Daily camera., 1901-08-03

SloCh. llS tiiiS Wy ctSA ao'''s
this murderous assault upon Mr.. Nc
Lane had unnervcd her completely, said
Mrs. Grafton, on her return to her liege,
and she does not seem to rally Mt all.
Later, as we have seen, Charlotte took
her sister west, and later still the
Graftons, en- route to Sedgwick at last,
stopped five days in Chicago on their
way. and Fanny was Mt the station to
meet them on their arrival, and insist
cd then, ns she had before by letter,
upon their being her guests Mt her own
apartments at the Clarendon. She had
lovely little room all ready for them.
Now Grafton was provident man. an
economical man. and five days hotel
bills made certainly big hole in q
months pay. Something even then
whispered to him that this extravn-
gancc were better than that to which
acceptance of the widows invitation
would lead But he banished the
thought rs unworthy and uncharitablc.
Fanny welcomed them with infinite
tact and taste-made them feel that
their coming was u blessing to her, so
sad and lonely was her life now that 1t
was no longer blessed by the compan-
icnship and devotion of the incompar-
able husband whom she had lost. She
could not accompany them to the opera
or to concerts and theaters. but she
had the best seats secured. and Ned
and Charlotte were properly attentive:
and when it was time for the Graftons
t. move on the ladies actually parted
with tears, Fanny looking so white, so
pathetic, so fragile, and protesting that
Mrs. Grafton was the one friend TO
whom her heart clung in its bcreave-
ment and desolation. A hacking lit
tie cough had already set in (his was
! late in the falD, and the rigors OF the
Lake Michigan climate seemed telling
severely upon the Gotham-born girl.
and urgently did Mrs. Grafton press
her to leave this clustering shore and
| to come 10 her in that land where
coughs and bronchial and catarrhal
troubles are unknown, to bask in the
sunshine and drink in the delicious air
Of southern New Mexico; and Fan de-
clarcd that could she but be with llnr-
riet her cough would never worry her,
butt could not bet could not be.
There were important legal matters to
be settled. She must fight her battle
alone She could not yet go so far from
that sacred Gust.
| All the same the Graftons were not
fairly settled at Sedgwick when Fans
| legal difficulties seemed TO have been
settled and her cough grievously aug
| nlcnted. The doctors talked OF Bermu-
da or San Diego, but the idea OF going 10
Bermuda, among strangers, was hor-
ror. so she wrote; and as for Coronado
where, less than a year agone, she had
been SO happy, so bles, mo! no! twas
impossible Yet Chicago for the rest Of
the winter was out Of the question. es.
| pecially since the enlargement that
had grown mp between her and her rel
| ntiycs in the east. that had even to some
extcn; involved Charlotte, her beloved
/ sister. Mrs. Grafton could not help
| thinking how remarkably Frances had
| Developed since her school days. Then
| she had never impressed anyone as be-
/ ing capable Of much deep feeling. There
| had been Il few months, indeed. when
| Mrs. Grafton was angry and astonished
at Frances. but those were just after
she broke" with Randy Merriam and
married McLane. bu; Fan had wheedled
her ont Of this uDfavorable mood and
| convinced her that she had never really
/ cared for Mr.. Merriam. who, somehow,
| failed to inspire her with that feeling
! of respect, even reverence. which she
1 felt was due the man she married;
whereas Mr.. McLane was a gentleman
OF such dignity and force OF character
that she seemed powerless in his pres
| cncc. and his love was the sweetest fiat
terry, the most surprising, thrilling JOY
| she had ever known. Not until he came
| did she dream what love really meant,
and then it was duty, it was justice, 1t
as honor that compelled her 10 release
Mr. Merriam. Had she married him she
would have gone to the altar with lie
| on her lips, for she loved another.
| Grafton said nothing, but seemed TO be
thinking a good deal. and it was plain
,ha, he did no, thoroughly approve of
| the tickle Frances. When, however. Mer-
ram surprised every body at the Point
by his marriage to Fioy Tremaine,
Grafton concluded it was time to drop
the matter.
All the same he could not suppress his
surprise when Harriet announced that
Fanny had actually almost consented
| to come to them. II thought you knew
disapproved of that scheme entirely"
said he.
"You did, dear, when first spoke OF
It, and so did I. didn't think it would
do at all, but Fan talked so frankly
| about Mr.. Merriam and the lovely time
| they'd had together on the Pacific coast
with him and his charming bride
| and how he and she had laughed over
their affair at the Point and agreed that
it would have been absurd. and now
they were such good friends, and she'd
had such sweet, sympathetic message
from Mrs Merriam after her sad, sad
bereavement-why,w what more was to
be said"
Grafton listesed rather grimly. He
was many years older than his wife, as
has been said, and much less credulous.
Again the same uneasy presentiment
oppressed him. II don't think she
should come here, Harrie," he gravely
said. Anywhere else, perhaps, I could
have shared with you the feeling Of wei.
come-certainly the desire to pay the
debt Of hospitality, but at Sedgwick,
with the Merriams here, it cannot be-"
And here poor Mrs. Grafton broke
down and wept. "Oh," she cried, "it's
got to be! I thought you'd forgiven
her and that all was well; and urged
and she's coming g-ne-ne-next-
w-week."
We need not record the further re-
marks of Capt. Grafton on this point,
since they were after all imperative, but
the first dark shadow over their domes-
tic peace fell that very day and hour.
For the life of him he could not but feel