Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-03-06
UNDER A CLOUD

ngs paper III MS manu. edch
clouded brow and troubled eye. Inc
elder gentleman was the first to speak
at is bad business, Morris!
"a bad business, indeed, sirl
Then there was another long silence /
while each again read the omlnou'
news of the failure Of firm whose
business was so involved with their
own that the failure of one house was
nearly utter ruin to the other. Inc
hot chops cooled on the dish, the coffee
was untouched, and the breakfast lit
orally forgotten, when the gentlemen
left the house to ascertain the extent
of their misfortunes. Bad as they
feared these would prove, the realities
were even worse than the anticlpa-
tion, and before night the old firm OF
Tucker & Co. was in the list Of fail
ures.
There was a dreary amount of hard,
1istasteful work to be done after the
failure was an established fact but
Morris Tucker never hinched from
any task or interview till night shad-
)ws fell, and he faced his uncle at the
able once more Then, with set fea-
,ures and a pale face. lie said:
"If you can spare Inc for an hour,
sir, think l had better call on Miss
3resswell."
81 can spare you, but are you wise
10 hurry an interview that, | fear, will
De very painful?'
"Better to understand my position
At once, sir. If" he moistened the
Try lips here. as if the words choked
him-"if Meta is true to rue will re-
main here and try to work my way -.
again to the position l sheld only yes
terday. If she frees me from my en-
gagement. l accept your proposal to
90 to California"
81 think it is a good time to look up
hose old Claims" said Mr.. Tucker
sliding easily over the first part of his
nephew's speech; there may be money
in them"
we will see! If l do not go we ma.
be able to find some trusty messenger.
q am afraid you will go," his uncl
said
ut may be. Mrs. Cresswell is
worldly woman
Meta is worldly womanl Nay
let me speak. Morris. l have sal
nothing before, though my heart wa
sore over your choice of a wife. Met
is wonderfully fascinating, beautiful
and accomplished as but few womel
are, but she is thoroughly heartless.
hoped your choice would fall on Clar
ice"
"Claricel She is a mere childw
"Only two years younger than Meta
love her very dearly, Morris"
"But you are fond of Metal"
'Nol For her fathers sake, tn
brother of my dead wife, l have trie
to love Meta, but she repels me.'
"Yet you never spoke when l toll
you ! should seek to win her love"
because love is too sacred in m
eyes for any one to interfere with it
expression. If Meta loves you l vii
give her warm welcome and cordia
affection when she becomes your wife
Morris. But nerve yourself for tn
worst, my boy
Nerved for the worst Morris Tucke
sought his betrothed bride. From tn
time he had come from his Western
home, an orphaned lad of nineteen, t
accept his uncle's offer of a home h
/ bad met Meta CressWeH constantly
He had received cordial welcome fron
her mother, and had not suspects
the schemes and subtle influence tina
had led him on, step by step, from tn
position of friend to that of accepted
!
suitor of the beautiful girl. Will
MS feet were bringing him slowly t
he momentous interview after tn
failure of the firm of which his uncl
had made him full partner, Mrs. Cress
well was schooling her daughter t
meet the emergency.
Did you write to Morris, Meta?
she asked, languidly stirring her coffee
"Not yet" was the reply. "He vii
probably call, being an honorable gen
tleman, mamma"
Il hope you will be firm, Meta. Re
member that you have been the IN
jured party throughout. From tn
time your poor papa died l have ha
every reason to believe Mr.. Tucke
would make you and your sister tn
heiress of his property. He woI
shipped your aunt, and he never spok
of any relatives of his own till thi
nephew appeared. l believe ther
was some quarrel between the brotn
ers that ended in the younger one goln
West, while John, the elder, rename
here. At all events it is very cies
now that Morris would have been hei
to the business and property II Vhi