The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1901-07-27


high rating for manly beauty. Tall
and shapely brown haired, with fca-
lures of exquisite modelling and with
small hands and feet, his was "a per-
sonality that never failed to excite adj
miration, just as his aflliction, made
so clearly manifest by the constant
presence Of the attendant who led him
about never failed to compel pity. He
was 81. years of age on the very day
that Grace Ackley returned, and never
in all those years had he seen the light
of Gods day.
Physical afiliction had not spared
Grace Ackley. Her face. winsome in
her babyhood. had been made hideous
by a burn received through falling into
an open fire when she was years Old.
She was now %, angular, small. pale,
slender, tlaXcn haired and as sweet
voiced and sweet soulcd as in her girl
hood. But where had she been all these
five years? the gossips were asking
that morning.
The father and mother of John Willis
had spent nearly all their fortune in
vain brides to science to undo the
chaAls which had bound their only son
in darkness since his birth. They
lived in the "old city" of London, in
the big house next to that of the rich
brewer who was the bachelor uncle
and guardian of orphan Grace, and the
two children so terribly stricken by the
hand of a pitilcSS fate were playmatcs
from babyhood. John was strong, and
it was his favOrtc amusement to take
little, slight and sickly Grace on his
back and. let her be eyes for him as he
would be feet for her. The pathetic
and yet lulicrous picture which the
two made as John rushed about fear
lessly and even glcefully under her
guiding was well remembered in the
neighborhood years after conventional
prOpricty had vetoed the continuance
of the pastimo. But even up to the
day when Grace 50 InySt"riously went
away, after inhcriting all her unclc's
wealth, John used to call her eyes
in fun, and she used to designate him
by his nickname of Feet"
Oh. how often had She wished. when
the fun. swelling soul within her frail
frame begun first to feel the sweet,
Sympathetic influences Of WomAnhoud's
springtmc, that She lad Il fortune to
spend on poor blind John Willis, as
that Of his parents had been spent!
She might succeed. she thought, albeit
they had failed. Daily she pitied the
boy more and moro, and there was 10
one to tell her how dangerous Il thing
is pity for a handsome youth when Il
maiden's heart hUrbCrs it. so strong
grew her desire to do something for
his SightlcSSncSS that sometimes, in
spite of her, would arise for Il moment
the impous wish that her aged uncle
might-but twas too horrible, and she
always prayed it down. 1t was during
one of these struggles with herself that
she realized the truth; she was in love
with John Wills-she, the slight, scar
red, ugly weakling, was possessed of a
love passion ardent as that consuming
the soul of the most beauteous heroine
of olden or new romance.
And John? Love begets love. He
had RIO eyes to see the bushes mount
to the wan spaces between the dreadful
broad scars on her cheeks nor the fire
that burned in her deep blue eyes when
he came near But he had the keen
ears of the blind, and even n dull eal
could discern the tenderness in her
voice when she sweetly spoke to him
He mad also the fine touch which pen
itent nature gives to such as he in part
compensation. and he had read hel
heart again and again in the trembling
OF her gentle hand clasp
They had talked of it joyously and
had pictured a gladstone and beautiful
life path down which they should jour
hey hand in hand, he the feet and she