The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1890, 1888-08-25
GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, SATURDAY, AUGUST Is,

WOudu Ou tiEtu1
'He is all that. Miss Percival," she re-
piled sadly.
"Then why"
II have no love to give" she inter
rupted hastily: land even could ! love
my one. have not the right.
mot the rightT' l repeated. ''Then
you are engaged to some other?"
NO." she said quietly. but saw the
crimson in her cheeks begin to deepen
| because am already a wife"
"A wife?" cried in amazement
"Tou?"
Eyes. Miss perciva1. r.
Already angry with her before this ad.
mission. her words drove me quite beyond
my power Of self control. and my voice
was full of bitter scorn. Yet it was no
match to the quiet, intense scorn in hers,
as she rose to her full queenly height. her
dark eyes glittering like stars. and the
crimson spots in her cream cheeks glow
| ing like the burning heart of the richest.
reddest rose
In all our acquaintance had never ad-
mired her so much as did at that mo-
! ment But, remembering the wrong sho
had done my brother, felt no kindness
| toward her
Pray explain, if you can. Miss Grandi-
son" said in my coldest 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
that?"
Nothing, except that your brother
| knows all have to tell, and I 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. will go elsewhere"
"You may" answered coldly.
was ashamed of my unkindness, even
as spoke, but believing her just then to
be designing woman. the calm com.
posure OF her manner angered me until I
neither spoke nor acted like myself
Very we'll" she said, and my heart
smote me 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 stood Such letter.
explaining why he had gone away, and
declaring that Miss Grandson, whom he
pronounced as the best and noblest of
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 OF so. with the
open letter in her hand, and knew that
great struggle was going on beneath
I, that calm. beautiful exterior.
LIT Is humiiating," she said at length,
with little. quivering smile, Ito remain
here under the circumstances; but am
poor, Miss Percival, and must not think
too much Of my dignity. Besides, was
sure, If you had known the truth, you
would not have been SO unjust"
And so she stayed.
Months after. when had grown to love
and esteem her for the "best and noblest
Of women" as Ralph had called her, she
told me her story
Briefly, she had large fortune willed
to her by an uncle Of her husband, whose
other heirs, through jealousy and greed,
had blasted her life by cruel ISLANDERS. In
the bitterness of their hatred they had
estranged her husband from her, aud he
had deserted her, believing her to be
false
Her enemies had been successful in all
their plots against her, and she had borne
nQ1saoo1tinna o,11 insults 81
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 came round again we
were expecting Ralph. who wrote that he
was heart whole once more, and intended
to bring 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 splendid
looking man was the stranger who walked
close behind him
AS Miss Grandison's dark, beautiful
eyes glanced up at them. Shrek that l
shall never forget rang through the room
and she fell fainting into the strangers
arms.
What need to say more. Ralph had
constituted himself Don Quixote, and
had secretly pledged himself to right the
wrong Of the woman who had refused
him.
He had found Paul Grandson, had told
him where his wife was. and what true,
pure woman she had proven herself
And Paul had come with him to kneel
at Floras feet (as he afterward told me)
and crave her pardon
think Ralph was almost as happy
when Flora turned those beautiful brown
eyes upon him and murmured "God bless
you. my noble friend" as he would have
been could his own dream of winning her
nave been fulflled.-The Honesdale Citi.
zen.
Only Temporarily Fluent.
It Is not true that Demosthenes perma.
nently cured himself Of stamnering by