American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-05-11

ing the Thorne property shrinking day
by day, till there was hardly enough to
butter their bread-till it was plain that
Hitty's sacrifice had been for naught.
But when did ever sacrifice prove futilep
Though it fail of Its direct PURPOSE, does
1t not enrich the soul not only of the one
who sacrifices, hut of all beholdersP
1t was near twilight of an autumn day
that Miss Kitty put on her worn bonnet
\ and went slowly, with a certain reluc-
lance, up the hill toward the Searle
mansion she pulled the brazen knocker
timidly, and stepped into the house that
might have been her OWL like ANY beg
gal. The dead Searles looked down
| from the walls of the oaken hall with
cold questionings in their pursuing eyes:
in the great drawing room the wood fire
snapped with good will, and glinted
gayly upon bronze and ormolu, upon
the quaint mirrors set in garnets, upon
the yellow ivory keys of the piano. An
son Searle rose to receive his guest with
a flush of surprise.
els it-you-Hittyp" he cried.
"You?" -,-.f-1
"Yes. Did you not expect meP''
"Expect you! No. Have had reason
to expect you?"
awe sometimes expect without rea-
son. 1 have contemplating you to
grant me favor"
ga favorP"
"Yes. 1t strikes you oddly that l
should be brought to beg favor of you,
does it notP But there is no other friend
upon whom can make even so shadowy
claim as upon you. Do you think
would ask any thing of one whom 1
have served $3.50 ill-if were not in
extremity"
81 hope you will ask any thing of me,
Miss Hitty-any thing you WANT
81 have become mercenary, Mr..
Searle. 1 want money. Liddy and 1
have made up our minds to mortgage
the place; sDe must haze tire thousand
dollars without delay; the place is not
worth SO much, 1 know, but II thought
perhaps you would take it for security,
as far as it would go; and then-Liddy
and 1 are not too old to work, TO earn
money; and there's Tom; and we would
all strive to make it up to you, sooner
or later, interest and principal. 1 am
dreadfully unbusinesslike, perhaps; but
what can do? And 1 must have the
money. 1 can't live-I can't die-with-
out it. Do make it clear?'
"You make it clear that the Thorne
fortune has all leaked away lam glad
of it. Pardon, but l hold grudge
against that property; it has cheated
me out of twenty years of happiness.
Yes, Miss Hitty, you shall have the
money. have plenty; I am rich in
every thing but the one thing coveted.
But can not take the mortgage; you
shall have the money and welcome, but
I can't accept a mortgage on the old
place, Miss Kitty; it is too sacred to
me. Think of mortgaging the old ap-
ple-trees where we swung in the ham,
mock together, of bringing the garden
where we dreamed in the summer even
ings into a business transaction! But
all the same you shall have the money,
Miss Hitty-''
"But, oh! you know can not take
the money unless-unless-"
"Unless you take the owner with it?
Was that what you meant to say? I'm
sure it wasn't; but, for Heavens sakey
say it. Hitty. Don't you know
vowed never to ask you to marry me
twice? Do you want me to break my
word, Ell? Now it is your turn to do the
asking"
"I should think 1 had asked enough,
said Hitty, the great tears standing in
her eyes. Z" You are not in earnest, An
son Searle. You don't. want to marry
me, an old maid like me! See how
faded and gray am"
&C. And if swear do want to marry
you, what will you sayP"
81 shall say, then, Why don't you
do so, Mr.. Scarlet" She smiled through
her tears. "What will Liddy say when
she hears that I've asked you to marry
mep'
She will say you have done your
duty like mani''
"Well, Miss Hitty Thorne Arrays
had an eye to the main chance" said
her neighbors. "She Tilted Searle
when he was poor, and now he is rich,
he marries him. What a fool a wom-
an can make of sensible man-only it
usually takes young one!''