Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1902-01-25
uOW | MARRIED
I'll MY GRANDMOTHER


lily as my grandfather's heir. The title
and cntailcd estate would go, of course.
to his eldest son. my uncle. but the
greater part Of his vast wealth would
come to me. In fact he had so de-
clarcd. | had lost both parents when
but child. and had grown to man
hood under his immediate care. for he
had long been a widower. My father
had been his favoritc son. What more
natural than that | should be the pre-
frrrcd one: There was this under
standing. however. between my grand
father and myself: | must never marry
without his approval. Marry. | had
no thought of it. My rollicking bach
elor life pleased me too well to eX-
change 1t for any other.
And that sort Of existence lasted un-
til | was twenty-scven. and then 1t
was brought to an abrupt close by
what do you suppose? Well. girIS
face. nothing mOre-a girls face seen
for brief moment only at n window
as was changing carriages at Bolton
station. You smile. | don't wonder,
but declare to you that from thence
forth | knew no peace of mind. That
face was ever before me. looking out
from under dainty gypsy hat, pale,
pure, perfect in outline. with luNuri-
ant mass of soft brown hair full of
shiny ripples. dark eyes. a little red
mouth and shining white teeth.
"Some dreamy little chit" I said to
myself again and again. with pref
ty face and a head full of romance. l
wish 1 had never seen her. At all
events. 1t is highly probable that we
have met for the first and last time: so
I'll forget her"
Brave words! could not forget her,
and just then. to add to my pcrpleNity.
my regiment was ordered off to India.
\ few days before eml,arking | re-
ceived n letter from my grandfather
Sir John IIalbroolic. urging me to run
down to The Towers in order that |
might meet the lady who was destined
to be my future wife. My answer was
short and to the point:
Dear Grandfather have desire to marry
Besides. | start for India in two weeks. so have
no time Tor l>hlp hul sh1iI run H'"h ~
The Towers to you. Your afTectionate, etc.
The old gentlcman's answer was
equally concise and explicit:
Ny Dear Grandson-H you to The Tow
with the intention of putting yourself en-
tirely in my hands, | shall lie ovrri"ycd to see
you. II Won attempt to enter my house with any
other intention. I'll have you kicked out. and il
you go to India ! hope to heaven that you'll be
shot. Your afectionate etc.
What could he done in the face of
such an cpistlc as this? Evidently
nothing, so chccrfully made my
preparations for departure. and before
we sailcd-I am glad to remember this
before we sailed | wrote again to Sir
John. but this time it was Il letter full
of gratitude and affection and earnest
regrets that | could not do as he de-
sired.
To this | received no answer, but a
month after my arrival in India | read
the announcement of the barOnet's
death. and the same paper contained
his marriage notice. \ letter from his
solicitors explained the mystery.
MY grandfather had been severely
vations which were being made Mt The
Towers. and. feeling that death was
fast approaching. he had almost at the
last moment married the only child
and hciress of Hubert Monckton. Esq.
"MOreovcr," wrote the lawyer. "by
your grandfather's will you inherit
something above 100000. provided you
consent to marry the lady with whom
he went through the ceremony of mar
rage on his deathbed. Otherwise you
receive not a penny of his fortune"
Had the man gone mad: Marry my
grandmother? For, word it as they
might. the ugly fact was still there
the woman was my grandmother.
Bristling with Indignation, wrote to
Sir Johns lawyer-nOt very civilly, l
fear. but very energetically, l am sure.
In the first place. | said l would not
accept IL penny of Sir John IIalbroOke's
fortune as Il free gift. In the next, l
would not accept the whole of it bur-
dencd with n single restricting clause.
and in conclusion, not only refused
to marry the widow, but absolutely de-
clincd holding any communication
whatever with her.
"And say to my grandmother" l add
ed, that the world Is wide enough and
there are men enough in it for her to
seek whom she may devOur elsewhere
and not among those whom the law OF
the land now declares to be her own
kith and kin. Let her cast her eyes
among the strangers at her gates and
not upon her grandsOn"
That ended the matter. and was
troubled with no more letters about it.
Two years afterward l returned to
England on leave, and then fate. in
the person of General Ashland. led me
down to Surrey for fOrtnight's shoot
ing.
All, my dear fellow, 1t is only the old
story over again. l went down to Sur
rey and met there-whOm do you sup
pose? Well. the girl whose face-seen
once and for moment only - had
haunted me for years.
She was Il distant relative Of my
host Yes, and loved her desperately
not for her beauty alone, but for the
pure goodness, kindlincss and unself-
ishncss of her heart, which were con-
stantly and unthinkingly revealing
themselves In II thousand artlrss little
ways.
SO, as you may guess, my two weeks
at Ashland Park wore on to four, and
Il