The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-04-05
" HER FRANCIS"

"Many true word is spoken in Jest" So runs
the old saying and Mabel Talbot could for one have
vouched for It's TRUTH for harmless Jest became her
fate. She was one OF large family OF boys aud
girls, had lived tho twenty-five years o hcr lie IN
country village and had never stayed more than a
day at u time in London. What an enchanted pros
friend Helen Keith asked her spend the winter
with herself and mother in Florence!
AS Mabel was starting one young married sister
III wonder II you will meet 'your Francis al,
last?" -,
one who had lust been wooed ana won. answered
for Mabel:
"of course she WILL, Only mind, Mabel, that you
"Your Francis was the Jest above alluded to-.
One day Mabel had IN the hearing OF eleven merry
| brothers aud sisters thoughtlessly said allow |
| dislike the abbreviation OF Francis into Frank
Francis Ia a ane name, and Frank has no more
character about y than ensni,e OF Harry Inat
ludIcrous notion that, as she was by far the prettes
| of the family, she must he waiting for certain
" Francis not only SO named by hts godfathers
and golmohers, but one WHO had never at any time
been called by his abbrevia,ion. Mabel laughed ~
merry as any of them, and then forgot ali about
"her francis until she reached the Italian frontier,
when for the hrsl time her journey became marked
| by some vciss'tudes.
the little station of u, for the Hoods were out.
scene of confusion ensncd. After the Italian guards
had made the sleepy and alarmed foreigners under
stand what had occurred, every one naturally left
the train to seek what accommodation could be
found in the village; only, however, with vcNation
added to their former alarm. The one solitary inn
could only take In few OF the passengers, anu The
remainder had to make back again to their carriages
with the difference of being wet through instead of
| dry. Mabel Talbot was one of the fortunate ones
| Some kindly arms-whosc she never knew-carried
her and her small luggage safely over the water,
| and she made her way to the nu. She could not
speak word of Italian hut quickly comprehended
how kind and sympathetic was her welcome
Neither gratitude, however, nor a vivid imagination
| could help her to feel comfortable. Her narrow
| passage-r0om had damp, stone floor, was lighted
| by small wick floating In oil, and was pervaded by
| smell of garlic. Her bed was narrow table, her
pillow her carpctbag, and her travelling rug had to
| do duty for everything else.
As she lay there cramped and shivcring she be-
came gradually accustomed 10 the dim light and saw
| an object which had escaped her notice. and which
looked like coat lying across chair. She was not
long In fetching 1t, and even In the semi-darkness
saw that 1t was IA thicky-lned English ulster, proba-
oly the property of one of her feow-passcngers,
be wearing 1t at that moment. She felt, however,
however, that 1t was little use plying the unlucky
owner and very grateful TO nun Tor HAVING !eft It,
teeth stopped chatterng, her eyes closed and she
went off into a sound sleep
When the noises made by the awakening house.
hold began to disturb her the following dream came
to her:
she dreamt that she was engaged to be married to
n not particularly young man whose Christian name
was-Francis. Ills face made strong impression
upon her. 1t was not strictly handsome. but the
owner had what Is called a line head. Further, he
had kindly expression and u slightly inqusitive
look in his Keen, gray eyes which was very charac
able to remember, but he seemed 10 know her past,
for he was asking her to call him Frank.
"Not for the world!' she said =" hateth name.
You would not seem yourself ut all might Just as
well call you Charlie or Harry"
ave have 1t on very good authority that rose
by any other name would smell as sweet" he an.
swered smiling.
dreamer, not smiling at all.
"Am to take 1t Tor granted, then. that you took
me for my name and not for myself 2"
Your name is Francis, " persisted Mabel
81 am aware of 1t. But Francis or Frank, am
sand yourself is Francis"
But in spite OF her 0bstinacy she got the worst OF
the argument and the soft-hcarted Francis, seeing
signs of tears, offered to make 1t up She would NOT,
however, accept his kiss of peace, aud at that mo-
ment awokc to ind herself struggling so much that
she had nearly fallen of the table.
The velvet collar OF the ulster was lying across her
mouth, Its soft touch having no doubt suggested that
| lover-like ending to her dream
At first Mabel was too bewlldcred to distinguish
dream from reality but the daylight streaming H. at
she must be sup and DOING As she Jumped down
she dragged the ulster with her anu as she lifted II
up letter fell out of one OF the pockets. She would
have been true daughter of Eve had she not been
| seized with desire to know the name of the owner
| of that coat, under the comforting warmth OF which
she had slept SO well and also dreamt that ridiculous
dream.
"Why should | not know the -" she asked
| herself, picking up the letter.
And as there was no one to answer hcr-only her
very natural curiosity TO urge her the other way-sc
did read the name:
" Francis Grantley, Esquire
| Ii.
snow don't be foolish and get excited about
nohng" said Mabel to herself, " for you would hav,
dreamt exactly the same dream If Mr.. Grantley's
true that she did preserve some calmuess of mind
"Any way, you and lie arc never likely to meet as
long as you 1--we for ne Is probably On MS way te
last self-comfortng admonition she resolutely put
the letter back in its place and folded up the coat.
| "lIe was never called Frank, am sure she soil
oquzed, unable to Keep from the forbidden subject
as she remarked the unusual length and breadth OF
the coat, "though of course Franks of all sizes
Poor man ~ she Continued as she felt its thickness
Perhaps II he had known what boon 1t was to mt
he would not have minded 30 much shiycrlng all
night. | wish could let him know how much
obliged am. And why should he not know 1t 2" az
a sudden thought struck her.
left message with the landlord; therefore, Instead
she scrubbed in pencil on the back of the letter:
"Many thanks for the loan of the coat
What is done cannot be undone. Perhaps no on,
ever realized that more thoroughly than did Mabe
Talbot, when she saw those few pencicd words o.
she could not possibly tear up the enyelope she
could only thrust the letter back into the pocket OF
the coat and hide her own deed from her own eyes
How devoutly she hoped that Mr.. Grantey REALLY
on his way to India! The further oil the better
And during her journey she registered a vow neve
nection.
The Keiths had rooms, on the sunny side of tn
river on me Lung, Arno AcSlaloll; ana coming, a.
land, she perfectly roveled in the sunny weather
which IN her arrival In that brightest of cities
She was also, according to Helen Keith, "a handsome
clever woman IN every way contrast pretty littl,
inexperienced Mabell IN one succession OF gushes
over every picture and statue, piece OF tapestry an,
mosaic, the Cathedral ana Gioltos Tower the Bap
tstry and the wonderful gates which Michael Augel'
pronounced Ill TO he the gates OF Paradise; Fra
So full OF delight and excitement was she that fol
some days she forgot both her whimsical dream an'
her fears.
one morning Helen took her to Gioito's litt
chapel In the church OF santa Crocc aud, giving he
liuskn's little pamphlet, let her puzzle tho matte
out for herself. Very puzzled did Mabel feel n
she leaned against the wall opposite the fresco whic
depicts the Irial by lire before the Sedan and rea'
out a sentence here and there. She was quite deeI
In thought when she heard spoken, very quietly, II
English; "What pretty vOiceW
"And still preltier face! What brown eyes am
golden hair!" sad another voice.
A. that moment two gentlemen, presumably tn
speakers, descended the steps OF the chapel behin
10 her, and, as they did HI, Mabel made Il snddel
dart forward Envelopng one of the two, yer
tail man, was the ulster; she would nave known
again anywhere!
As Mabel started forward Helen gprang after heI
"Mabelp she cried, aghast edo you want to sho'
"My face y and Mabel looked at her in amaze
meni. 'No; want to see hisn II was now Helen
turn to look amazed, the more so that Mabel SUD
denly colorea violently all over that pretty face
little In her thoughts and, turning sharply away
stared blindly AZ n medallion of ST. Louis through
rush OF tears, which had quickly come into her eye
Whether she was most yeNcd with herself, or mort
fed by her friend, or disappointed IN her desire, sh
could not possibly have told.
~ don't understand, Mabel said Helen yer
gently. "YOu cannot know those men, or the
would not have spoken 80 OF you?' Mabel mad
the wors, answer she could have chosen. "No,
don't know them only know the ulster that on
Of them WORE
"His ulsler.n cried Helen Keith, laughing, an
wondering whether Mabel was losing her senses.
Mabel Knew That IN her place she would hay
felt the same, hut being IN her own she was not u
all amused, but was unaccountlbly sore, and ccI
tainy felt very foolish. outside the church llele
began again.
"You really do not know thoso men, Mabel I?
Mabel had grown Wiser; shc only shook her head
"Ihcn may ~ well tell you that know one q
them-thc one who spoke OF the pretty voice an
VINO also wore me ulster very WELL
mo! do You really2n cried Mabel, very eagerly.
Helen was more than ever mys,incd. "lle III on
OF our neghbOrs at home," she continued; $50 20
Will soon get to know something more OF him tina
his coat" Life liz not AL art in Florence, and Mabl
went To a dance that evening whore she might hay
thought herself In England but for sprnkllng q
uniforms and some artistic and musical heada. IN
foreign element would have Interested her had sli
not been On the lookout fol an English face Sill
believed herself 10 be very rational yet ale saw n
face like her dream Francis aud sOlil0qulled %
the folly of the English, who keep up their uaua
habits wherever they 20. How could any one dane
all tile evening after sightseeing all day? At tina
moment she heard Helen Hay:
"FranCis, come aud be lnirodncedtO Mabel Taboo
Mabel, THIS Is another OF my old friends. Nj