Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-17
GRACE'S DESK.

whose attitude OF thoughtful gravity was
full of suggestion.
And then Margaret, always more or less
crusty, but kind hearted. gave an impa-
tient sigh and increased the speed of her
machine by a savage motion of her slip
pered feet, and compressed her lips and
puckered her forehead all up in a perfect
nest of wrinkles; while Grace, unconscious
of it, sat looking out of the window at the
slushy brown snow that was rapidly grow
drizzling rain that was falling; and of
course, thinking about Laurie Marcellus.
For several months Grace had not
thought of much else but him, and yet
there had not been an hour or moment
OF that time that she had not tried not to
think of him and grieve for him.
old story. Laurie Marcellus, handsome,
elegant, aristocratic, fairly well-to do in
the worlds estimation of riches, had
been Grace Warrener's most devoted for
several months, until by one of those
position and wealth had suddenly vanish
ed, and the Warrener girls found them
selves obliged to take in dressmaking for
living.
Friends who had always been friends,
who redeemed the dear name, who knew
them for what they were worth, did not
rank of those who so conveniently prefer
red to dispense with the society of the two
dressmakers, who lived in Appledore Row
was Mr. Laurie Marcellus.
He had dropped out of Graces life as a
hill nj H.
He had called one evening, the same as
ever, with the sweet caressing enderness
in his voice-the glad, eager light in his
handsome eyes-that made the girls heart
glad within her; and-she had never seen
him since nor heard from him.
That very next day the crash came.
Warrener & Gray suspended,and a month
later Caleb Warrener died with apoplexy,
and as soon as decency permitted, the
splendid mansion and furniture the horses
and carriages, the silver and jewles all
were sold under the red flag.
Margaret came grandly to the fore in
those dark days when her keenest grief
was to witness little Grace's dismay and
establishment and suffering at Laurie Mar
celus disaffection; and yet her words were
usually more bitter and sarcastic then
gentle-it was Margaret Warrener' way to
use heroic treatment,
He's not worth the everlasting fuss
you make about him Grace I'm asham-
ed of you-downrigh ashamed; and he
not your betrothed eitherr'
That was true, so far as formal words
went. Laurie Marcellus had never asked
Grace Warrener to be his wife; he had
never in so many words told her that he
loved her; but he had known just as well
as he had known that he was alive, how
the gi'l's heart was all his own--how she
loved him dearly and truly, for all her
sweet reserve.
Grace smiled family when Margaret
spoke of the fuss she made about him,
She new well enough that the fuss was
only her grave, sad face, and quiet
ways, her listless manner, that she tried
desperately hard to conquer, and all months
that had passed had not succeeded and
seemed no nearer succeeding than in the
beginning nearly hopeless is it for a
woman to conquer thoughts and heartsticks
longing for the man she loves. Pride
and shame may do valiant battle for the
victory, but pride and shame are baby foes
in comparison with the giant they oppose
woman S strong enduring love for her
beloved.
And so the dreary time went on for
Grace, and by steady, persistent effort she
disallowed herself to be dull or complain
ing, or kill-joy She resolutely deter
mined to at least be cheerful and patient
|, outwardly, no matter what was the inward
commotion. And today, this cherries
January day-she had only given a me-
mentary rein to her thoughts, enough to
make her lay down her sewing and lean
her head against the window, and wish
she might never have known the sweet
ness of Laurie Marcellus' love.
Until the usual whirling of the sewing
machine wheel made her aware that Mar
garet had observed her and was d1spleased.
So, with little desperate effort, she fore
ed her self back to the basting of the satin
fold in her work
Il was thinking about that auction sale
at Dempsey's tonight" Margaret said,
almost Grossly. You want a desk, you
said, and Maggie Rich says there's a very
good one to be sold there I'll 60 and bid
on it for you, think, if | ever under the
sun get these bands stitched on 1t seems
to me that those Rich girls are not happy
unless their dresses are absolutely loaded
with trimmings"
| Grace looked up with such sweet eyes
it was no wonder handsome Marcellus
had liked to look into the pure brown
wells of limpid light.
1ou are so good Margaret. | do not
want desk unless you are sure you can
afford it.
You needn't say if I can afford it,
Grace. You have as much right to the
money as have. I'm going to buy my
self cashmere polonaise-You can have
the desk if it is reasonable in price
So that was how Miss Warrener came to
be at the auction sac of the big house on
the hill that even1ng-Dempsey' grand
mansion, whose owner had taken a
whim to sell out and spend few years
abroad.
The next day the desk was delivered at
the cottage in Appedore Row. and Grace
put it in Der room-a small beautiful
article, standing nicely in a coy corner,
and just the very thing for Grace's few
books and stationery.
1t was very handsome. Grace cried
little over it, because it brought back so
many thoughts of the dear old days when
she was surrounded by just such elegancies
of furniture, and everything SEEM
ed, some how, to lead to that one pivotal
thought-when Laurie Marcellus had been
her friend
So the months went on, and the two
sisters led their busy life, and Grace was
growing sweeter and paler, and more
patiently thoughtful, with every day that
widened the distance between her and her
memories.
New friends gathered around them
true friends-and there was more than