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THE STORY OF THE GRAVELYS


      *      *      *      *      *      *

          Works of Marshall Saunders

    Beautiful Joe’s Paradise.    Net $1.20
                            Postpaid $1.32
    The Story of the Gravelys.   Net $1.20
                            Postpaid $1.35
    ’Tilda Jane.                     $1.50
    Rose à Charlitte.                $1.50
    For His Country.                 $.50

             L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
      New England Building, Boston, Mass.

      *      *      *      *      *      *


[Illustration: “BENT THEIR HEADS OVER THE PAPER”

(_See page 40_)]


THE STORY OF THE GRAVELYS

A Tale for Girls

by

MARSHALL SAUNDERS

Author of
“Beautiful Joe,” “Beautiful Joe’s Paradise,”
“’Tilda Jane,” etc.


   “A child’s needless tear is a blood-blot upon this earth.”

                                          --CARDINAL MANNING


Illustrated







[Illustration]

Boston
L. C. Page & Company
1904

Copyright, 1902, 1903
By Perry Mason Company

Copyright, 1903
By L. C. Page & Company
(Incorporated)

All rights reserved

Published September, 1903

Colonial Press
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
Boston, Mass., U. S. A.




                                  TO
                            MY DEAR SISTER
                                Grace,
                 MY FAITHFUL HELPER IN LITERARY WORK,
                THIS STORY IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
                      BY HER APPRECIATIVE SISTER,

                           MARSHALL SAUNDERS




ACKNOWLEDGMENT


Certain chapters of this story first appeared in The _Youth’s
Companion_. The author wishes to acknowledge the courtesy of the
editors in permitting her to republish them in the present volume.

Messrs. L. C. Page and Company wish also to acknowledge the courtesy
of the editors in granting them permission to use the original
illustrations.




CONTENTS


    CHAPTER                                                         PAGE

        I. THE QUARREL                                                11

       II. GRANDMA’S WATCHWORD                                        23

      III. A SUDDEN COUNTERMARCH                                      34

       IV. A LIFTED BURDEN                                            43

        V. THE TRAINING OF A BOY                                      54

       VI. BONNY’S ORDEAL                                             68

      VII. BERTY IMPARTS INFORMATION                                  76

     VIII. THE HEART OF THE MAYOR                                     88

      IX. THE MAYOR’S DILEMMA                                         99

       X. A GROUNDLESS SUSPICION                                     113

       XI. A PROPOSED SUPPER-PARTY                                   130

      XII. A DISTURBED HOSTESS                                       139

     XIII. AN ANXIOUS MIND                                           150

      XIV. THE OPENING OF THE PARK                                   162

       XV. UP THE RIVER                                              175

      XVI. BERTY’S TRAMP                                             188

     XVII. TOM’S INTERVENTION                                        195

    XVIII. TRAMP PHILOSOPHY                                          204

      XIX. AT THE BOARD OF WATER-WORKS                               217

       XX. SELINA’S WEDDING                                          229

      XXI. TO STRIKE OR NOT TO STRIKE                                244

     XXII. DISCOURAGED                                               257

    XXIII. GRANDMA’S REQUEST                                         262

     XXIV. DOWN THE RIVER                                            270

      XXV. LAST WORDS                                                277




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


                                                                    PAGE

    “BENT THEIR HEADS OVER THE PAPER” (_see page 40_)      _Frontispiece_

    “LEANING OVER THE STAIR RAILING”                                  33

    “‘WHY DON’T SOME OF YOU GOOD PEOPLE TRY TO REFORM ME?’”           54

    “‘YOU HAVE TOO MUCH HEART’”                                       92

    “‘YOU’RE DYING TO TEASE ME’”                                     177

    “‘A RIVER STREET DELEGATION,’ SAID TOM”                          235




THE STORY OF THE GRAVELYS




CHAPTER I.

THE QUARREL


“I won’t live on my brother-in-law,” said the slight, dark girl.

“Yes, you will,” said the fair-haired beauty, her sister, who was
standing over her in a somewhat theatrical attitude.

“I will not,” said Berty again. “You think because you have just been
married you are going to run the family. I tell you, I will not do it.
I will not live with you.”

“I don’t want to run the family, but I am a year and a half older than
you, and I know what is for your good better than you do.”

“You do not--you butterfly!”

“Alberta Mary Francesca Gravely--you ought to be ashamed of yourself,”
said the beauty, in concentrated wrath.

“I’m not ashamed of myself,” replied her sister, scornfully. “I’m
ashamed of you. You’re just as extravagant as you can be. You spend
every cent of your husband’s income, and now you want to saddle him
with a big boy, a girl, and an--”

“An old lady,” said Margaretta.

“Grandma isn’t old. She’s only sixty-five.”

“Sixty-five is old.”

“It is not.”

“Well, now, can you call her young?” said Margaretta. “Can you say she
is a girl?”

“Yes,” replied Berty, obstinately, “I can call her a girl, or a duck,
or anything I like, and I can call you a goose.”

“A goose!” repeated Mrs. Stanisfield, chokingly; “oh, this is too much.
I wish my husband were here.”

“I wish he were,” said Berty, wickedly, “so he could be sorry he mar--”

“Children,” said a sudden voice, “what are you quarrelling about?”

Both girls turned their flushed faces toward the doorway. A little
shrewd old lady stood there. This was Grandma, one of their bones of
contention, and this particular bone in deep amusement wanted to laugh,
but knew better than to do so.

“Won’t you sit down, Margaretta?” she said, calmly coming into the room
and taking a chair near Berty, who was lounging provokingly on the foot
of the bed.

It was Grandma’s bed, and they were in Grandma’s room. She had brought
them up--her two dear orphan granddaughters, together with their
brother Boniface.

“What are you quarrelling about?” repeated the little old lady, taking
a silk stocking from her pocket, and beginning to knit in a leisurely
way.

“We’re quarrelling about keeping the family together,” said Margaretta,
vehemently, “and I find that family honour is nothing but a rag in
Berty’s estimation.”

“Well, I’d rather have it a nice clean rag put out of sight,” said
Berty, sharply, “than a great, big, red flag shaken in everybody’s
face.”

“Sit down, Margaretta,” said Grandma, soothingly.

“Oh, I am too angry to sit down,” said Margaretta, shaking herself
slightly. “I got your note saying you had lost your money. I came to
sympathize and was met with insults. It’s dreadful!”

“Sit down, dear,” said Grandma, gently, pushing a rocking-chair toward
her.

Margaretta took the chair, and, wiping her white forehead with a mors