The daily gazette., 1877-09-08

dlsmayed, when he saw him ten minutes
aiterWar9 enter his carriage with Mag
gle and drive away.
The lover sat anxiously at the window
watching for her return. An hour passed
ana ne grew gradually more wretched.
AT length the carriage drove up to the
door. 1t contained no Maggie, but the
coachman handed note to Mrs. Robbins.
Gerald rushed eagerly down stairs, and
explained, as he met the horsekeeper,
"W here is Maggie gone to 2"
For answer, she placed the note in his
hand, 1t WIS written In haste, and YVES
from Maggie. 1t ran as follows:
"Dear Mr.. Devoissy Allow me to
thank you for your kind attention during
my stay in town, / have been hEex.
pectedlp obliged to return to Riohmo nd.
and cannot therefore have the pleasure Of
bidding good bye except by letter. Yours
j This was all the information a. Door HSSiI Ger
aid could give concerning the girl he
loved, for Mrs. Robbins would answer
, no questions and when at length he
spoke of his affection for her daughter.
her face expanded into smiles, and she
told him not to lose hope, because she
believed'all would be well, and that Mag
gle returned his affection. She advised
= him to write her a few lines, which she
promised to post The result was an e1-
fusion .fmingled jealousy and love from
Gerald, which Mrs. Robbins forwarded
that night. The next afternoon the
stranger who had caused my companion
such anxiety, again called, and we were
barely civil to him, until he handed Ger
aid a note from Maggie inviting him and
me warmly to return with the bearer to
Richmond, where she was staying.
We needed no time for reflection, but
started at once, full of anxious curiosity.
Our visitor was strangely silent on the
journey. Only roguish smile twlnkled
In his eye, and he evaded our questions
: We both were lost in conjectures as to
what would happen next, At last we
arrived at a certain well known large
hotel, aud followed the "stranger" into
handsomely furnished private sitting
room.
"If you will be seated. gentlemen,
Will tell Maggie you are here" he said,
as he left the room.
! In few moments he returned. They
had seemed hours of torture to Gerald
He led Maggie up to him, and, with
mock gravity, said:
"Allow me to introduce to you a capri
| cious young lady in her real character.
This Is my daughter, Margaret Living
ston, known, L believe, to you both as
Maggie Robbins" '"H
We were speechless with surprise and
is look of intense relief passed over Ger
aids face. Maggie, laughing and blush
ing, was very reticent in ans wering our
inquiries ~ to the meaning of the delu-
sion practiced on us. Later on, when
she and Gerald were engaged, with her
fathers consent, the whole truth became
known to us.
Mrs. Robbins was her foster-mother.
and when she wanted to spend a few
days in town she frequently stayed with
her. Mr.. Livingston was widower, and
disliked London; so he seldom accom>
panied his daughter there. Maggie cor
known Gerald well by sight, and had
heard great deal of him from one of
her girl friends before he had met her.
Maggie laughingly told us that she had
also heard Of Gerald's determination
never to marry a girl beneath HIM in
station, and that when she saw he took
her for Mrs. Robbins daughter she en-
joyed the joke much, and determined to
keep it up.
pride, for Margaret belonged to good
old Kentish family, equal to any in the
land.
Gerald and Margaret are married. He
and are even greater friends than in
the old days, and my happiest hours are
spent in their pleasant home. Much do
| need the kindness and sympathy they
so freely bestow, for my Alice, my blue
eyed darling, has been taken from me
by the hand of death. And now am
alone. All and so lonely, for none can
ever fill her place; and henceforward my
art will be only love until the time comes
when the sorrows of this world will be
forgotten in the endless reunion which,
trust, will constitute one of the joys OF
eternity.