The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-07-16


Ior the pale, strange looking littl
witch with her queer name after he
French mother? For which {
course, she must be to have bewitcl
ed our fastidious brother to the ex
tent of marrying her.
Gerald was our only brother, 9
years of age, tall and sUelte an
handsome, and the idol of his sis
ters-two of us-one widowed
and the other, myself, an old maid
Few sisters are perfectly satisfied
as rule, when their brother ha
found some one dearer than thOs
who have loved him and admins
tered to his comfort all their lives
Yet l really think we should hav
been moderately content if hi
choice has been to our own taste.
Why it had not been so was jus
a mystery. Edith Falconer, whom
we had set our hearts on being Mrs
Gerald Fame, was a daughter o
the gods,' tall and divinely fair, ,anC
it puzzled us how his heart or his
fancy could have travelled towards
the daughter of Canadian plantel
when our letters were constantly
full CT Edith's beauty and Edith:
goodness, and when we had made 6
point of dilating on her attractions
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 disap
pointment legibly written in heI
beautiful blue eyes.
Not that Edith was really in love
with him, but she had always felt
an enormous interest in the broth
er of her two dearest friends-an In
terest which we had 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 scarcely
a wife before she was wholly an or
phan, with not a relative on earth.
| have promised her 50 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 l shall
fill the place of all others-father,
brother, husband"
As we read this we felt convinced
how it was that Gerald had married
her. 1t was from sheer pity. We
fully decided this point, but it did
not make US feel more pleasantly on
the subject, for we were sure that
poor Gerald had been victimized,
sacrificed, etc.
We went about our preparations,
however, for their coming; furnish
ed the rooms newly and prettily,
and did our best to insure comfort
to- the bride, but it must be confess
ed that our hearts were not in our
work.
On the evening they were expect
ed we had no one at the house,
thinking Stephanie would prefer it
so. 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 a
radiant face kissed us both. Then
he ran down again and lifted out a
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 sweet
est little darling that ever trod the
earthp
He went away then to attend to
the luggage and she made a sort of
movement as if to rush after him,
but stopped abruptly. Then, with
quivering lips, she lifted her glance
to us with a helpless, wistful look !;
but presently sober light crept in
to her great dark, wild-looking eyes
and she clasped our hands and bent
and kissed them.
After this we took her into the
drawing-ro and introduced her
to Edith, and saw her queer, dark
little face brighten up strangely as
Edith greeted her affectionately.
"Please call me Ste and not Mrs.
Fame" she whispered in a low,
frightened voice, "my heart yearns to
be called by that name. Papa low
ed it SOP and turning her face away
she sobbed once or twice.
Gerald came in just then, and
shaking hands with Edith, went
over to his wife at once.
"Coms, my bird! You had better
let my sister show you to your room
so that you can trim your feathers
a little" he said, lovingly stroking
back the soft, fluffy dark hair gent
ly from her forehead. My sister
carried her off at once and of course
Gerald followed. He did not seem
able to take his eyes off her for a
moment.
What a queer little fright she is
she looks like an elf! lie must
only have married her from pity, l
supposew 1 could not help saying.
mot fright, surelyw Edith an
swered quickly. "We see her in an
unfavorable moment. Her grief has
told on her face, but she has glori-
Gus eyes, and l can see what took
Gerald. 1t is her winning manner
Just like petted child's."
l glanced at Edith admiringly,
thinking what an angel of forgive
ness she was, and when the bride
came down again l took a malici-
Gus pleasure in comparing her with
Edith.
Edith, so fair and so lovely, with
hair like spun gold, and wild rose
bloom on her cheeks and a grace
fully, willowy figure. And Ste-to
call her by the curious abbreviation
sine wished-so small and dusky,
with a colorless skin and nothing to
recommend her but two immense
black eyes, which certainly were as
lustrous as twin stars and as soft
as velvet.
Later in the evening, when dinner