Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-05

mad done my brother. rcsr no k1noness
toward her.
pray explain. if you can. Miss Grandi-
son." said in my coolest tone, why you
entered this house under false character.
in which you won my brothers heart only
to break it. What have you to say to
thatf"
Nothing, except that your brother
knows all | have to tell, and don't feel
called upon to disclose my troubles to the
whole world If you deem me unfit for
the position / hold IN your house. Miss
Percival. viii go elsewhere"
You may" answered coldly.
Twas ashamed Of my unkindness. even
as spoke. but believing her just then to
be a designing woman. the calm com
posture of her manner angered me until /
neither spoke nor acted like myself.
Very well, she said. and my heart
snote ne at the deathly pallor Of her face
as she turned to leave the room
At that instant a servant handed me q
letter from Ralph. and tore it open and
read it where I stood Such a letter.
explaining why he had gone away. and
declaring that Miss Grandson. whom he
pronounced as the best and nobiest of
women. was not 20 blame for his folly
He ended by begging me to be kind TO
her. and not allow her to leave our home
SO long as she needed such position
Half penitently, / placed the letter in
her hand. remarking that Ralph's wishes
were law to me, and that | hoped she
would forget my words and do what was
best for her happiness
She hesitated a minute or so, with the
open letter in her hand. and knew that
great struggle was going on beneath
that calm, beautiful exterior.
1T is humiliating," she said at length,
with little, quiver;ng smile. ito remain
here under the circumstances; but am
poor, Miss Percival, and l must not think
too much of nay dignity. Besides. l was
sure, if you had known the truth. you
would not have been SO unjus
And so she st-yed
Months after, when had grown to love
and esteem her for the best and noblest
OF women" as Ralph had called her, she
told NE her story.
Briefly. she had q large fortune willed
to her by an uncle of her husband, whose
other heirs. through jealousy and greed.
had blasted her life by cruel SANDERS In
the bitterness of their hatred they had
estranged her husband from her. and he
had deserted her, believing her, to be
false
Her enemies had been successful in all
their plots against her. and she had borne
prosecutions and insults which, as list
ened to their pathetical recital, made me
wonder that woman like her could have
endured them and lived
Abandoned by the husband whom she
still loved better than her own life, and
thrown. friendless. upon the world, she
had kept her history to herself, simply
dropping her married title for the sake OF
being less exposed to curious question
ing
When winter cauae round again we
were expecting Ralph, who wrote that be
was heart whole once more, and intended
to bring a friend to help him enjoy his
welcome home
How handsome Ralph looked as he
walked, smiling and happy. into the midst
OF our family circle. and what splendiC
looking man was the stranger who walkec
close behind him
As Miss Grandison's dark. beautiful
eyes glanced up at them, shrek that
shall never forget rang through the room
and she fell failting into the stranger:
arms
What need to say more. Ralph hat
constituted himself Don Quixote, anc
had secretly pledged himself to right th'
wrong of the woman who had refused
| him
He had found Paul Grandson, had toli
him where his wife was, and what true
pure woman she had proven herself.
and Paul had come with him to knee
at Floras feet las be afterward told me
and crave her pardon
| think Ralph was almost as happ!
when Flora turned those beautiful brown
eyes upon him and nurmured; God bless
you, my noble friend" as he would bav,
been could his own dream of winning he
have been fulfilled Honesdale Citi
zen