Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-02-22

and ID about 70 n eak, when some
thing in Grace's face stops her.
Grace starts visibly at Aubrey's
presence, then controls herself and
meets his scrutiny bravely. She
reads pityin his glance. an angry
hnsh mounts TO her temples. and
turning abruptly away she leaves
them tngcihsr.
i October again, with its golden
| and russell woods. soft winds and
balmy air. A splendid sunset is
| illaniining the west. aud Grace Al
roy, home again after her Wander
ings, walks lisrlessiy up aud down
a narrow path just above the river.
One year married. aud how shall
the happy day be celebrated? Re-
joicings me 10 be made, so her
relatives say. Oh the following day,
and they. never dreaming bow real
ly miserable she is. have completed
all the arrangements for grand
merry making 10 l',st for week or
more ut The old Hall. Tomorrow
the whole place will rcsound with
gay yonug voices, but to-day is her
own, and solitude is very sweet to
this bride of year
She is thinking of her beautiful
home whose spires gleam in the dis
tauce through the scarlet trees, but
they are not pleasant thoughts, as
one could tell by the scorniul lip
and bitter smile.
Even here, she is not happy,
though the old house has been theirs
for years, for has not Ralph Alroy's
money bought and paid for it that
it might not fall beneath the auc-
tioneer's hammer 0stensibly, It Is
still the home of the LudIows, but
in reality Grace knows that her hns-
band owns every acre of the cl,stly
shayen lawn and picturesque wood
lands.
Her relatives call him the very
soul of generosity. only his wife
knows the meannesses of his nature.
tits another CALLING link IN the
chain OF utter dependence which
binds her. She hears continually
of this and that note he has endors-
ed for her father. Of the business
scraPes he. in his superior wisdom,
has rescued Mr.. Ludlow from (not
always by the most honorable means
as Grace has learned To her borror:)
and once-bitterest thought of all
he had esen bought the family
honor, for Mr.. Ludlow, in fit of
desperation, had forged a check,
aud only his son in laws influence
had sayel him.
Money will buy the law,' he had
said with coarse laugh, bat this
took a ticklish large amount, lot me
tell you, Grace, aud If il hadn't
been your father wouldn't have
sbelled out one red cent. Family
honor is worth something. though,
and | wouldn't like il TO be said
had married the daughter Of a.
He was goins to say thief, but
the white desperate look in Grace's
face stopped him.
With sod of anguish she had
left hiHa, escaped from prying eyes,
and taken refuge this beautiful day
amid the waving trees just over the
sparkling river. All around her
looked so peaceful. The last rays
of the sua bathed the waters below
in glory. and on the opposite shore
a little white town CLEANED through
the rosy purple. Here was rest.
One leap down those steep cliffs
into the quiet waves, and who would
be the wiser? A few moments of
agony, and then everlasting peace.
She sh6adered at the dreadful
thought, knelt down and murmur-
ed an inarticulate prayer to be de-
livercd from temptation.
A Sigh aroused her. Some one
had intruded upon her solitude and
was close beside her. Grant Aubrey,
still given by the short-sighted
worIa4o Flo, had been invited to
LudloS Honse, and was it strange
that he, too, should wander 10 a
spot where they had so often sat
together.
| Grsce stared ut him in dumb
agony, She was beyond caring for
anything now; she did not even
chide him when he fell at her feet
and took her hand in his own. He
was Eot man of high principles.
| and III took but n few hurnint, n, vro.l.