
five thousand dollars to begin with-to
set up horse and buggy, for instance,
and rent that desirably-located, brand
new ofice-how much it might do for
him, and how happy they might bel
And it all rested upon word from
Aunt Millicent, which she refused to
speak.
Most people said that that was very
unjust condition OF old Madam Stratton's
will, by which the five thousand dollars
was to be hers only upon the express
stipulation that she did not marry against
her aunt's consent.
] The young folks, one and all, pro-
nounced it 'shorrid" and s'cruel, - though
there were some among the elders who
remembered how the old lady herself
had made most unhappy marriage,
against the viii of her family; and how
her favorite daughter, Delphine's mother,
had followed her example, and been
equally wretched.
And, as she expressed her belief that
such things ''ran in families, " she had in
Delphine's instance guarded against a
similar recurrence by making it condi-
ton that her granddaughter should
marry with the full consent and approval
of her shrewd, sharp, and scrupulously-
correct Aunt Miliicent, who had been
always very severe in condemnation OF
her sisters imprudent match.
! Miss stratton loved money; and though
very unwilling that the five thousand
dollars should 60 to the various charities
to which, it had been bequeathsd in case
of Dciphine's forfeiture of it, she would,
in her own heart rather have seen it cast
into the oeean Than in any way benefit
ing the son of John Irving and Mary
Lane, and the nephew of Dorothea Irving,
who had recently averred that, despite
Millicent's airs, none of the Strattoas
could hold candle to the Irvings.
Delphinc's eyes were full of tears as
she reported to her lover the converse.
ton with her aunt, and that iady's de.
clared unaltcrable decision in regard to
her marriage
He tried to scothe her.
"Let the money go,p he said, impa-
tiently. 'It is comfort to think that
she cannot forbid our marriage. though
she may keep us apart for awhile. But
we are young and can afford to wait
can't we, darling?"
81 will wait for you oil my life, George.
If it is necessary" said Delphine, trust
ingly.
Yet, though they both tried to look
cheerful, their hearts sank at the thought
of the slow-rolling weeks, and months,
and years, perhaps, in which they must
live apart, scarcely meeting except BY
accident, since Miss Stratton OBJ
\ xort.1 81 har ,,;acaso raceiv3oer fha doc.