The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-03-15
Select Storg.
STEPH HANIE.

From Tinsley's Magazine.
Chow on earth could we love her She
had caused us such bitter disappointment
"And how could Gerald care for pale,
strengthening little witch, with her queer
name from her French mother? Fol
witch, of course, she must be to have fas-
cinated our fastidious brother to the extent
of marrying her."
Gerald was our only brother, 26 years Of
age, tall and sUelte and 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 a
rule, when their brother has found some
one dearer to him than those who have
loved him and administered to his comforts
alltheir lives. Yet Ireally think we should
have been moderately content if his choice
had been to our taste.
Why it had not been so was just mys-
tery. 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 Travelled towards the
daughter of Canadian planter, when oul
letters were constantly full of Edith's beau
ty and Edith's goodness, and when we had
made point of dilating on her attractions
from morn till eve whenever he was al
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 fully thought would
ripen into love-
And this is what Gerald wrote:
II 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 scarce
ly wife before she was wholly an orphan
with never relative on 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 out to America while shal
fill the place of all others-father, brother
husband"
As we read this we felt convinced how II
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 surf
that poor Gerald had been victimized, sac
rifced, &c.
We went about our preparations, how
ever, for their coming, furnished the rooms
newly and prettily, and did our best to in
sure comfort to the bride, but it must b.
confessed our hearts were not in our work
On the evening they were expected we
had no one at the house, thinking Stephani'
would prefer it so. That is, we had only
Edith Falconer-but then she was Just ont
of ourselves.
Gerald looked handsomer than ever a
he sprang out of the carriage and rushet
up the steps, and with radiant face kisset
us both. Then he ran down again ant
lifted out tiny figure, which he bore il
his arms as if it had been child, and
placing it before us, said:
"Here's my darling the sweetest littl
darling that ever trod the earthl'
He went away then to attend to tn
luggage, and she made sort of movemen
as if to rush after him, but stopped abrupt
ly. Then, with quivering lips, she liftec
her glance to us with helpless, wistfu
look; but presently softer light crept int
her great dark, wild-looking eyes, and sh
clasped our hands and bent and kisse,
them.
After this we took her into the drawing
room and introduced her to Edith, and
saw her queer, dark little face brighten u
strangely as Edith greeted her affectionate
ly.
tPlease 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 r. and, turning her fac
away, she sobbed once or twice.
| Gerald came in just then, and, shakin