Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-05-20

Mrs. JervlS opened the oven door
and took covered dish that had
been kept warm there. Alice watch
ing her as she placed it an the table
and laid knife and fork beside it,
instinctively reused herself, and Ia
king jug from the dresser went to
the cellar to draw soDe beer for her.
brothcr
1t was relief TO her to perform this
menial service. 1t seemed almost en-
answer to the question she had been
asking herself over and over again
since her conversation with Mr.
Scrope in the morning. She was
even glad that all around her looked
so commonplace, so pool poorer and
commoner than ever TO night. And
a bitter feeling rose in her heart and
made her almost indignant that some
people should be so much more fa>
vored in a worldly point Of view than
others.
When she went to her room, in
stead of undressing, she opened the
window and gazed out towards the
yew tree under which she had parted
with Mr. Scrope, and then suddenly
untwIsting her long hair she turned
to the looking glass, not with any
feeling of vanity, but in order to find
what had attracted him.
1t was more than handsome face
that answered back her gaze, one
which showed an amount Of earnest
ness and intelligence not often met
with. OF this she was nojudge her
self, neither Of the continual change
Of expression which Mr.. Scrope had
begun by curiously observing. and
ended by being thoroughly interested
in. He was passing the long vaca-
ton at Shclfofd, reading and fishing,
and had made the acquaintance of
William Jervis on the banks of the
river, and through him, whom it was
condescension on the part of Mr..
Scrope to notice, of Alice herself.
Alice perhaps understood the foot
ing 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 unprepared with
her answer.
And now tina, she had given it, she
asked herself il she had done right. !
Mr.. rcrope was an onl y son; a
brilliant future WAS before him; Il
world OF winch she knew nothing WAS
familiar to HIM. Could she, who |
was accustomed 10 the littleneSs in
cidcnt to circumstances somewhat
above actual poverty, move with pro-
prieiy in circles accustomed to every
luxury? Would his relatives, so far
above hers, accept her and her belong
ings? She answered, "no." MIR.
-crope had arued-what ma'tersince
it rested with him to give her place
and position in the world as his wife ?
But that she knew would he sepa-
ration from all his former associations, |
and her own uniitness to move il her !
lovers sphere would make her II clog
upon the life of him to whom. before
she knew it, she had given her heart
such had been the train OF argu
ment she had pursued, and she had
struggled free from the prospect open
to her not without pain, and had dis
missed it IS a dream OF beauty that
lad naught to 90 with waking hours.
And now
| But it was over. The morning
rose, and she went about her tasks rs
usual, perhaps even more energetical- |
! ", since she needed an outlet for her
pent-up feelings. 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 an |
other world, IN which, however, she !
must always be alone, since all that
had passed must forever remain her
own special secret.
II.
Mr. Scrope went abroad ndafter
time he returned home to begin his
caresr.
Alice Jervis pursued her homely
and monotonous life. She grew
quicter 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
ieel that she had right to be inter-
ested in him, and she lived in the ex,
citement OF seeing his name in the
papers and in gaining every partlcr-
lar 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 appoint
ments surrounding her, and wonder
ed what sort Of an appearance she
would have made in other circum-
stances.
At length she saw another all