The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-25


81 don't mean to put myself on a level
with her. retorted Fan. sulkily. 81 only
meant to remark that I suppose she loved
you just as / love Herbert Lancaster"
You love-a child like you; bah. Your
mother loves with deep. tender unselfish-
ness. Such love. Fanny Walters, of
which you can have no conception"
White grew the girl to the very lips and
slowly rose.
Il know now all about it, she said. ST
know what it is to love. and tell you I
would leave every friend have and would
follow him like dog right through the
world. Yes, / would, l would"
She waved her hand and was so terribly
in earnest that her tragic action lost its
ludicrous appearance.
Yes" she went on, ct would leave
father mother, sisters. brothers. all 1 have
known and loved if could be with him
forever"
Here the grand heroics came to an end,
Fan sank down upon her chair and sobbed
like an overgrown baby. The poor rector
was first startled by this fine burst of elo-
quence, and then angry. Her being so
willing to leave them ranked in the
fathers heart
and what had come over her? All at once
she seemed to have burst the bands of
girlhood and attained. as it were, the full
stature of woman.
The rector groaned in spirit. All this was
beyond his comprehension, and outside his
patience and he was sore at heart
"well, Fam" he coldly said. 'if all this
be true and you are so anxious to leave us,
At
wandering through the world with him just
as soon as ever you like
| at this Fan sobbed the louder. She de-
tected the sarcasm in her fathers words,
but did not understand the sore feeling un-
DERIVING them.
| Without another word the rector left the
| library, and Fan heard the front door close
| behind him. Then all at once her sobs
ceased-she sat up. pushed back her wavy
hair, and saying to herself, "Oh, what will
| he tell herr she flew out into the hall.
caught up her hat, and, taking short cut
to her home was soon in her mothers little
morning room, and had poured out the tale
of her joy and sorrows to the sweet, patient
mother who never yet had failed her
| A few minutes after the rector himself
4
of Fan, he said:
| well, little mother, here is catastro-
| phe. We are not the good parents we
| thought we were. Fan, at least, is anx-
| ious to cast US off. and / don't think she
| would much care If she never saw us
| again. Then his voice, changing from
hard satirical tone to one husky with emo
ton, he added: "Will it be so with all the
| children, Kitty?"
At that instant there came a flying figure
across the room. and Fan threw herself
| into her fathers arms.
"Oh, father, dear forgive met she cried
| 81 am a bad girl; no wonder you said that
but now my mother knows, everything is
sure to come right
The rector kissed his daughter fondly,
but unwonted tears came into his eyes as
he realized how dear his wife was to him;
| dearer far than when he brought her home
so many years ago. beautiful young
bride, to that very house.
And Fan, with very loving and peni-
tent heart. made her peace and got her
own way at the same time.
The whole neighborhood was startled on
hearing that Mr.. Lancaster was engaged
to Fan Walters, and very few outsiders
were pleased. Ef
'"To think" said,-one young girl to a
| married sister: ITO think of that little
insignificant Walters girl-only a clergy
mans daughter-carrying off one of our
country people. Oh, if L had only known
| Herbert Lancaster could marry / never
| even dreamed of such a possibility.
thought he was kind of an old FOSSIL did
indeed-or Fan Walters should never have
married him.
''Ah. my dear, you don't know much
about men, said the six-months old wife
in her superior wisdom.
Meanwhile the event to Mrs Lancaster
became the source of pure pleasure and de-
light. The old lady's one care was set at
rest forever, and she petted Fan to her
hearts content.
She had however. something to say to the
girl about her future. and one stormy
evening as the two were sitting alone by
the drawing-room fire, she said:
MY darling, you will have heavy re-
sponsibilities, almost too heavy perhaps
for your young shoulders. but then you love
him Fan. and love nghtens heavy burdens -
Indeed l do love him. exclaimed the
girl with wide-open, wondering eyes.
Eyes, but I want to tell you, dear, that
all the Mrs. Lancasters of this old house
have always been pure, good women, upon
whose fair fame the world has never dared
to breathe. You have to take up this
mantle, Fan. for his sake and mine-you
must care for the poor. too, and God will
help you
Fan sat very still for a moment, hel
beautiful eyes fixed on the sparkling fire
then she turned and laying her little hand
in Mrs. Lancasters, she replied tenderly
and solemnly:
1.-The name of Lancaster will be safe
with me- dear. and will do Herbert good
and not evil all the days of his life
And Fan kept her word. From the time
she entered the Grange as a bride. unit
the day, long years after, when she hung
iE speeches. agony over her beloved one
she had indeed ''done him good and no,
evil"
Fan, my little Fam" said the tender
voice. so dear to her. I'VE shall not Ions
be parted" And they were not
After her husbands death she dropped
and faded, and soon the tall sons had sor
rowfully to lay their little mother by tn,