Beulah - Page 334/348

"Ah!" thought she, "how much better it was that Lilly should die

than live to grow up a heartless flirt like Claudy! Much better,

little sister! Much better!"

It was the morning after her walk to the old home of her guardian

that Dr. Asbury threw down the paper on the breakfast table with an

exclamation of horror.

"What is the matter, George?" cried his wife, while Beulah grew

deadly pale, and clutched the paper; her mind, like "Hinda's," "Still singling ONE from all mankind."

"Matter! Why, poor Grayson has committed suicide--shot himself last

night, poor wretch! He has been speculating too freely and lost

every cent; and, worse than that, used money to do it that was not

his. He made desperate throws and lost all; and the end of it was

that, when his operations were discovered, he shot himself, leaving

his family utterly destitute. I heard yesterday that they would not

have a cent; but never dreamed of his being so weak as to kill

himself. Miserable mistake!"

"What will become of Mrs. Grayson and Claudia?" asked Beulah

sorrowfully.

"I don't know, really. Mrs. Grayson has a brother living somewhere

up the country; I suppose he will offer them a home, such as he has.

I pity her. She is a weak creature,--weak, mind and body,--and this

reverse will come very near killing her."

For some days nothing was discussed but the "Grayson tragedy." It

was well the unhappy man could not listen to the fierce maledictions

of disappointed creditors and the slanders which were now heaped

upon his name. Whatever his motives might have been, the world

called his offenses by the darkest names, and angry creditors vowed

every knife, fork, and spoon should come under the hammer. The

elegant house was sold--the furniture with it; and Mrs. Grayson and

Claudia removed temporarily to a boarding house. Not one of their

fashionable intimates approached them--no, not one. When Claudia

went one day to her mantuamaker to have her mourning fitted, she met

a couple of ladies who had formerly been constant visitors at the

house and regular attendants at her parties. Unsuspectingly she

hastened to meet them, but, to her astonishment, instead of greeting

her in their usual fawning manner, they received her with a very

cold bow, just touched the tips of her fingers, and, gathering up

their robes, swept majestically from the room. Rage and

mortification forced the tears into her eyes.

Mrs. Asbury had never admired Mrs. Grayson's character; she visited

her formally about twice a year; but now, in this misfortune, she

alone called to see her. When Claudia returned from the

mantuamaker's she found Mrs. Asbury with her mother, and received

from her hand a kind, friendly note from the girl she had so grossly

insulted. Beulah was no flatterer; she wrote candidly and plainly;

said she would have called at once had she supposed her company

would be acceptable. She would gladly come and see Claudia whenever

she desired to see her, and hoped that the memory of other years

would teach her the sincerity of her friendship. Claudia wept

bitterly as she read it, and vainly regretted the superciliousness

which had alienated one she knew to be noble and trustworthy. She

was naturally an impulsive creature, and, without a moment's

hesitation, dashed off an answer, all blurred with tears, begging

Beulah to overlook her "foolishness" and come to see her.