American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-11-29

Not yet, Margaret; not till have told
you what is weighing on my conscience
| if, indeed, such thing is.stlI left me-
| said Cecil, with rather a bitter laugh
people are saying that Ralph Leicester
| promised to win the queens prize for your
sake, and that you have thrown him over
for giving it up. How far that may be
true, feel | have no right to ask; but as
l, and l alone, can tell you his real reason
for not shooting q suppose he would
rather lose even you than confess it him
seli), you must listen to me few minutes
while l do so. Long ago | was fortunate
enough to save his life in an encounter
with mad dog. l had almost forgotten
the circumstance, but it seems that Leices-
ter retained very vivid remembrance of
it; and when, the day before the prize was
to be shot for, my uncle'S strange inten-
tions.came to his Neutrality-suspicious., 1 do
not know, as | had tried my best to keep
the world ignorant of the stake for which
| had played-and he found that thus
something more than life, reputation, and
the means of once more facing the world
were within my reach, if only I could be
successful-he generously determined no
act of his should diminish my chance,
and, by quietly Withdrawing from the
shooting, paid back his debt to me multi
piled thousand times. The prize is
mine, Margaret, and with it the new life
that has opened upon me; but l need
hardly tell you how shall count it all
too dearly bought if Leicester's future
happiness has been sacrificed to its pay
ment."
Half an hour later, as Ralph Leicester
was standing moodily in the doorway,
his meditations were broken in upon by a
dance programme falling at his feet, as
some walters flew past him. He stopped
to pick it up, not at all knowing who
was its owner, and absently ran his eye
down the list of names inscribed therein.
His Indifference vanished, however, when,
toward the end he came upon his own writ
ten in a remarkably clear hand. 1t was
odd, he thought, decidedly odd; as, with
one exception, he had asked no one to
dance with him that evening. He was
just beginning to wonder who the scribe
could be. when voice said at his side:
81 think YOU have picked up my pro-
gramme, Mr.. Leicester" and turning
round he met the soft glance of pair of
gray eyes, which, this time, were not avert
ed from his gaze.
Now, perhaps, it would only have been
showing proper pride to have repealed
such advances from young lady who
had decidedly snubbed him at the COM
mencement of the evening, but, if so,
Ralph Leicester proved himself lamenta-
bly, wanting In such pride at that moment,
though, as rule, meekness was not among
his virtues. His face sottened marvellous
ly as he returned the programme, and
there was earnestness in his voice
which Margaret's ear was quick to dis
cover, though he only said:
mo. % is our dance, | believer"
If you still care to claim it," she an
swered, blushing, and the next moment
her impatient partner had once more
whirled her off into the dance.
If he still cares to claim it! Ay, did he
not? That and great deal more besides,
as Margaret found when she once again
paced the terrace, with Ralph Leicester as
her companion; and that such claim had
been accepted Cecil was not slow to dis
cover when he watched their return to the
ball room after more than an hours alb
sence.
There goes for my first attempt in the
good line" said he, looking after them
somewhat ruefully, land precious hard
one I've found it, too; but as the French
have it, 'Ce nest que le premier pas qui
c0ute;; and the next step may be easier.
God knows my folly has taught me bit
ter lesson; 1 will try what the other thing
can do for me now.''
And he did try, setting his face right
to the battle. Who can doubt
of his successs Verify, there had been
more at stake, that summers day at VIM
bledon, than the world in its philosophy
could guess !-1iasley's Magazine.