The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-12-26
GRACE LILBURNE'S SECRET.
A STORY OF Two CHRISTMAS DAYS.
CHAPTER /.
Heap on the wood the wind is shrill,
But let it whistle as it will,

loves your
The Girl thus addressed flushed rosy red,
then she replied with shade of annoy
ance:
GLOW can [ tell whether he loves me or
not he has never breathed word of love
to me.
Perhaps not, although he has looked
whole volumes of devotion; but looks are
even more deceptive than words. Shall
you accept him if he proposes to your"
Il will tell you, Grace, when he has pro-
posed" was Hates dignifed reply; "and in
the meantime you had better finish dress
ing. l am nearly ready to receive our
guests. How do l look p
And Kate Lilburne as she asked this
question, glanced with complacency upon
the white satin gown that hung so grace
fully upon her.
sOh, you always look well, was the I'M
gracious reply; "and no wonder, when you
have all your mothers jewels to wear.
Those pearls alone are worth a fortune"
And she pointed with mixture of anger
and envy at the costly ornaments on her
sisters neck and arms.
you know you are always welcome to
wear any of my jewelry, y said Kate, gently;
.scan lend you anything now?'
NO, thank you, replied her half-sister,
sharply; II don't choose to dress in borrowed
fnery-plain gold ornaments are good
enough for me, [ suppose it never oc-
cured to you that Roland Ayre is much
more in love with your fortune than he is
with you?'
Certainly not; should be ashamed of
myself to think so meanl y Of him."
Its true, whether you believe it or not,
said Grace spitefully; che loves another
woman, but she is poor, and if he asks you
to marry him it will be because you are
rich. Knowing this, [ should think you
will never accept him."
My dear Grace" said Kate lightly,
don't trouble yourself about Roland, nor
about me; he is sufficiently wealthy to be
able to choose a wife without considering
her fortune, and | give him credit for pos
sessing too much good sense, and far too
much regard for his own happiness, to be-
leve he would marry woman whom he
does not love- And now [ will talk no
more about him, for it is not maidenly for
you and me to be discussing mans inten-
tions when he has not proposed to either OF
us"
But Grace was not to be put off in this
manner. She had overheard a conversation
between her father and Roland Ayre the
previous day, and had gathered from the
words that fell upon her ears that Roland
had asked for and obtained her fathers
consent to propose to Kate.
s!Stop a minute, exclaimed Grace, plant
ing herself in the way to the door; twill you
promise me that if Roland proposes to you
tonight you will not accept him ?"
II will not discuss the question, was
the answer.
Then, seeing that her sister barred her
way, she suddenly drew up her slight form
with queenly dignity, and said
Don't forget yourself, Grace, and don't
make me angry. This is not the way in
which we should spend Christmas Day.
Let me pass
Grace looked for a moment at her lovely
sister, and sullen scowl came over her own
pretty face, but she uttered no word of JUS
tification, and turning, sullenly left the
room.
No one could have suspected the demon
of rage and jealousy that lurked in her
breast when some time later she came down
TO ioin her father and sister and the guests
who had arrived
For Oracle looked 50 sweet, and innocent,
and childlike, that people who did not
know her we'll could very easily believe that
she was somewhat oppressed and neglected
by her half-sister and her father, with the
latter Of whom she was evidently no favorlte.
A very handsome man is Mr.. Lilburne,
of Silverton, though he is old to have two
daughters so young and so fair as Kate and
Grace.
There had been some romance about his
early life, and he was quite a middle-aSed
man when he married Hates mother,
wealthy heiress, whom he had loved from
his youth.
His happiness, however, was Of short du-
ration He had scarcely been married
year when his wife presented him with
daughter; then closed her eyes in the long
endless sleep that knows no waking.
The motherless infant was left to be
nursed by the wife of the head gardener,
who had Just lost her own baby, and Mr..
Liburne went abroad and tried to forget
his grief and his short-lived happiness.
He succeeded so we'll in his efforts that
when his wife had been dead little more
than year he married pretty girl young
enough to be his own daughter, and brought
her home to Silverton.
But the girl-bride soon wearied of her
old husband and of her magnificent sur
roundings. The quiet life she led with
her stately husband soon became intolerable
to her, and this feeling was augmented by
his too evident disappointment at the sex
of her infant, who, like the child of his
first wife, was girl.
She filled the house with guests of whom
he disapproved, and finally she eloped with
young officer, leaving her child behind.
The indignant husband did not attempt
to follow his faithless wife; he simply ig-
nored her existence, and he took no notice
of her letters whea she wrote long after
wards protesting repentance and asking
forgiveness.
She is dead now, but the outraged hus-
band often remembers her when he looks
on the face of his youngest daug hter, and
this may be one Of the causes why Grace
us not his favorite child.
But the party of nearly forty guests have
seated themselves at the long dining-table
in the banqueting hall, and the servants
are bringing in huge joints of beef, in adj
dition to geese and turkeys, hares and
fowls, as though they were intent upon
feeding hungry army. -, :,
81 always admire this fine hall, " said
Roland Ayre to Grace Lilburne, who sat
by his side, she having managed that he
should take her in to dinner. 81 almost
wonder your father does not use 1t more
often than he does"
eyes," assented the girl, Kit is delight
full place for large party such as we have
to-day, or for dance, but you have no idea
how desolate papa and Kate and | feel if
we happen to dine here by ourselves. we
tried it once or twice, but it gave us the
- - ,,o,+ booL 70 our ordinary