The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-01

uttl1 mOfe, thOugn bno has Bono huruuBn
her long, weary seasons In London. RE
member that love you and shall always
pray for your welfare. But remember also,
dearest Arthur, that am commanded by
q higher authority to honor my father and
my mother have told them that pre-
fer you-ah, how infinitely But they say
1t will bring their gray hairs to an early
grave If do not accept the generals pro-
posal, which, combined as 1t is with deep
affection, honorable achieyements and
most generous settlements, is the only pos
sible means Of assuring the future of one
so dependent as poor little mel You would
not have me bring my parents gray hairs
to the
"No, darling. No, no, mol But it will
kill me!'
And II poor Arthur put more cognac
than was his absteminous won't into his
temperate bottle of soda. water that night
at the club what wonder.
There Is such thing as broken but
terhy, say what you will.
The wedding was gorgeous and select.
The honeymoon was 80 days Of abject and
happy slavery on the part Of the general,
oftgracious and wifely submission to exhi
billions of conjugal affection, sanctioned by
the Church Of England, on the part Of
Lady Grant.
And the happy commencement OF this
auspicious union is not evanesccnt. 1t cul-
inmates in perfect understanding be-
tween the veteran warrior-for, after all,
81 Is Gland his charming bride, He gives
her all he has--money, time, love, endur-
,I1,,., s, @hn s1,,t, -
modern husband to be absent. And she
on her side does her duty. She accepts all
without q murmur
The races are Just over at Goodwood.
The general, to please his wife, who is o
good sailor, has bought yacht. And from
that luxurious home which Is now lying
at LIittlchampton the pleasant party Of
invites have every day driven over to
Goodwood in the generals drag. But to-
day is the last day of the meeting. So
Lady Grant has determined to have grand
dinner on board and fireworks to follow,
Dinner is over, and, strange to say, ey-
erybody is on deck except Lady Grant and
Captain Malet - strange, because Lady
Grant Is the model of an English matron,
and therefore it must be something Of
great moment that keeps her in such close
conversation with any ono but her hus-
band
1t is not strange that Captain AIalet
should be Of tho party. Is he not very
old friend of the hostess, and Is not the
general person who has been accustomed
to obey orders all his life2
"Sybil, are you happy?"
eyes, dearest Arthur, as happy as a
wife can be, for have the blessed con-
seriousness that am enduring daily mar
tyrdom. l am married to good man
whom do not love. But I know that
there is Providence that directs all our
ways, and so am content"
II only wish Providence would direct
tho general to u better world!'
Hush, Arthur, you must not say such
things to mel"
And then they go up, slowly go up the
companion, to where they expect to find
the general entertaining his guests
He is not there. And as he has to go
out in the dingey to let OF tho fireworks
outside the harbor, he has been putting on
life belt in his cabin next to the saloon
Unfortunately for himself, General Grant
has never learned to swim. 1t was not
to the handsome young officer about her
marriage, but it would have been still
moro painful to step out upon them.
The general goes up the companion in u
minute or two, after drinking off large
glass of water, for he is unaccountably
thirsty, and finds Captain Malet ready,
equipped for the night air.
ooh, you will want somebody to help
a.
all events, is not afraid of the water"
Poor little thing! She means no harm.
After all, 1t does seem little absurd to
wear Il life belt when you arc member of
the Royal Yacht squadron.
Without word the two men got into
the dingey and are rowed down the harbor
to where the fireworks may DO let off to
the best advantage.
Few people, except visitors to Good
wood and fond husbands with largo fam
lilies, visit Littlchampton. For the benefit
of the majority, therefore, l may men
ton that the port Of Littlehampton is
chiefly composed Of the swift flowing river
Arun, a couple of jcttics and Il few piles.
As q natural consequence, when the lido
is at the tow a mountainous wave is tho
result Of the contact between sea surge
and river current.
Of this fact the couple of sailors who
are rowing out the dingey are unfortu-
nately ignorant. So, when they come to
the mouth Of the harbor, they are capsized,
fireworks and all as neatly & possible, tho
result being that q quarter Of an hour aft
or the accident tho boat is drifting away
merrily into midchanrcl with two people
hanging on to her keel The two people
are General Grant and Captain Malct.
The sailors have disappeared.
Slowly the long hours glide away Ficrc-
er every hour dash the pillows against the
| bcnumbed bodies which are rollsing their
wrath. Colder every minute grows the
apathctic night until it gHys into dawn
Then ut last one of the silent couple
looscns his grasp and sinks into foam and
obscurity.
1t is Sybils first love.
Horace Grant, who himself can hardly
hold on, so frozen are his hands, thinks Of
| the conversation he has just overheard;
thinks that, this man dead, he may yet BIO
able to win his wife's love; thinks that,
this man living, his good name may yet
be dshouorcd, his strong, manly love may
yet be turned into misery.
Then he remembers that he cannot
swim, and no feels that life is precious.
Then he is conscious that man, a help
less man, Is struggling in his death agony
not five yards away.
And then lie hears hoarse voice through
the hiss Of the waves:
"Help, hclp For Gods sake, hclpi"
And then he quickly takes off his life
belt and filings it, with an arm steady and
sure toward the drowning man.
Six months have elapsed. The place is
Grant Court. The time is midwintcr and
Sybil Grey and Arthur Malct are again to-
gcthnr.
"And will you really be my own at last
in the summer, my angels"
eyes, darling l will. Sufficient time
will then have elapsed to prove how deeply
l regret my poor dear, noble general And
now, darling think you nre converted at
lust. Yours was indeed miraculous
escape. Tho ways of Providence arc in
scruable, are they notEn-EXchunce