The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-07-30
Cinderella.
Ry Walter Frank.

shine and the MOWERS Sne was lea'
ing. merely, as she thought, to go
and hear something unpleasant. For
that was usually the end of sum.
mons to the library.
"Come and sit down, my dear
said Lady Portallen as her step
daughter entered, i've some very
imnortant news for you. 1t con.
Germs all your future life.'
I'm quite satisfied"-
$50 you say now. but hear my
news first. Someone actually wants
TO marry you, Grace.
81 new It was something unpleas-
ant" groaned Cinderella. All her
indifference had gone now. and her
eyes we're troubled.
"I don't want to be mraried,' she
said slowly. "Td rather SO much
rather stay here with the others and
father and-you.
Lady Portallen shook her head
angrily. noticing the hesitation bo-
fore the last word.
your father wishes you to marry
Mr.. CrauOCk, sne pebah III hV' h'"''
metallic tones.
A sudden flush spread over Cinder-
elias face and disappeared. leaving
her very white. Il can't marry
him." she whispered almost to her
self "I don't now the man; l don't
like him enough
Lady Portallen leaned forward
suddenly toward the shrinking girl.
"It amounts to this" she said. your
father has lost great deal of money
lately, a very great deal. l don't
know what will happen, but you
have the chance of saving the family.
of smoothing the last few years OF
YOUR fathers life. Mr.. Cradock IL
very wealthy, and that wonderful
mine of his, and he is prepared to
settle a large sum upon YOU.
Cinderella lifted her white iace
for a moment. What does my
father say?'
- | have told you before. He
wishes YOU to marry Mr. Cradock. |
have explained to him that it would
be folly and worse to refuse.
Then, said the girl miserably.
"for my fathers sake | consent.
If anything could have reconcilei
Cinderella to her engagement to u
man she did not love, it would
have been the kindness of the mon
himself.
Lady Portallen had admitted tj
him that her stepdaughter did not
love him vet. Our little Cinderella
is very young, Mr.. Cradock, and mas
been so carefully brought up.
And John Cradock protested his
WILLINGNESS to wait. But I'll wait
for any length of time or lose her a.
together" he declared earnestly
rather than have her inclinations
forced at all"
You quite startle me- said
Lady Portallen gayly 1t Is ohi!
in the novels that mothers force theiI
daughters to marry desirable parties
Our dear little Grace has decided en
tirely for herself.
Often in the later days he wonir
have given anything to have claspet
her once for all to his heart. anl
spoken the words that sprung to ni'
lips and strained for utterance ever!
time he looked at her. But ina
would only have distressed.
All this time the manner OF JONI
Cradock had not varied III the slight
est degree. But as time went on ant
the shackles OF Winter loosened, an
the hedgerows burst into sudde
greenness again, and the sap beeal
to stir in the leafless trees, causin
them to send out little green schools
the shadow of her dislike, born q
her forced engagemnt. fell ava
from Cinderella like Winter gar
ment and she began to appreciate IN
character of her lover.
One mornig about this time Lad
Portallen sent for Cinderella an
showed her letter from Cradoc
Offering to release her from the ~
gagement. IT'S not that any fee
ings towards Cinderella have chang
ed at all he wrote, but there ma
been some disgraceful trickery i
connection with the new mine con
pany. The strange drying up
the mine will, of course, put sto
TO my income from that source. III
shares of the company are worth IL
tie or nothing, and have made ov'
the whole of my Other resources,
THAT is ALL" said Lady PortalieI
as she folded up the letter.
1T is quite sufficient" replied Cu
uerella hotly.
II am glad you take the seaSio
view, my dear. | never liked q
fellow, for to say the least of 1t
was no gentleman. And now,
though to make bad worse, he ae
ually throws away what little none
he has left. The man Is fool,
'The man Is an honorable mi
and a gentleman" said Cinderei
distinctly. THE letter alone Is 81
ficient to prove that"
,ha ,it i'm, IN and n