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


her rest
What that story was I am going to tel
|u in as few words n. may be.
Miss Quincy was the only daughter O
- senior curate at a neighboring chapel
and as she was born at Caroline Place s.
she died there.
Her parents were not rich; senior GU
rates seldom are; but the wife had a littl
property of her own, and they managed
| to keep tolerably comfortable household
and do a wonderful amount of good in tn
neighborhood, which, as perhaps yoi
| know, is about as poor and draary on
as can well be found III any respectabl,
part of London; yet | don't think any o
those friends who sat at the curatc's pleas
ant tea table, or heard him preach at tn,
chapel, cared whether his spoons wer,
only plated, or his surplices darned il
more than one place, even though they
might not know that the money which
would have bought silver and new liner
he'd gone to feed the hungry and cloth,
| the naked.
In this home Catherine Quincy grew
up, and as. when she was a wee girl o
| three, and a dumping boy of ten, W.
were wont to run and play in Mecklen
| burg Square of an afternoon, l think an
justified in saying | had known her al
my life. Nevertheless, we never became
| friends until / returned from Paris
| TO practice as a surgeon in her fathers
district, and found Miss Quincy tall
elegant young woman of One-and-twenty
with 1.-the, Slim figure, fair skin, bright
| brown curling hair, very sweet, truthful
gray eyes, and voice whose exceeding
melody softened the firmness of her mouth
and chin.
Of course fell in love with her; and
| with the object of making her fall in love
with Inc, became SO frequent visitor that
| might be said to have lived almost more
in Caroline Place than at my own res
idence in Guilford street round the cor.
nee.
The first thing this intimacy taught me
was the fact that Miss Quincy was in love
tco-not with me, but with young lieu
tenant in the Hussars, who used to visit at
the house almost as frequently as myself.
He was not aware of his victory himself,
although he paid passionate court to her,
and used to rave about her sweet face, her
gentleness, her grace, when we walked up
and down the square enjoying nocturn-
al cigar before going our several ways
home; which walks were anything but a
pleasure to me, for did not like the man,
and he was as unaware of that fact as of
the other; though now and then, when
his Jealousy had been reused by her
friendliness with me, he would hardly
speak TO me for days together
And yet there was something pleasant
about Lieutenant Scarsdale. He was tall
and good looking, and had a dashing sort
of way with men, winning manner with
women, which most people found irresis
tible. Miss Quincy was among the num-
Der, and l found it out after she had
refused to become his wife. Before that
she was even more easy and cordial with
I,t hut IL,
had sort of wistful tenderness when she
spoke to or looked at him, which betrayed
her secret to me if to no one else.
l have heard since that she refused him
twice. He came of a fast, fashionable
family, and was well known TO be the re-
verse of straitlaced himself. Indeed, a
little way that he had, when he was alone
with one, of making small, boastful aliu-
sions to past flirtations with women who
had believed in him, was in my mind one
of the most obnoxious traits in Lieuten-
ant Scarsdale's character. 1 don't know
whether he exhibited it to Miss Quincy;
but think, much as she loved him, she
felt afraid to trust her happiness in hands
so alien. Besides, she did not like to
leave her parents, who idoliZed her; SO
she said NO" and Scarsdale whose pas
sion was of that sort which lives on the
chase only, worked on her womanly pity
and unspoken love to let him retain his
place as friend even though dismissed as
lover.
OF course you know what that came to.
Mr.. Gurney's health was failing rapidly,
and Lieutenant Scarsdale was always
coming to inquire after him, to see if he
could do anything for Mrs. Quincy, and
to bring Kate fresh flower, to cheer her
In fact, his attentions were unbOunded,
and as he showed to the best advantage,
SO it came to pass one day that he reaped
his reward.
Mr.. Quincy had been worse almost en-
tirely unconscious for two days, and Miss
Quincy was looking SO white and wan
with day and night watching, that 1 was
fain at last to order her out of the sick
room for half an hours rest, promising TO
take her place myself the while. She
was very unwilling to go, knowing how
her mother depended on her company;
but just then there came a double knock
at the hall door, and put her gently out
side the room, bidding her trust me to
call her if she were needed. She must
have been thoroughly overset; for, after
holding up so long and bearing more than
half the burden of housework and anx-
iety. she burst into tears when shut the
door on her
Poor Kate! those tears were ominous.
In the course of twenty minutes or SO
Mr.. Quincy, whose wanderings had grad
ually subsidized, sank into a sort of sleep;
and leaving Mrs. Quincy by the bed,
went down to tell Kate and get cup of
tea. The drawing-rOom door stood ajar,
and as | was about to enter, heard Scars
dale's voice say in low, caressing tones:
"Katie, Katie, darling, let me be your
comforter always. Hushi don't speak
Think how long / have loved you, and |
know you love me little. Give me your
hand in token of it, my own, my pet.'
She was standing by the fire, her arm
on the chimney piece and her gaze bent
upon it-weeping still, l thought. The
gas was not yet lighed, and the freight
flashed upon the long, sweeping curves of
her 1.-the figure, on the pure, pale oval of
check and chin, the waving bands of gold
brown hair. Round all the fair womanly
form it chung with a loving clasp; and
then it leaped out and flung broad
blaze on the dark, handsome face bend
ing over her. But even as he spoke, she
had lifted the slender white hand hang
ing so YEARLY at her side, and stretch
ed it to him trustfully as child
might have done; and his last words
were said with his arms about her waist,
and her sweet pale face hidden on his
breast.
| went away very softly, and did not
ask for any tea that evening; but when
Miss Quincy came up stairs about ten
minutes later, there was new, warm
/: