The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-06-08

| threaded her needle with black SILK, and
put on thrifty-looking tbimble.
{" Is anything the matter, Miss Kate?"
asked Harley as he observed the elder
sisters flushed cheeks and discounted
mood"
Z" Nothing" she answered, petulantly,
+" but the old story-ppverty and humil-
iation. Oh, wish 1 were dead or,
| better still" she went on, with increas-
ing energy, 1 wish the villain who
cheats us out of all our money were
deadr'
Mr.. Harley WINGED a little, and 10
wonder, Emily thought; her sister had
spoken with unrestrained vehemence.
"Kate, Kate'' she said softly, "you
| don't consider. He is not to blame be-
cause the law has given him what was
rightfully his own"
"He il, say" burst out Kate, but
then she repressed herself. "Give me
the shirts, Emily" she said, resignedly.
eve can't starve. Now the fOotsteol
and the work-basket. And just draw
that curtain; the sum shining in enough
to dazzle forty pairs OF eyes,"
Patiently Emily trudged hither and
| thithsr ior her sister, only too glad that
the storm of Kate's temper was tempo
rarily averted by Mr.. Harley's presence.
The young man, quietly observant of all
that transpired around him, began to
think that, after all, Kate was not so
| beautiful as he had at first supposed.
Emily had the sweetest, more Madonna
like face. Thec she was so gentle, so
quietly resigned.
Emily always was drudge said
Miss Ellerslie, contemptiously. She
never had any more spirit than canary
bird"
So Emily did the work of the con-
tracted little room, washed and ironed
Kate's laces, arranging her sisters lux
uriant hair, sat up at night to finish the
sewing Kate had thrown aside " because
it made her nervous" hours before, and
was sunny and happy through it all,
while Kate sighed over her fat and
persuaded herself that she was the most
wretched of created beings.
And one day Mr.. Harley astonished
her out of her equanimity by proposing
to marry her.
Upon--my-word " calculated she
" the young man must have a very good
opinion of himselfl OF course you said
MOI"
Emily hung her head until she looked
like a sweet pea vine that has been ex-
posed to the June sunshine.
"I-Pm afraid l said yes, she faltered. |
What on earth could have induced
you to accept him 2" demanded Kate, |
with both hands imploringly uplifted.
Because l love him said Emily, |
plucking up courage.
1.-The selfshness OF some people!"
sobbed Kate, burying her face in her
ket-handkerchief. al suppose you |
never once thought what was to become |
of me !"
Innocent Emily felt that she had in
deed been a monster of ingratitude and |
egotism.
"We must provide for our sister Kate, |
in some way or other, said Mr.. Harley, |
when Emily timidly confessed her tribu-
lation to him.
Wait and see, little girl.'
Kate Ellerslie gave her brother-in-law
elect rather cool greeting that evening
when he dropped in, as usual, about nine
o'clock.
81 nope you congratulate u.s." he
said, haughtily.
"Of course you have my best wishes"
she answered with some little acerbity.
" 1t will be your turn next, Kate"
She tossed her head heartily.
al am in no particular hurry"
"Wouldn't it be a nice chapter of ro-
nance in real life," he added, smiling, |
" if Murray Lennox, to whom the law |
has awarded property that was once |
YOURS, should come and marry you ?''
Nonsense r' said Kate, sharply. |
"Such things don't happen in real life"
"Do they not? But just let me sup |
pose it only for once. What would you
say?"
" And you, Emily"
"My heart is already given away, she
answered, smiling and blushing.
She looked at him in surprise.
"My darling" he said, 81 have de-
ceived you all this time. ] am not John |
Harley, but Murray Lennox, your dis
tant cousin. ] came here to study your
characters apart from the disadvantage
which would surely follow me were l
known as the unwilling usurper of your
fortunes. Nor do regret the use. Upon
my wedding day, Kate, l shall settle
upon you enough to make you entirely
AS for Emily" with a
smile, "she must be contented with her
fortune as my wife"
Certainly Miss Emily looked more than
contented.
"It's quite an unusual proceeding"
said Mr.. Arkwright, when he was called
lived long enough to cease being aston.
ished at anything. And love is certainly
a better mediator than law"
Who can doubt that Mr.. Arkwright
was correct in Lis conclusions?