The Penn's Grove record., 1883-11-24
sePearl. darIipsp,

A startled crimson lace Is turned To-
ward him for an instant, and then this
time Pearl does not escape him. AS
well strive to loose the shell-pink hands
from a grasp of iron. Then follows a
passionate avowal of love, ringing clear
and strong above the roar Of the incom-
ing tide.
Pearl is ). taken aback by his yehem-
ence that she forgets he is waiting for
an answer.
"Pearl, darling, win you be my
wife?'
Again her face is turned toward him,
but the sudden light that has so trans
formed it changes to a look of intense
pain, and the tones are almost harsh.
"Sir, you are forgetting yourself; re-
lease my hands instantly"
"Oh. there comes mammal chimes
in Eva and Ellie.
ssSurely you are not afraid of her,
Pearl? Let me claim you before her
and the world. She is proud, | know,
but--'' s
"Yes, she Is proud repeated Mrs.
Everson, ''too proud to countence such
q terrible mesalliance as this. Paul,
your father shall hear of your conduct;
and as for you-"
She gets no further, for Pearl, as
cool and as naughty as she, Uses and
confronts the angry woman.
"You may spare your words, madam,
as they are entirely unnecessary; l have
not accepted your sons love, neither do
| intend to. OF course this is all very
unpleasant, and to prevent its recur-
renee L shall leave Aylmer's Rest to-
morrow" And before Paul can frame
a word of remonstrance she has fairly
flown toward the house.
How Paul lever knows, but Pearl
Wyley is Como before breakfast next
morning. and no word of farewell has
passed between them.
n y
"Alice, if you could only get Miss
Atherton's work to do it would pay so
much better, and Paul needs so many
things now the fever has left hims
weak. And Mrs. Eyerson's pale, worn
face looks up from the coarse sewing
upon which she has been toiling since
early daylight.
81 will try" IS the weary answer.
''There is no use in trying to hide our
poverty any longer, | suppose
1t is an elegant brown stone front
before which Alice Elverson stands
shivering ON that cold, wintry morning.
She is ushered by a pompous footman
up the yelvet-carpeted stairs into al
elegant little boudoir, and there, in an
exquisite morning robe of white CASH
mere and satin, stands-Pearl Wyley.
Alice falls back a step in dismay; but
Pearl, with a cry of joy, fairly flies
across the room and clasps her around
the neck.
"Oh, L thought / never should find
you'll And TO think you have come to
melo
"But 1 didn't know-n' falters
Alice.
The name?" interrupts Pearl. sob,
that was changed by the wealthy aunt
who adopted me, and made me her
heiress. And now l am going home
with you; l do SO wantto see my two
little girlsl" &SW0 -
But it IS of Paul of whom she is
thinking-Paul, who is still her king
among men.
Going to her homer Alice's cheeks
burn as she thinks of their changed
positions, and the circumstances of
PEARLS dismissal. Is Pearl dressing to
make her look all the more shabby?
Alice watched her wonderingly as she
dons a dress of rich, dark blue velvet,
heavily trimmed with white fur. She
does not know that Pearl is dressing
only for Paul's eyes.
Mamma, / have b. ought some Lne
to see you.p And at the sound of
PEARLS low, musical voice IN reply, the
man insthe next room, who has scarce
ly yet lifted his own hand, springs up
and sits upright on his couch.
"My darling come back to me at
lastin he murmurs, and falls back, half
fainting, upon the pillows. What a
vision of loneliness sits by his bedside
when he drifts slowly back to conscious
nessI He stretches out n thin,
emaciated hand, to make sure the Wis.
ion Is real. 1t is gently clasped by
Pearl, and once more he shuts his
eyes, this time with a solemn content.
1t is only after she goes away that he
learns of the great gulf between them.
Then he turns his face to the wall with
a kind of dumb despair, and the know
ledge retards his recovery for weeks.
The choicest flowers, the most tempt
ing fruits, in the daintiest Of baskets,
find their way to his room, aud o
than once the donor relieves Alice and
her mother from their loLg continued
watch.
In his feverish murmuring Pearl
learns what is passing in his mind, and
the knowledge gives her both joy and
pain. az 3
ssYes, it might have been, but now
a
"There is no gulf that love cannot
bridge oyer,n says Pearl. softly. oh,
Paul, live for my sake, for L love you,
oh, 1 love you'll"
And no lovelier mistress ever reign
ed at Aylmer Rest than Pearl Everson,
who had bought back the family estate
and presented it to her husband. There
they now live, and Pearl watches with
infinite care and tenderness over the
remaining days of the white-haired wo-
man who once turned her from her
doors.
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