Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-10-31

said, and then she heard Alice and Edgar ask
ing for her. She went down to be kissed by
both, and told to rest a whole month, for she
was looking shockingly.
when come back, Mag, shall expect to
find you your own old rosy self" were Alioe's
parting words.
But somehow Mag did not grow back into her
old self again. Even when she had put away all
hope, and knew that henceforih Henry Wilmot
must be to her as one dead she did not regain
her old lght-heartedness. Her Glendale expert
ence had never been mentioned by her, and for
this reason no one knew of Henry Wilmot NOR
of the letter that had never been answered.
With many privations the winter wore away,
Mag and Agusta working late and early, and the
mother and Emma using all their ingenuity to
"make both ends meet"
Now it happened that Mr.. Win Leonord, the
junior member of the firm of Leonard Bros,
handsome, well preserved bachelor of forty, had
long watched with quiet but unfailing interest
the fortunes Of the Wallace family, and seeing
the brave, courageous spirit with which the gire
met their misfortunes, had taken 1t upon him
self to fall in love with both Gussie and Mag.
II had been great puzzle to him to Fnow which
of tho sisters he really admired the most, bat
beholding Mag grow pale from care and over
work, his sympathetic heart soon decided in her
favor, and he was not long thereafter in bearing
testimony of this.
and upon diapatching messenger to learn the
cause, was met by the announcement that Miss
Wallace was Ill of brain fever. Somehow, he
was never able to tell the precise manner of his
transportation, but Mr.. Leonard found himself
in Mrs. Wallaces par'or, explaining to that lady
how much he loved her daughter, and asked to
he allowed the privilege of doing something for
her comfort and welfare.
This Mrs. Wallace found herself almost COM
PEELED to grant, and for the three weeks of
Mag's serious illness, he haunted the house like
shadow, bringing so much comfort into it that
the good lady became quite anxious lest Mag
should, in one OF her perverse moods, refuse to
give him the reward of his kindness. But as
Mag came back to reason, Mr.. Leonards visits
became less frequent he trying to content him
self with little messages of flowers and fruit.
sit was the second week OF AIags convales-
cence, and the invalid WAS taking her first whole
hour Of sitting up i'll an easy chair, when Mr.
Leonard presented himself with desperate re-
solve in his heart.
AS he entered the little sitting room, Mag held
out her hand to him with bright smile.
A little desutory conversation, and then the
two reapsed into silence, and after awhile Mag
looks up to find Mr.. Leonard's eyes fixed upon
her with look she can not mistake. and follow
| ing close upon the look comes an outstretched
hand and the words;
"Dear Mag, if you knew how much 1 love
| you"
"But You loveme a little, don't you, Mag p
To which Mag replies s'Yes, but I'm not al
all acquainted with you."
"Do you believe in second loye" Mag asked
suddenly.
.'Why do you ask?'
Observation-Disclosures you are not the first one
ever loved"
d" know it"
Nag's eyes were raised in puzzled inquiry.
You talked about one Henry Wimot in yonr
delrium, and [ was terribly afraid you had let
the rascal break your heart, but you haven't,
mo he wasn't worth breaking ones heart
over"
az suppose his fear of Mrs. Grundy wouldn't
let him marry a shop-gir," Mag remarked
quietly.
=" For which 1 am very thankful. II you
hadn't been shop-girl, am afraid l should
never have known how much womanliness there
| is in the world, and l never would havo learned
how much of this womanness lay in you. Sc
you see what adversity has done for you," add
Mr. Leonard, with truly masculine vanity.
Which, translated, means that 1 am to thanl
adyersity for the loss Of poor lover, and the
finding of better ono, and Mag looks up will
an unusual smile.
EXACTLY" answers Mr.. Leonard.
But this was only the preface to Mag's secontt
courtship. The courtship itself lasted through
all the years of life that remained to her--
| Overland Monthly.