The Republican journal., 1870-02-03

|
"Yesn
.You seem rather reluctant to tell it, Mr.
Underhill. l beg you will think better OF
me- Whatever it is, shall be glad to hear
it at once"
81 have cause to hesitate in telling it. dear
young lady: for it is very npleasant-very,
indeed. You remember the conditions Of
your late guardians will p
"Perfectly, SIR
"Will you havethe goodness to repeat them
to me, Miss Evelvn?"
Certainly His whole fortunc-one hun
dred thousand dollars, and this house, as it
stands, became mine Internationally, pro
vded his nephew, supposed to be dead in
California, never reappeared Should he
ever reappear-something highly improbable
the fortune passed from me to him at
once"
''Precisely, Miss Evelyn. And there my
bad news begins
You mean this nephew is alive, after
ALP"
Il do?"
She drew tiutterng breath-turned Il little
pale-that was all.
| is he herein the city,"
Il regret for your sake, to say he is"
There was Il pause. She sat very still
pale and cold-her hands folded in her lap.
'You have socnhim, of course, Mr. Under
Hill ."
Eyes, Miss Evelyn, Mr., George Thorne
came to my Office Yesterday, and proved his
identity beyond the shadow of a doubt. But
he has acted very generously-vcry nobly, |
mast say. | told him the condition of his
uncles will and that had no doubt YOU were
ready to abide by it. His answer was: The
young lady shall do as she pleases. If her
conscience and her honor tell her to resign it.,
Of course | take it; if not, let her rest assured
| shall never disturb her in its possession |
was su: prised very few men in his position
would say as much, assure you."
''IIe is very kind said Miss Evelyn
slowly, and whittier than marble, land very
generous. Tell George Thorne-tell Mr.
Thorne, that my conscience and my honor
command me to resign his fortune without a
moments delay. 1t is his from this hour
''But my dear Miss Evelyn, hear me. There
may be a compromise, a half, a quarter, of it
may be retained 1t is too much for you to
resign what has been yours for 50 long, like
this"
"Not whit too much. There can be no
compromise | would not take q dollar of it
hardly, to save me from starving. 1t is his,
not mine. Do you think | could accept the
charity of a stranger? You ought to know
me better. Mr.. Underhill.'
Mr. UnderhiH bowed He did not under
stand this sort of thing himself 1t was not
in his line But he did understand the
flashing Of those blue eyes, the ringing Of
that proud voice. He had seen both before,
and knew that the laws of Draco were moth
ing to the fiat of Miss Evelyn.
81 shall depart to-day" she said, rising,
with II certain queenliness of bearing that
always ovcrawed ordinary mortals. Mr..
rbbrpn nap tal-n Of his bpuSn and
fortune at once Good day, Mr.. Under
hill.n
The smile that accompanied the little
white hand was very sweet and gracious, but
the lawyer did not dare to question her.
She was gone Il moment after, and was
up in her boudoir once more looking out
at the slanting rain and gloomy sky, with
something altogether new to think about.
Miss Constance Evelyn disappeared very
suddenly from that brilliant society Of
which she had been one of the most brilliant
stars. 1t was nine-days wonder, this
romantic whirl of fortune; and society was
on the qui vive to catch q glimpse Of Mr..
George Thorne and make u hero of him;
but Mr.. Thorne fought shy of society and
didn't show. They wondered-her dear
five hundred fricnds-what had become of
her. poor thing and went on dressing and
dining, and party-giving, and presently
| forgot she had ever existed
And all the men who had loved her, or
told her so, which is the same thng-wherc
were they now? One only. q supplemented
young millionaire of twenty-onc, whom the
world had not yet quite spoiled, and who
viewed in fear and trembling the naughty
| belle, wrote her an offer Of his hand and
heart. Young Mr. Millionaire got an answer
| by return Of post-ycry civil, but very cold.
Miss Evelyn was much obliged to him, but
begged to decline.
Miss Evelyn was residing with q widow
lady somewhere in Edensburg. Miss Evelyn
had advertised for music pupils on such reas
enable terms that she had got some, and in
a few weeks had her hands full, and was kept
| on the treadmil from morning till night
She and that hcartless society, with which
| she had found so much fault, were never like
| ly to trouble each other again. She could
! have borne that-she could have borne the
| falling off of summer friends without one
pang bat she could not bear that he" should
be SO utterly heartlcss. 1t was Mr.. Chilling
ham, who was handsome and an author, and
with whom she had been in love for the past
six months, in spite of herself. She had not
wanted to love him-she had fought like a
heroine against it--but, ah who could resist
| the seductive eloIuence of those deep, dark
| eyes, the persuasive sweetness Of that ear
nest voice. He was SO different from other
men-so noble, SO gifted, so perfect in his
splendid manhood-that she could as soon
have stopped the beating Of her heart rs stop
ped its beating for him. And she had thought
that he had loved hcr-had he not given her
every reason to think so, except the three
poor words, Il love you?n And now, and
| now
Miss Evelyn never complained never
shirked her duties-fought the battle of life
bravely, and Wore away to shadow. No
weather kept her in doors, no cold confined
her to her bed-she went on and gave her les
sons, and drudgcd and drudged, week after
week, until the good widows heart ached to
| see her.
| YOU'RE killing yourself, that's what you're
doing" she said to her; ''look at your feet,
soaking wet-and you with that cold why
don't you let your pupils wait when the
weather's not fit for u stray dog to be out 2.
You'll be in your grave in six MONTHS
Miss Evelyn laughed-a mirthless sort of
laugh enough.
81 don't know that that would be much
loss to the world, Mrs. Norris. But you real
ly fret yourself about me for nothing You
don't know how strong am. Nothing hurts
me-
twas week after this that coming to the
house of one of her wealthiest patrons, Miss