Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-05

tuhe!" she exclaimed.
Il trust it viii not prove so in the /
endp he answered thoughtfHlly;
but the next dance had already be-
gun, and the tete-a-tete was inter
rupted.
Late in the evening his hostess
said 70 him playfully:
You should be much flattered; |
Miss Gresham has been asking me |
all about you, ynd it is not often
that she condescends to take so /
muc1 trouble. OF course you have |
fallea in love at first sight.7
Perhaps L should, if had not |
long since outgroWn such q posi- |
biIlt!," Hal answered carelessly.
Nevertheless. as he sat next morn
ing n his modest little Office, Lau- |
ra's heautifnl face came between his |
eyes, and the dry reports of the
1nc9ltal work he was reading with |
such loolish persistency, that it was |
relief when the bell rang and he |
was Interrupted by q message de-
slrlng his attendance upon Mr.. |
khodts as soon as possible.
"hlodes," thought Hal, as he pre-
paredto obey the summons, ''surely
have heard that name. Why il is
the sumo as that of my crustv cor
respondent, and this is the city he
lived in. Strange that / never
thought Of it beforel L should like
to see his little niece again."
But when he reached the hand
some house to which he had been
directed he found only an irrascible,
dyspeptic old gentleman, who made
no ati0slon 20 any previous inter
course, and proved most exacting
and exasperating patient. 1t was
not until his third visit that he
found a young lady in the room,
who was introduced as ''My neice,
Miss Gresham"
So this was the poor needy girl
he had succored-this courted belle
and heress. Truly circumstances
had very strongly changed with
both of them since their first meet
ing.
81 have had the pleasure of seeing
DIR. Burgess BEFORE" she said, with
slight hesitation; but beyond the
significance which might be attached
to those few words, no reference
was male to any previous incident
in theiI acquaintance. Apparently
she desired it should be ignored,
and Hal had far too much tact and
breeding to betray by word or look
his ownremembrance of it. Yet he
often wondered at this silence, as IN
the couEe of several months pro-
fessional attendance he became bet
ter acquainted with herself and un-
Gle. The latter was a confirmed in
valid, towhom hisniece was exceed
ingly devoted, and she found an
efficient aid in the young doctor,
who, although his practice was rap
idly enhrging, somehow always
managed to have considerable time
to devote to this special case. Sec
ing LauIa thus frequently and inti-
matelY, Hal became more and more
interested in her, and consequently
this persistent reserve, which ap-
psrently rose either from false
shame Of the past or shallow pride
in the present, Vexed and puzzled
him. 1t was the one blemish he
found in her character, and he could
not understand nor excuse 1t.
1t kept him, if not from falling IN
love, at least from ever avowing his
affection; one who attached such
undue Importance to wealth and po-
sition would hardly tolerate the adj
dresses of a poor physician. he rea-
soned, although Laura's manner
certainly gave him cause to enter
I tain a contrary opinion.
One morning he met her in the
hall. Scan l speak to you a mo-
ment before you go to my uncle!"
she asked.
GCro-fa;nIxy - bo raY,I;aJ folIovyiuar
her into the reception room. Clos
ing its door, she came toward him,
saying with q smile: Have you
quite forgotten me?"
E'Surely, Miss Gresham need new
er ask sucS a question:" he said gal
lantly- Besides l saw you yester-
day"
She made a slight movement of
impatienee.
81 do moi mean that. l want to
know whether you have never
guessed that l was the poor girl you
met on the street that dreadful night
when my mother was so i'll and you
befTiended us. Am l so much
changed that you did not know me?"
"NO," he answered, but |
thought-S;
Thought L had such q foolish
false pride that L shrank from ac-
knOwledging my indebtedness to
you, and recalling my former pow
erty and wretchedness," she inter-
rupted, her soft eyes filling with
tears and her lips .qnlvering with
suppressed emotion. 81 am sorry
but you have had good reason. My
uncle is always so annoyed by any
allusion to that miserable time-it
wounds his pride, and besides that,
he reproaches himself so bitterly
for having ignOrantly allowed my
mother to struggle and suffer as she
did, and L have never dared to speak
of it before him. In fact, l IresOrted
to TuSe to induce him to have you
attend him, telling him that though
the names were the same, the Dr.
Burgess he remembered was rich,
and probably still abroad"
.'Then you recognized me your
self at Once?"
Certainly, and l am not 50 un-
grateful as l have seemed. l have
so longed to thank you, although
words never can for all you did for
us"
-OO uOi Sdg al y lnlH. AlOAC dDOul
| il. Miss Gresham" said Hal, much
embarrassed. at was trifing ser
vice l was so fortunate as to render
you, and you may be sure l should
never have reminded you of it.
sBut feel under such a weight of
! acknowledged Obligation" she pro-
| tested earnestly, ''and perhaps, L
think l may venture to tell my un-
Gle now; you have become such a
favOrite with him that l think he
will be able to forgive you now even
your charity towards u.s.
Hal WINGED at the word half play
fully, yet with genuine humility.
81 assure you, Miss Laura, there Is
no such debt of gratitude between
us as you assume; any benefit | rem
dered at that time has already been
more than repaid by the patronage
that has been secured for me through
your uncle's influence since / came
to your city, a poor, unknown ply
sieian.'
She shook her head incredulously.
"That is nothing. Your own talent
would have secured it all without
any aid from US. / do much wish
there were any way in which / could
repay you"
"'There is one" he said, yielding
to a sudden impulse as he looked
down in her eager eyes, "but not
would suppose the original debt in
creased by such enormous usury that
l do not dare propose it."
''Our estimate might be differ
ent," she murmured, the long lashes
dropping shyly, and the tell-talC
color flushed her cheeks.
"All debts are more than cancelled