The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-02-07

T tlons ssWhleh she knew she must have, II
she septic her work., But every, time
| she thought Of the, home she was going
to,have, and the love that would be hers
10 il, her 6ngers aeT. over the. paper,
andiit seemed to, her that the stories she
wrote then were her best, ones.
| IH am laying up quite q little sum TO ),
| ward that FIVE hundred dollars, she said
to Graham Marsh, one evening, when he
| dropped in to chat an hhoaror two, asi he
didoquite often,ly r,-.,u La
| 81 think, | know where / can invest
1.-THE said. Il heard Of an opening yes
terday. Lent told mo about it,
| Tho year went on slowly, it seemed to
to Alice Moore. She grow more and
more weary Of the life in Mrs. St John $
boarding house. IT. WAS 30 different
from what hcr-ideal home life was, SO
lacking, utterlys in tho thousand .game
less things that make life what life ought
to be.
by and by, as theycar was drawing
to close Grnham 'Marshss visits be
came less frequent He ple.ded press
of business when ehe chided him for not
coming oftencr. But there was aome
thing in his manner that troublc lcd Alice
A something what, she coubl not tell
seemed to stretch itself betv veea,thes, /,
He was often thoughtful aud aperoccu..
pied. He seemed i'll at ease ia her. com
pnny. He spoke little of the future,
and not at all of the home about Which
they had talked TO much. 7oi,1 ia4i5
By nnd by rumor Of the cause of
this change in her lover came to her.
He had met u faircr face than her own,
md the gnssips said that he went often
err to see this new fancy Of his than he
did too sea the WON IN who wore this
betrothal ring, o'u liy.gid b,l.os
AT first Alice could not believe it.
he 'ro"'d not. But by and by she
found out something that made her = be
T-iIcvc
in spite Of her determination not to be. =.
licvc it, st...-s-i.
When Graham Harsh came to her
the first time II ter her discovery, she
put the question to him fairly and
squarcly. Did he care for some one
else more than he did for her 7
He could not evado direct answer,
and she found out that the man she had
loved 80 we'll was recrcant to his prom !.
ise s
'Ah, Graham! she said, with reproach
in her fac" and tone, why couldn't you
have told me this frankly aud honestly
before? Did you suppose I would keep
yoa against your wishes
Il have not asked my freedom back
he said fretfulIy. Il do not now,'
DO you imagine would wear your
ring another day, knowing whit do?'
she asked. You wrong me. I give it
back to you now, and hope you may be
happy she added, earnestly.
He took til g ring, ashamed of him.
self throughly. There was something
noble and lofty in Alice that conur,n
dcd admiration and rcspec: She had given
him no reproaehcs for his conduct only
good wishes for his future happiness.
Tie married the woman who had won
him away from Alice Among his wed
ding gifts was 4 letter, and opening it
he drew out three hundred dollars, and
scrap OF paper ON which was writ
ten
Accept this from friend You need
Il home Let this go toward buy
ing you one, and may it be home in
decd .rH.ts
There was m name; but he knew we'll
enough whom it came from, II he had
been strong, proud man he would not
have accepted it. But he was o woak
man in many things; and he accepted
this money, telling himsef that som
time he would repay it. He needed
it SO much, he argued in his selfish
ness.
Alice is better off, I think without
Graham Marsh than she would have
been with him. II was never worthy
..HH
of her. She is infinitely above him in
nobility of mind aad soul. Sho would
have chafcd over his narrow sclfishness,
and his wa"ering, vacillating purposes.
Some time the happiness may come to
her which she deserves: the happiness
of homo, and heart worthy Of har love.