The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-09-21

~ woman!
Meta is worldly womanl Nay, let
| me speak, Morris. have said nothing
before, though my heart was sore over
your choice of wife Meta is won
derfully fascinating, beautiful and &C
complished as but few women are, but
she is thoroughly heartless. hoped
your choice would fall on Clarice."
"Claricel She is q mere child!'
"Only two years younger than Meta.
l love her very dearly, Morris"
"But you are fond of Metal
moi For her fathers sake, the
brother of my dead wife, I have tried
to love Meta, but she repels me"
"Yet you never spoke when 1 told
you should seek to win her love-
Because love is too sacred i'll my
ewes for any one to interfere with its e1-
preston. If Meta loves you, l will
give her warm welcome. and cordial
affection when she becomes your wife,
Morris. But nerve yourself for the
worst, my boy!"
| Nerved for the worst, Morris Tucker
sought his betrothed bride. From the
time he had come from his Western
home, an orphaned lad OF nineteen to
accept his unce's offer of n home, he
had met Meta Cresswell constantly. He
had received cordial welcome from her
mother, and had not suspected the
schemes and subtle influence that had
led him on, step by step, from
the position of friend to that OF acceep-
ted suitor of the beautiful girl. While
his feet were bringing him slowly to the
monensous interview after the failure OF
the firm of which his uncle had made
him full partner, Mrs. Cresswell Was
schooling her daughter to meet the
emergency.
"Did you write to Norris, Meta?' she
asked, languidly stirring her coffee.
"Not yeti was the reply, "He
will probably call, being an honorable
gentlemen, mamma"
81 hope you will be firm, Meta. Re-
| member that you have been the injured
party throughout. From the time yc"'
poor papa died, I have had evt, fea-
son to believe Mr.. Fucker would make
you and your sister the heiresses of his
property He worshiped yonr aunt,
and he never spoke of relatives of his
own till this nephew appeared. be-
ilieve there was some quarrel between
the brothers thai en- led in the younger
one going West, while John. the elder,
| remained here At all events, it is very
clear now tnat Morris would hove been
heir to the business and property if this
failure had not happened You are to
,,a congratulated .ha+ a before
the wedding instead of after
Meta shrugged her shoulders.
YES! Love in a cottage is not in my
stylel" And while she spoke the bell
rang, and she knew her lover was wait
ing to test her cold, worldly heart. She
sauntered with easy grace Ito the
drawing room while up stairs in her
own room her sister Clarice wept for
the pain that was to fall upon
| Morris fuckers heart.
| She was a brown-eyed, golden haired
girl, whose quiet, unpretending charms
had long been overshadowed by the
more bril- liant beauty of her sister Meta.
She was timid to fault, and was he
mothers greatest affection in her career
of fashionab gayety. With higher
intellect than Meta's, with more com-
1nsnd of foreign tongues, with true
musician love anl knowledge of music,
a sweet clear voice, and wonderful pow
ers of expression, she was so painfully
shy, that society was q misery to her.
Her beauty was of the delicate order
that does not strike at first glance, aud
her affections were carefully hidden in
her shrinking, gentle heart.
!. She had given John Tucker true love
since she was mere baby and sat upon
his knee playing with his watch-chain.
She had never thought of his money,
and when Morris came she WAS only
glad that her dear old uncle, rs she
called him, was to have companion
and friend She had never questioned
her heart about Norris Tucker, rejoic>
ing sincerely when his engagement with
Meta drew him into nearer brotherly re-
lations with herself. She respected his
worth, his devotion to his uncle; she ad-
nired his talents, his noble, frank
beauty, and she grieved deeply over the
sorrows so suddenly thrown into HIS
life. Shyly as she had liked him, SO
she. crept away to weep for him. The
utter heArtlessness that would throw
him aside in his trouble. was only COM
prehensible to her from knowing we'll
how her mother and sister worshiped
wealth.
She heard the door of the drawing
room open, and her sisters clear voice
say coldly:
Good evening, Mr.. Tucker. You
have my best visher for your future
success.
Then voice rs cold and naughty,
answered:
Thank you. I have the honor to
wish you good evening""
The drawing room door closed, and
Clarioe could see Morris standing under
the hall lamp, silent, and evidently
wishing to recover somewhat from the
pain of the trying interview before 60
into the street. He was very pale, and
the brightness that had formed one OF
the greatest attractions Of his face was
all stricken from it, The sad, pallid
face conquered all Clsrice's shyness
With sudden, irresistible impulse she
glided down the stairs, and stood beside
Morris. He did not hear the light
football upon the thick carpet. nor see
4 l.