The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-06-12
VOLUME X.


window looking at the moon, and think.
ing of her nearly all night.
May had never had anything like {
beau in her life. Shut up with an in
valid uncle in a great city home that wa,
like a prison-seeing no one but the
doctor and nurse, and now and ther
some old gentlemen, whom her uncle
was persuaded to admit on the score Of
old friendship-she had no idea that she
might be belle.
Life was all new to her. Even hel
cousin was new-found relative who haj
taken a notion to her." when the
friends gathered at the old mans
funeral.
People who had never remembered
little May until the news of her heiress
ship brought her to their notice, had
been 80 very kind since. The liberty
she enjoyed made the quiet country
house very happy place and nov
two admirers dawned upon her horizon
at once, and made life perfectly splen
did" to May, much as the situation
would haved bored many an experienced
belle.
Matters naturally assumed this form
as the time 7 assed on. May had two
lovers, and hardly knew which she
liked best.
Marcus did not make love-he did
not dare-but he looked it. The doctor
made love scientifically he had pump
ed the farmer, who believed that the
young lady's fortune was something
more than common" He had even
extracted from the married cousin q
statement that "Uncle left everything
to May"
He had three months to work in be-
fore the heiress knew her own powers.
and had learnt from one gray winter
that lovers follow money thick and fast.
and he was determined sort of fellow
where there was anything to gain.
Marcus had no plans. His boys
heart ran away with him-that was all.
He could not keep away from Mays
side, nor forget her when they were
apart and SO summer passed and
autumn approached, and the city folks
were going home, and the district
school was to be opened, and Cousin
Helen's husband, hard driven Wall
street man, came down to spend a week
before he took his family home and
all this delightful time was nearly at an
end.
Marcus WAS to be examined for his
position as teacher OF the school-a
mere fern with his fine education.
The doctor, as a learned gentleman,
was one of the committee to examine
the coming schoolma'am for the girls
department.
"a pleasanter task, :" as he said, jest
ingly, "if he expected to see anybody
there but old Miss Cynthia Alderny and
older Miss Baker"
1. -
especially as Farmer Parsons was an
other of the committee, and she felt an
interest in it, too; as Marcus was to
Cousin Helen's husband went about
a day than the ladies could in a
year. He returned one evening with a
solemn face, and informed his wife, in
confidence that the talk of the whole
place was Mays fortune, and that the
doctor, who had done nothing but run
after rich women since he came to the
place, was said to be "after it."
GA regular fortune hunter, my dear, F"
said the husband. "You must use
your influence with poor little May"
May meanwhile had been in her
favorite grove, and there had Marcus
Moreland betaken himself to say good
bye. Poor boy, he had had some Bit
ter hours of late. The truth that May g
love was the one thing worth having
upon earth had dawned upon him, and
with it the knowledge that he had no
right to offer himself to an heiress.
How he hated her money. 1t stood be-
tween them like some awful spell. If
she had been the poorest girl living, he
could have said all that was In his heart
to her-not now.
So the poor boy uttered few falter-
ing words and went his way.
!" It was folly for me to think he liked
me much" said May, as he left her.
"How formal and cold he is after all
our sociability," and little pang
nipped her heart, and she smiled more
brightly on the doctor when he also
entered the grove than she had ever
smiled before.
He made love to her that afternoon
after true story. book fashion. On the
stage at IS he would have caused
ender-hearted ladies to say show
sweet" 1t was a pretty little scene
rehearsed in private. Had May but
known it the night before and no CIR
could have failed to understand hi
parting words.
Tomorrow, before you leave,
must see you. You will grant rue {
private interview, will you not? have
something of intense importance t.
myself, at least, to say to you. YOU
will let me see you in the garden? L
+" a falter, a look, a snatch at he
hand, the touch of his lips upon it.
Then the curtain should have dropped
as he rode a way in his gig and said tx
himself:
at always was lucky fellow-tt
think that Providence should have sen
an heiress to such place as this, ,
pretty one, tool"
When May entered the house, a sur
prise awaited her. Cousin Helen tool
her at once to her bedroom, and there
behind closed doors, repeated her hus
bands information.
"You know You are SO young ant
inexperienced" said she, "and a for
tune hunter is such a dreadful crea
ture."
Mays face flushed crimson.
"Do you really think nobody could
love me for MYSELF" she asked, in {
sudden tit of Indignation.
Then common-sense came to her aid
uo bdJ Y uIc1 AOI WuAlO. dAu UAiVA uAOW
near her cousin and whispered some
thing in her ear. It was long whisper
1t will prove him, she said aloud
and you will help me?"
Cousin Helen promised, and Ma.
retired to her own room, there to she6
few not Unnatural tears.
Night passed the morning came
The school house doors were set opel
for the first time for months. Tn,
committee was to meet at eleven, to ex
amifie the candidates for the teachers
positions.
Old Farmer Parsons walked over
also Farmer Brown. The doctor wa
there, and the lawyer, Mr.. Tripham
mer. Miss Cynthia Alderny was seel
walking toward the door with defian
face. Miss Baker followed with
scared one. Marcus Moreland too
his way in, and just as all were settlin
into their seats little figure in bui
linen, with a blue ribboned hat on it
head, slipped into one of the doors an