Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-12

grandaunt, the Governors wife.
''And here" he said, with shrug,
'ia another great-grandaunt, by mar
riage,a handsome high-stepping dame,
if the painting is to be trusted, yet
not thoroughbred, according to my
notion, for she deliberately separated
from her husband to marry another
man, Sir Guy Somebody, who was
rich and-beastly. She went abroad
with him and never came back, for
tunately. But Grandmother Wilton
is very fond of the portrait.
Edith did not wonder ut that, ii was
so superbly painted. But the story
made her look at it in different light.
One picture that particularly inter.
ested her was that of fine-featured
old man, with crutch at his side. 1t
was hung in an obscure corner, and
Harold passed it with the brief men,
ton that it was the portrait of q
remote relative, soldier in the Re-
volution. Edith fingered for another
look.
''He has grand face, she said, 81
wish We knew something more about
him."
'I've no doubt he was a grand
man." Harold answered her, with a
droll smile. "But Grandmother Wilton
relegated him this out-of-the-way nook
because, coming home from the war
lame and penniless, he disgraced the
name, rather than ask the poverty
stricken government for his pay
don't for the world hint that you know
1t, by turning cobbler. Think of it!
Wilton with cobblers sign in his
window! Poor grandma 1t nearly
used her up when she made the dis
covery, she had taken such pride in
the belief that there was never
mechanic nor working person of any
sort in either branch of the family"
"The dear old patriot" cried the
girl. Then, suddenly realizing the
nature and degree of the Wilton pride,
she turned to her husband with a
grave face.
Harold" she said, II have con-
fession to make. 1t will shock you,
but think you ought to know it, I'm
afraid you will scarcely forgive me for
not telling you before"
''Oh, Gomez protested Harold. For
what could this clear-eycd creature
have to confess that would in any way
tax his powers Of forgiveness? To be
sure, he remembered, he knew moth
ing of her past beyond the fact that
she was the daughter of college pro-
fessor, but that had seemed quite
enough, and he had repeated the in
formation to his relatives with no little
satisfaction when they asked the in
evitable question, "Who is she2" But
she was 80 much in earnest that he
was compelled to listen.
81 was very young when we left the
city, she began. "Papa had been
over-working in the college, and the
doctors said he must go to some quiet
place on the soashore and rest for
year or two; 80 we went to Hardacre.
1t is a mere fishing hamlet, and so
quiet tibet it seemed as if We had
reached the place
Who're one eternal Sabbath reigns,
''The people were very kind to us,
and the sea was almost at our door.
Papa liked it. He grew stronger every
day, and at the end of the second
summer he thought he was well
enough to go back. But while he was
making his arrangements, he was
seized with what seemed to be faint.
ing turn. But it proved to be-the
end"
The gathering tears made a break
in her voice, and Harold, in quick
sympathy, would have taken her in
his arms. But she drew away from
him.
"Wsit till you hear the rest" she
said. "The doctor called it heart dis
ease. And before mamma had rallied
from the shock, news came of the
failure of the bank in which papa had
his money. 1t was not large amount
but it would have supported lis very
comfortably. After that poor mamma
had to struggle along the best she
could, She was too independent to
go back to the city, and be a burden
to her friends, so We stayed in Hard
acre; and by the time l was able to
be earning something, her health gave
way. And very soon she too was taken
from me,
"She had trained me for q teacher,
but the Hardacre school was supplied, |
and l had not got the heart to 60 else
where. Hardscre was my home. 1 |
had piano, and mamma had thought |
I might he able to get few scholars;
but there was scarcely family in the
place that could afford to pay for les
sons. 1t was the same with private
"a. q L..