Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-08-07

NrS-T,l uioNe hie tnehce,
NHMT>~ NIIH3 from the activities
fSlI hMSgG ~ of business. Ny
lTO uncle, who had
taken charge of the place when my
father died, received me cordially at
the spacious, old-fashioned farmhouse.
"Ralph," he said, as we smoked on
the wide porch after supper, ''yolt will
have companion during your visit. "
ga companion Who?"
"Grace Northbrook. "
"Grace," l cried, in astonishment.
''Yes, she will come tomorrow at
the same time you came to-day" he
replied, rising. "I'm going to the
barn now. ! hope you and she will
find it agreeable to renew your old ac-
quaintance."
''Grace coming here" said to my
self after he had gone. "What does it
mean?' Striving for an explanation 1
naturally fell to calling up the circum-
stances which caused my astonishment.
The Northbrooks had in the old days
owned the farm adjoining ours, and
the families had been intimate. Grace
being an only child, and the same,
peculiarly close friendship sprang up
between us. We were inseparable play
mates and it easily came to be the wish
and intention of our parents, so far as
they could direct events, that we should
marry. But conditions changed. My
father and mother died, and 1 soon left
home; and when l learned asterward
that Mr.. Northbrook, moved by ambi-
tion, had sold his farm and gone to
New York to live, my belief was that
Grace and were finally separated.
Having been young when 1 LETT
home, and whatever boyish liking l
had had for little Grace Northbrook
being quickly ground into forgetful-
ness by business strife, the severing of
our youthful engagement caused me
little regret. But one evening, after
/ had taken up my residence in New
York, l met her again at friends
home. Our surprise and pleasure
were mutual Walking together that
night on the broad piazza of my
friends house, l soon found that her
temperament had frightened rather
than dimmed. In the daring way that
is SO easily excused in merry people,
she lightly called up our old engage
ment. / met her in the same spirit,
and we had u hearty laugh over the
youthful declarations and promises,
but, charmed by her mature beauty,
/, even then, had misgiving that,
with me, this spirit would soon settle
into seriousness. A few moments
after our promenade ended, / saw her in
company with Mr.. Frederick Adlow, the
son of a wealthy banker, and in the
happiness of her face, and the de-
votion of the young man, l found the
reason for her amusement over our
childish love-making and her freedom
in speaking of it.
l met her frequently after that, and
Our chief topic was this youthful at
tachment. She took particular de-
light in jesting about it in her half
reckless, light-hearted way, and seemed
to think it equally delightful to me.
But, though | joined in her mirth,
the effort was greater each time, and
realized that the boyish liking had
had for her rs little girl had risen
into q mans love for the beautiful,
'sweet-hearted, noble woman into
which she had grown. l saw, too,
with growing concern, that, in the Joy
of her love for Adlow, she was per
fectly innocent of even n possibility of
seriousness on my part and, wishing
more every day, as l did, for revival
of our childhood engagement, the
danger into which we were drifting
grew palmer. We were setting up
barrier of mirth, which, 1 feared,
would be difficult to overthrow.
AT last / felt that | could no longer
endure this iesting upon what had be-
come sacred to me, and, shrinking
from the possibility of her amused sur
prise at a revelation of my love, de-
termined to go away. This determi-
nation was fixed one evening when
Grace came to me with the announce
ment that she had been authorized to
invite me to accompany party to
spend two weeks at Long Branch. She
mentioned the names, concluding with
Adlow's. The prospect of seeing their
JOY day after day at the beach, showed
me that it would be far from apleasure
trip to me, and that must decline. ]
did so, assigning business reasons. She
looked at me oddly, half wonderingly (;
and she was so lovely in her party
dress, that l would have thrown our