Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-06-04
HISS EVELYN.

py, and muddy and miserable. WO-
men hurried along with draggIed
skirts men plunged through the
mud with umbrellas and sulky
faces. A dark, dTeary, miserable
day and al Of lie gloom was re-
hectiBg In Miss EVelyn's face, as she
stood looking out Of her bOudoir
window.
She was tall and stately, and
beautifully dressed, too, this Miss
Evelyn; and young, or that is to
say, twenty-five, so she need hardly
have worn that weary, miserable
look, one would think, If the wealth
er was bad. Besides, one would
have thought il a fine thing to be
Miss Constance Evelyn, with q for
tune Of hundred thousand dollars,
and such a pretty room 10 nestle in
on wet days.
Miss Evelyn dropped the curtains
as the little ormO!u clock struck
eleven, and bagan walking mp and
down, with the shadow in her face
deepening and darkening every mo-
ment.
Presently she stopped before a
great mirror that reflected her form
from top to toe, and gazed long aud
iiXidly at the pale, proud face, black,
glossy hair and blue eyes that gazed
back.
Am l handsome Z" thought Miss
Evelyn, cor is it only the wretched
tlattery that is poured into the ear
ofcvery rich woman that | know ?
What does lie think, | wonder? 2"
All that little tell.talc pronoun? ?
The proudest of these proud wo-
men r humble enough when "hL"
is in the question.
"And | am growing old" thought
Miss Evelyn. Il never fancied 50
until last night. The idea of an
unmarried women of five and twen-
ty presuming to think herself
young! l passed him talking to q
young lady-a gushing "just out"
| passed, but they did not see me.
"Miss Evelyn handsome!" ex-
claimed Missy, in answer TO some
thing he had said, ooh, yes, Of
course, but frightfully old isn't
sheI Why, she was going to be
married 10 Mr.. Lawrence ever so
long ago, and was engaged to 4 cou-
sin ages before thatI' That was
quite enough. walked away, and
danced with the first gentleman
who asked me, and comprehended
that my life was gone and l was an
old maid"
She began walking up and down
again, her thoughts wandering
glOomily into the past.
"And what q useless life 1t has
been! What a deceit society is
What a shallow, rapid, empty
mOckery! l Anu WEAKNESS to my.
self, aud II useless thing to my fell
low creatures. If VIC were all born
with adestiny to accomplish, aud a
work to do, It Is time | found mine
out, aud began 1t. What is an old
maids mission, any way2 To talk
scandle, drink tea, and be snubbed!
Come in!"
There had been q modest rap at
the door. Mary, the housemaid, APP
peared.
"If you please, miss, Mr.. Under.
hill Is In the drawing room"
Miss Evelyn started.
"Mr. Underhill? Such a morn.
ing? Well, 60 down, Mary, and
tell him III be there in a moment"
She shook out her flowing robes,
smoOthed her glossy braids, and
slowly decended. Mr.. Undcrhill,
Miss Evelyn's lawyer, a sober, el.
derby man, rose up at her entrance.
"Good morning, Miss Evelyn!
dreary day, isn't 1t? You didn't
expect q visitor such weather?
Hardly" Miss Evelyn answered,
lanquidly. "But you are very well
come, Mr.. Underhill."
"Thank you, Miss Evelyn. |
wish | brought more welcome
news"
For the first time, now, the young
lady noticed the trouble In his face
and voice.
"What is il ?" she asked, quietly,
"trouble for me?"
"Yes, Miss Evelyn"
about money matters, of
course"
ayes"
"You seem rather reluctant to
tell It, Mr.. Underhill. l beg you
will think better OF me. Whatever
1t is, ! shall be glad to hear it at
once"
II have cause to hesitate In tel
ling 1t, dear young lady; for 1t is
very unpleasant-Very, indeed.
You remember the conditions of
your late guardians will"
"Perfectly SIR"
"Will you have the goodness to
repeat them TO me Miss Evelyn? 2,
Certainly. His whole fortune
one hundred thousand dollars,
aud this house, as il stands, became
mine Internationally, provided his
nephew, supposed to be dead in
California, never Te.appeared.
Should he ever re-appear-some-
thing highly impropable-the for
tune passed from me to him at
once"
"PreciSely, Miss Evelyn. And
there my bad news begins"
"YOu mean this nephew is alive,
after all z"
IL do"
She drew a ~luttering breath
turned a little pale-that was all.
lis he here in this city ?"
81 regret for your sake, to say he
Is"