American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-11-01


OF absent friends, there would come lit
r tie culver over the sensitive mouth, which
told me OF whom she was thinking. Also
: if | was spending the evening there, ] nc
| ticed that her manner cie" little-just {
, little--etsf-dst toward ten O'Clock. She
%uuld turn her head as if listening to til,
postman's knock, and when it came a
last a bright, nervous flush would come
into her face. her lips would part, and even
the busy, quiet fingers tremble till the
maid brought her in the expected letter
Then, after one little glance at the well
loved writing her hands would close ten
derby over it, the sweet look of peace
would come back to her fair face, and she
would strive by extra cordially and at
tention TO atone for her momentary dis
traction. 1t must be said that, in pity to
her and myself, | never tried her patience
many minute. after the post came in.
am lingering overriding on this part of
Miss Gurney's story, yet God knows it
lasted brief enough time. How soon he
began to tire of his love l know not, but
it cannobhave been many weeks after it
found its requital. 1t had come to be ar
ranged that they were to be married at
the end of the first years mourning.
Friends had offered their congratulations,
and once and again Mrs Quincy spoke to
me of the impending event, asking me
| some advice as to future arrangements,
etc. | think she guessed in some way at
my love for her daughter, though it was
never alluded to, and SO knew | could
share in her anxiety for the one being left
her. She was a weak, clinging woman,
| this widow lady, kind hearted and pious,
but not gifted with much penetration or
quick feeling; and you may be sure
never let her know how the sub ect
| panied me.
1t was in this way that l came to learn
by and by that Miss Quincy was not as
happy as heretofore The mother would
ask me some little question about the
| Irish mails, or whether the Fifteenth was
still at the Curragh, showing that they
did not hear as regularly as before; and
though | stayed purposely after ten on
several evenings, and Kate would watch
for the post as wistfully as ever, no knock
came at the door; and it was piteOus to
see the anxious beaten look in her face as
the rapid "rat-tat" passed down the
street, dying gradually away in the dis
| lance. l used to set myself then to amuse
and divert her; but though she answered
| with verready sympathy, the paling
cheek and saddened voice showed me
wound too deep for friendly salve.
And it was only three months since her
engagement
The blow came at last For more than
six weeks her strength had been visibly
failing; so gisibly, indeed, that it went to
my heart to see the deepening pillows
under the gray eyes, the harrassed, expec
tant look in the white rose face. One day
l was driven to mention it to her mother;
and then it came out that Lieutenant
Scarsdale's letters, which had been grow
ing briefer and colder for some time, had
of late ceased altogether, although it had
come to them through a mutual friend
that he was not only well, but flirting
away as vigorously as ever in the merry
city of Dublin
II wanted her to write sharply to him."
said the mother in her confidence, cor at
least to tell him what people are saying;
but she will not, DR.. Elliott. She
says that she knew he was light and
changeable when she accepted him; it
was for that reason chiefly that she hest
tated before; and when at last his impor-
tunities prevailed, and she promised to be
his wife, she promised also to trust him
through good and ill report, to be patient
and true to him even when he seemed un
true to her, and never to leave him till he
should bid her do so; and so, DIR. Elliott,
she will not even write to him again lest
she should seem disuustful or exacting
neither will she let any one say word of
blame of him; and all the time it is kill
ing her"
l saw it was; and from my heart
inf1ict such pain q The trusting woman
hood of her who loved him. More, l did
all in my power to urge Mrs. Quincy into
persuading her daughter to write once
again to her neglected. lover, if only to
give him an opportunity of explaining his
silence or asserting his freedom.
at may be that he is offended at some
thing" said; ''some lovers trif1e which
a word from her could blow away; or it
ho not no &c To hnr tn
break off the engagement. The worst of
men, Mrs. Quincy, will hardly have cour-
age to say to lady, 4 am tired of you
go your way and let me go mine They |
reserve that form of speech for their filter
feminine cOmpeers; and though their
treatment of both is to all intents and pur
poses alike, they retain sufficient grace or |
shame to prefer trying, by neglect or cold |
ness, to provoke the lady into giving them |
their congo, rather than make the coup on
their own account. In either case, per-
suade Miss Quincy to write; it will posi- |
bly, be for her dignity, certainly for her |
happiness"
In the end the letter was written-how |
gently and tenderly, all who knew her ma
ture could guess; and for the next ten |
DAYS Kate Quincy went about among her |
poor people with a hectic spot in each |
thin check, and dry, burning eyes, whose |
feverish hunger it half broke my heart 20 |
see. |
Ten days, and no answer came.
l was dining there one night, and had |
not gone when the last post came in, |
bringing a sounding knock at the door
which made us all start. She had been
very pale, very quiet, all the evening; but
for once her patience failed her. With
hasty word of apology she rose up from
her chair and went out to the hall. We, |
left behind, could hear through the closed |
door the sharp click of the letter box, fol
lowed by a minute of total silence; then |
one hoarse, smothered cry-"Oh, my God
my God" and u heavy fall.
She was lying face downwards on the
ground when we welt out, the letter
crushed in her hand, and no life or move
ment in the blank white face and rigid |
limbs. | carried her upstairs To bed, and |
there she lay for twenty four hours, TO all
appearance dead as an unburied corpse.
Even when the strong remedies Of one of
the first London physicians, joined to my
unremitting care had brought her round |
in some degree, the only sign of life she
gave was a low, heavy moaning before |
sinking back again into unconsciousncss.
Dr. Albatross told me, in confidence, he |
thought Miss Quincy had got her death
blow; and my heart echoed the sad fore
boding, for Hates mother, in her heavy
trouble, had given me that crumpled let
ter and my blood boiled as | read the few
words in which heartless libertine had
crushed out this good and truehcarted
wOman's life.
1t was not more than a dozen lines,
led with the Scarsdale crest, and writ