American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-01

on which they stood better than her brother,
and the innate pride in her nature caused
her to accept it with reservations. She
felt the gulf between them and measured it
by the worlds standard. Therefore when
Mr.. Scrope made his somewhat startling
offer she, in spite of her surprise, was not
unprcpared with her answer.
And now that she had given it, she
asked herself if she had done right
Mr.. Scrope was an only son; a brilliant
future was before him; world of which
she knew nothing was familiar to him.
Could she, who was accustomed to the little
nesses incident to circumstances somewhat
above actual poverty, move with propricty
in circles accustomed to every luxuryf
Would his relatives, SO far above hers, &C
cept her and her belongings. She an
swered mo" Mr.. ScrOpe had argued
what matter since it rested with him to
give her place and position in the world as
his wife, But that she knew would be a
separation for him from all former associa-
tions, and her own unfitness to move in
her lovers sphere would make her a clog
upon the life of him to whom, before she
knew it, she had given her he art.
Such had been the train of argument
she had pursued, and she had struggled
free from the prospect open to her, not
without pain, and had dismissed it as
dream of beauty that had naught to do
with waking hours. And now
But it was over. The morning rose
and she went about her tasks AS usual,
perhaps even more energetically. since
she needed an outlet for her Pent-up feel
ings. Mingled with pain there came
sense Of happiness in the knowledge of
Mr.. Scrope's love. To have possessed it
nay, perhaps to possess it still-carried
her into another world in which, however,
she must always be alone, since all that
had passed must forever remain her own
especial secret.
Mr.. Scrope went abroad; and after a
time he returned home to begin his ca
rcer.
Alice Jervis pursued her homely and
monotonous life. She grew Quieter and
graver and worked more diligently. She
believed that she had decided rightly as
regarded Mr.. ScrOpe's happiness, and the
sacrifice she had made for his sake made
her feel that she had right to be interest
ed in him, and she lived in the excitement
of seeing his name in the papers and in
gaining every particular of him within
her grasp. She smiled when she read his
name among the presentations at court or
noted his presence at the court balls. At
such times she looked down at the shabby
dress and the poor appointments sur
rounding her and wondered what sort of
an appearance she would have made in
other circumstances.
At length she saw another announce
ment. Mr.. Scrope was going to be mar
ried.
She turned pale and put down the pa
per.
And yet she had expected this announce
ment-had looked for it day after day
Nevertheless, she felt strange pang
which as long as he was unmarried she
had escaped.
Down by the river, where the water
flags hoisted their yellow standards among
the reeds, and where the forgetmc-not
blossomed along the banks, she sauntered,
listening to the murmuring waters, whose
Rover appeared to understand it, for he
looked up in her face and whined.
The great gray bars of clouds spread
across the setting sun and blotted out the
sunlight; but still Alice paced up and down
under the pollard-windows until the even
ing was far advanced. Night was setting
in around her; the light and life We're
over. She had scarcely realized until the
present moment how present Mr.. Scrope
had been in her every thought.
The morning after reading the news in
the papers another very startling piece of
information came to her
She was an heiress.
By one of those strange chances in life
that are so common nowadays her moth
er's brother, beginning life as an artisan
had amassed princely fortune And he
had left it between Alice Jervis and her
brother.
And Alice Jervis sat down and wept bit
terly. To her it had come as a mockery
Her lot in life was cast; what did she want
with money now?
In CT, <,f -
self; she cut it out of the paper and
placed it In her pocket-book. 1t was all
over.
Three years slipped away. Three trav-
elers entered hotel in little foreign
town. One, a beautiful woman, Il little
past her first youth, whom one knew in a
moment in spite of the improvement that
had taken place; but her brother was
scarcely to be recognized A tutor and
three years of foreign life had caused a
marvellous transformation. The third, an
elderly lady, was not much altered, ex-
cepting that her dress was handsome as
heart could desire.
They took their places at the table dhote,
and exactly opposite to them sat lady
and gentleman. The latter looked wearied,
and his short, black mustache twitched
with the curvings of the restless mouth
beneath it. The lady was fair, fashionable
and vivacious.
Alice Jervis started. She would have
moved, but William Jervis, all ignorant of
past events, had exclaimed:
Mr.. Scrope,''
Mr.. Scrope looked across, wondering at
the friendly recognition from an apparent
stranger. Then his eye fell upon Alice
and he started, but quickly recovering
himself he bowed, saying:
Pardon me if l did not at first re-
member you"
Mrs. Scrope had turned in delight to-
ward William Jervis
"The first English voice, excepting my
husbands, that L have heard for three
weeks. 1 do not understand Italian, and
have consequently had no one to talk TO
but Mr.. ScrOpe. Can you imagine any
thing more dreadful"
Then, turning to her husband, she said
" You must introduce me to your English
friends"
Mrs Scrope-Mrs and Miss Jervis,"
said Mr.. Scrope his look rivctcd on Alice.
The face that had never left his memory
in spite of his marriage had grown to a
higher beauty than ever he had imagined
to be possible. And, though he knew it
not, it had come about through her striv-
ing after an ideal that she deemed worthy
of him.
Sitting the pulses that throbbcd so pain
fully, Alice convcrscd with him as with
an old acquaintance, and yet the remem-
brance of their parting on that moonlight
night was vividly present to both of them.
Mrs. Scrope talked necessarily, the more
especially as William Jervis was lively
talker, with frank, half.jcsting, half