Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-01

s-rred permanently. The rapid month";
al on ROSY wings; ever and anon LIE,
snIS Mead to limit the engagement snC
! ~ with a gay, careless confidence il
ibs future, put up his prayer.
One evening she missed Lee from her
.;Se. the next day she felt IL a dim way
|, ~, s%omething was wrong; all the mem
: as If the dear home circle were quiet
va she could not rid herself Of the idea
) ,SSt they regarded her with plying
leyes. a.o..;n0 =,
{ .ttsnd a party with Lee, she received 9
2 aote which ran briefly thusi
DIV DARLISG-MRybe it is the last
aua | shall call you SO. | cannot 60
! -;,b Won tonight; l am leaving town tor
: saw days. Your father will tell you
u sbonld YOU want TO see me when
: 'atnrn YOU can let me know; but how
Are | hope that-of course they will
"a, lat YOU; it is all over. All, my own,
uO' own FAREWELL LEE"
! Che let the note fall from her hands; a
. ,,nr sbiyer shook her frame, and sitting
O III The sobs that the pathos of the note
Irsateped to wiring from her, she leaned
/. sor head on her arms, resting them on
,JSs dainty toilettsble, and began to won.
Ia, yearly what it all meant.
Suddenly she rouses herself, as the
90 Who feels his wound is not fatal, and
SsssIs at the same time the spent strength
Ealing hack into his palsled limbs. She
sSscbes down and lifts the note from
there il has caught in the lace drapery
" her party costume, ami slowly reads
y AGAIN. At the words, your father
Iii tell you all" she smiles a little
"sarilv. a shade seornfully, and wonders
loo he could so mistake her. She is fat
.oo nroud to ask an explanation from
onv iips but his own; besides, she loved
I'm and it was in her nature TO trust
;mnIicitly in those she loved.
4pd so she waited, hiding her anxiety
Nth a show of u%nconcern, asking no
rasstions of those who could tell her all,
cong through the days mechanically,
and feeling grateful to the night that
sheltered her sorrow, and let flow the
tears Of grief and surprise at this unin.
tsIIirible, u~nlooked-for reverse in her
lie.
his return, she sends for him, and listens
for the first time from his own lips) to
The story of his ruin and disgrace. How
h had come be could hardly tell, but,
having only an ordinary income, he had
spent money like 3 millionaire; having
obly the means of a gentleman 10 mod
crate circumstances, be had INDUCED in
The f%ollies, tastes and fancies Of a prince
On his mother and sisters, who had been
leA to his care, he lavished money with
out stint; his home was a model Of ele-
aance and luxury; or Julie he had show.
cred costly presents and jewels, which
she, poor child, accepted gracefully and
unquestioningly, with no thought Of theft
cost. She had rarely stopped in all the
course OF he. life to ask the cost of any.
thing, or to debate whether she could
afford this or that.
jules father had for some time fore
seen the end Of Lees extravaganza habits,
and had determined when it came the
engagement should be broken. Aud SO,
when one morning Cameron came into
the Office Of his partner with an unu.
sually careworn, restless look, the latter
said TO him, not without a certain ring
Of regret 10 his tones, for he had known
him from boyhood, aud had honored bis
father right heartily, you are a ruined
man, sir; not only ruined, but something
worse; your business debts of course the
firm will be held responsible for; but
your debts Of honor with a scornful
stress on the last word) l cannot cancel;
you will understand that it is all over
between my daughter aud yourself, !
could forgive you the complications ID
your business affairs on the score Of
your lnexperience. but | could never
trust julie future with q man who Dor.
royed money of bis dearest friends with
out a prospect Of ever paying them. and
without allowing them to suspect the
truth that he was a ruined man."
The words we're scathing and bitter,
the more so that the culprit felt they
we're just. He only uttered one appeal
in q broken voice, sinking into a chair
and hiding his haggard, agonized face 10
his hands.
"Oh, sir, you do not know how | was
tempted; for her sake | strove to keep
off the evil day"
And so" answered the other, you
have spoiled the future for both" and
then 10 a gentler tone, as some thought
OF the suffering that must comet to hi
child, and some remembrance Of thG
love be bore the dead father of this mar
stole on him, be sad:
Cameron, if you had to borrow thil
money why, oh why, did you not come
to me- | might have saved you this.
but nov il is too late. You must write
to julie at once and release her. i
would be better, in my opinion, for yea
not Y see her again; but | leave her tC
decide that. | can trust her fully to DE-
what is right"
AND so this wal the story the ruined
man poured into the ears OF the girl whC
ha1 lovei him and placed her happiness
IN his keeping. She had summoned
him 10 her, and no one had interlered
with BIS coming, but had left them alon,
IN the coy library seated at a window
that opened on a beautiful garden. i
was ths sunset hour Of a late spring day
and There Was a warmth OF splendor anC
beauty outside that eontrasted strangely
with the sad, heayy.hearted silence tina.
FOLLOWED Lees recital.
nN.
She bad heard him very quietly, only
closing her eyes when he spoke Of th,
interview with her father, and when ht
: spoke the seornful words, oYour debts
/, OF honor cannot cancel" she instinct
/. lively drew her hand ont Of Lee's-lh.
spirit OIL her father for a moment pos
+. sessed her-tben, remembering all They
had Deen TO each other, she hastily pu.
II back, and murmured ia a stilei tone
MY poor boy, hat was hard"
After be had finished she sat perfect,
mute. lost in thought; the shadow
twilight crept upon them and presently
, tired OF the silence, Lee raised his heaC
] YEARLY and said:
'Speak to the; tell me something, any
thing. What must we do2"
we cannot do anything" she muir
INJURED, With a slight infection in bel
tone ana a strange, troubled look in hei
eyes, out you must 20 away somewher,
/. at once OF course there is no chanc,
: for you here
II. go %aVsy3" he repeated, wonder
inglY; go away2"
: Certainly, replied Julie, impatiently
do you suppose you could ever do any
thing htrei Your failure is not 81
. bad, but who will trust your Will no,
the whole town speak of-ol-" Sh,