The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-09-10
A POOR REVENGE.

am going to have two guests al
Elmdale the day after to morrow,
remarked Mrs. Radcliffe carelessly
i one morning to the husband who
| adores her and who is fully thirty
years her senior.
Yes, my dear Ophelia, is the
amiable answer, while Mr.. Radcliffe
stirs the coffee his wife has just made
for him. l am so glad to hear you
say SO. | was on the verge, my
dear, ofproposing some such social
distraction. And pray whom have
you hit upon?
You have met the lady, am sure
She is Miss Eloise Bristow, and the
gentleman is Mr.. John Folsom.
Mr.. Radcliffe considers this res,
ponse for moment, and then up
go his gray touched eyebrows in
in unmistakeable astonishment.
MY Gsar, you must be making
some mistake. l have heard you
say some very hard things about
both of these people. | remember
your being very angry indeed al
Eloise BristoW lust before your mar
riage tor-for-
Can't you recollect why? inter-
rupts Mrs. Radcliffe is smiling inter-
rogation. This was my reason for
being angry: Eloise chose to spread
abroad certain reports about me
when was poor little Ophelia Shell
ton, which, whether they were true
or false, concealed behind them the
desire of preventing our marriage.
You were sensible enough not to
believe the gossip, and so she was
defeated.
But have you forgiven her,
Ophelia1 l thought not.
Mrs. Radcliffe's face is very calm
and gentle in Its expression.
Pshaw! my dear Radcliffe, what
is the use of cherishing grudges?
True, Ophelia. And this Mr..
Folsom? You used to dislike him.
l we'll remember. What was It, by
the by, that he did to offend?
Oh, it was two years before | met
you, and during the year that lived
in Portsmouth with Aunt Fannie.
All, husband mine, what a memory
you have!
Pm getting old, Ophelia.
Nonsense! You are as young as
Thanks for the delicious compli-
ment. | watt kiss to you across
the breakfast table. Now, tell me
what it was that your Portsmouth
friend did?
He set a very dear friend of mine,
Mrs. Farren, against me by telling
her that l was trying to make her
husband fall in love with me. He
never knew that ! had found the
truth out before | left Portsmouth,
but | had.
And you are going to have these
two people, both Of whom you hate,
up at Elmdale murmured Mr..
Radcliffe, lifting both hands in mock
intensity of amazement. | never
could understand some OF your
whims, Ophelia; they are quite
beyond me! By the by, do these
forthcoming guests know each
other?
No; l doubt if they have evel
heard each others names. John
Folsom has always lived in Ports,
mouth, you know, and Eloise in
London. Mr.. Folsom is in town
now for a month or so, l have lately
heard from Mary Waldrom, an ole
Portsmouth friend. He is here fol
business reasons-trying. Mary
writes, to save a little from th'
wreck of his Torture
All! he has, then, met with sever'
losses? | knew he was rich-or
rather, remember your telling M
so.
| He has lost next to everything
they say, by the failure Of Rushit s
Stammer.
And. my dear-ahem! how abou
this Miss EIoise Brlstow? Is She
ahem!-well off?
Not at all. A church mouse is i
handsome circumstances compare
with her.
Five or six days after the abov
conversation Mrs. Radcliffe's guest
,, arrived in Elmdale
. The guests find every hospitalit
I awaiting them at the charmin
t country seat of Elmdale.
< You have a most exquisite plac
i here, Mr.. Folsom tells his hostess
: while they are left alone together ft
a few mo ments on the night of h
i arrival.
Yes7 Do you really think so?
the sweet answer. | am SO
| Al