The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-02-27

would fight the bitterness OF my heart
that would rise whenever | thought
my brothers and sisters more favored
than myself.
| put ths down as some excuse for
myself, not a very good one, perhaps,
but the fact remains that the DISPOSE
ton was born with me, and that | did
try to overcome it. l had long ceased
to rush out of the room to indulge in
fits Of passionate sobbing if my mother
bestowed an extra caress on Fannie or
Tom, or my father patted Lizzie or
Joe on the head, when / became en-
gagged to Frank Blair, young lawyer,
who had been about two years in
Stapleton, and made himself very pop
ular.
1t was very we'll understood that Mr..
Blair did not depend upon his clients
for the contents of his pocketbook, but
had a handsome income, inherited from
an uncle who had died abroad. He
was little too fond of dwelling upon
the Importance of the Blair family, but
when papa went to New York to see
his father, before he would consent to
our engagement, he tolo me that it
was natural for a young man to be
proud of such father and such a
home. There was no opposition made
to our being married, however, as my
father was quite as important a man
in Stapleton as Mr.. Blair was in New
York, and / would not be portionless
bride.
But" papa said to me, ''it really
was comical, Maggie, in this repub-
licau country, to hear the old gentle
man talk about family and BIRTH as if
he represented royalty itself. How
ever, he was very civil to me, and he
has sent you his love and best wishes,
and hopes to see you before long"
SO it was all sunshine for Frank and
for me until the warm weather
brought the usual rush of summer
boarders to Stapleton, Amongst them
was girl who took a room at Ram
says, large, commodious house, SC
near our own that our windows COM
manded views of the garden, the porch
and even some of the rooms. The pret-
ty girl, of whom l have written, was a
Miss Alice Hall, and Lizzie, my young
Cl oloICl, NtllllC III, SOOh uLGCl
her arrival, to announce that
''Ramsay's have a lady boarder, who
is music teacher!"
The Importance of this declara.
ton rested upon the fact that the
Stapleton music teacher had deserted
her post, and both Lizzie and Fannie
were without musical instruction. 1t
was soon understood that Miss Hall
wished for pupils, and her hours were
filled by the time the autumn set in,
Lizzie and Fannie being her first
pupils.
Father had said that we must wait a
year before we were married, as / was
but eighteen, and Frank had but little
business
We thought it an eternity, but we
were very happy until Alice Hall came
to Stapleton. Frank bought buggy
and horse, and every afternoon called
to take me for drive through the
pretty country scenes around my
home, or into Stapleton to make pur.
chases, for our home was about two
miles from the village proper.
He was IL tender lover, but he had
chosen i'll in asking me to be his wife,
as he eXacted from me d perfect trust
and a confidence in his good faith that
it was not in my power to give him
AS long as there was no cause for my
besetting fault to rise, we We're utterly
happy, but if l limited at jealousy,
Frank was at once stern and cold.
81 have told you love you, and l
trust you utterly" he said to me;
''when doubt you or you doubt me,
we had better part / could not live il
an atmosphere of suspicion"
He meant every word he said his
eyes stern and cold, his voice clear and
resolute, and I wondered, looking al
him, how could doubt him.
And yet-ah me! looking over at Ram
says, how otter did l see him on the
porch with Alice Hall, talking earnest