Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-12-06

position only made matters worse; so
she conquered, and they were bstroth.
ed.
Fred was politely civil to Griscom,
that was all; but the lover did not
care, so long as be had Beth's prem.
ise. He put a plain gold ring on her
finger, and. for a while. was very hap.
~.
So she turned pure, noble. hearted
Paul Braithwaite away. with all her
other lovers, and looked forward to
some day marrying John Griscom,
when he bad secured practice enough.
She was comparatively happy, dur.
ing her engagement. although, every
now and then, vague doubt would
come into her head that. perhaps. he
was not quite so many a. she thought
at first; there were little points about
him she did not like; but then, she
was not perfect herself.
So four years rolled away, and still
Griscom did not seem to be any fur
thsr advanced than when he eradu-
ated. 1t was not for her to speak of
that, though; pink flush rose to her
cheek, even at ths thought ofsuggest-
ing that their marriage seemed long
way of.
n the meanwhile, Fred went to In
dis; and so the weeks, and months,
and years went by, until a new ten.
ant moved into the great house on the
hill. that had been vacant so long.
DO you know who has taken it ?"
asked Beth.
"A lawyer, named Fairville," re-
piled John Griscom. Il was intro.
duced to him, Yesterday. think be
and his family will be quite an acqui
sition."
A little shiver passed over Beth,
and seornful look came into her face,
as she said:
81 cannot bear that man, and am
sorry he has come to live here"
"Why. do you know him :" asked
Griscom, in surprise.
Il can hardly say I know him" she
replied. "But 1 remember, q year
ago, he called to see papa, about some
mining shares he owned. ] don't
how he managed it. but he per.
suaded papa to sell him all he
mad; and, in a few days, the shares
had doubled. He was aware, at the
time, that papa was not well, an j knew
nothing about the market value of the
shares"
well" said Griscom. lightly, II
am sorry for your father, but you
could hardly'blsms Fairville. Itwa.
only sharp bushes. transaction"
A look of surprise and disappoint-
ment came into Beth's face, but she
answered. quietly: "It seems more
than a sharp business TRANSACTION to
me, John. Taking advantage of
sick mans ignorance appears more
like dishonesty"
Griscom laughed, in q careless fash.
ion.
Beth" he said, you have too high
notions. entirely. Fairville is a fret
rate man, and / think is going to be
of good service to me. He invited me
to his house, and I intend to accept"
Nothing more was said about the
matter, until few evenings later,
when Griscom said he had called. and
had been introduced to Fairville's
pretty daughter, a girl Of seventeen.
The visit proved so pleasant, that
he repeated it frequently. Thus it
came to pass. that, after having devo-
ted FIVE of the young. fair years of her
life to him. Elizabeth Ralston quietly
gave his ring back to him, one even.
ing. and within three months he was
married TO Rose Fairville.
This was Miss Rslston's story. Her
heart was not broken; she appeared
just the same as before; out no one
could guess what a wave Of contempt
swept over her, when she thought of
John Griscom. She fairly loathed
herself, at the recollection Of how
blinded she had been to his faults.
Then, Fred Rslston came home
from India, worn and weary and ready
to. die. and she had losg months of
patient care and nursing.
1t was then that Paul Brsith waite's
grand nature was appreciated. Ten
der, aud true, and loyal always, he
stood by her through all her trou-
bles; for, after her brothers death,
her fathers health completely broke
down, and he became 3 helpless inva-
lid.
Where Paul Braithwaits had loved
once, be loved forever; and, in his
own. true. manly way, he asked Eli.
zabeth again to be his wife; but she,