CHAPTER VII.
A REJECTED SUITOR.
In one of the handsomest houses on Ashland avenue lived Grace Dearborn, the young lady whose acquaintance Paul had made on the train. Perhaps it would be more proper to say that her aunt, Mrs. Sheldon, lived here, and Grace was a member of her family. Mr. Sheldon was dead, and his widow carried on her husband's business—a large retail drygoods store—through the help of the former chief clerk, now promoted to general manager, under whose wise and faithful superintendence the store flourished, and yielded to the widow an ample yearly income.
But if the aunt was wealthy so was the niece. Miss Dearborn had come into possession of an independent fortune of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which was so invested as to net her seven per cent., or a little more than ten thousand dollars a year.
As this fact was generally known, it will not be thought strange that Miss Dearborn was much sought after in society, and her hand was considered a great prize in the matrimonial lottery. Thus far, however, she had resisted all solicitations, and society waited in vain to hear of her engagement.
Let us go back a week, and introduce Miss Dearborn at home on a Wednesday evening.
She had been chatting with her aunt on indifferent matters, when a servant appeared with a card in the presence of the two ladies.
"A gentleman to see you, Miss Grace," she said.
"Who is it, my dear?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, as Grace took the card from the servant's hand.
"Major Ashton," answered Grace, reading from the card.