Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-25
UNDER A CLOUD.

Morris Tucker and his uncle sat at
their cozy breakfast table one winter
morning, each with a copy Of the morn
ngs paper in his hand, each with
clouded brow and troubled eye. The
elder gentleman was the first to speak.
at is a bad business, Norris"
"a bad business, indeed, sirl"
Then there was another long silence,
while each again read the ominous
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. The
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 anticipa-
ton, and before night the old firm OF
Tucker & Co. was in the list of fail
ures.
There was dreary amount of hard,
distasteful work to be done after the
failure was an established fact; but
Morris Tucker never llinched from
any task or interview till night shad-
ows fell, and he faced his uncle at the
table once more. Then, with set fea-
lures and a pale face, he said:
"If you can spare Inc for an hour;
sir, | think l had better call on Miss
Cresswell."
81 can spare you, but are you wise
to hurry an interview that, fear, vii!
be very painful?'
"Better to understand my position
at once, sir. If" lie moistened the
dry lips here, as if the words choked
him-"if Meta is true to me will re-
main here and try to work my way up
again to the position l held only yes
terday. If she frees me from my en-
gagement, 1 accept your proposal tc
20 to California"
Il think it is good time to look uE
those old claims" said Mr.. Tucker
sliding easily over the first part of his
nephew's speech; there may be money
in them"
1--WE will see. If do not 60 we may
be able to indsom trusty messenger.
81 am afraid you will CO." his uncle
said.
ut may be. Mrs. Cresswell is ;
worldly woman"
Meta is a worldly woman. Nay
let me speak, Morris. l have sale
nothing before, though my heart wa:
sore over your choice of wife. Met;
is wonderfully fascinating, beautiful
and accomplished as but few womer
are, but she is thoroughly heartless.
hoped your choice would fall on Clar.
ice."
"Clarice! She is a mere child"
"Only two years younger than Meta
I love her very dearly, Morris" >"
"But you are foud of Meta"
"Nol For her fathers sake, the
brother Of my dead wife, l have triet
to love Meta, But she repels me!.'
"Yet you never spoke when l tolt
you J should seek to win her love-"
"Bccause love is too sacred in my
eyes for any one to interfere with it;
expression. I(Meta loves you | will
give her warm welcome and cOrdia
affection when she becomes your wife
Morris. Bat nerve yourself for th'
worst, my boy"
Nerved for the worst Morris Tuckel
sought his betrothed bride. From th'
time he had como from his Western
home, an orphaned lad of nineteen, t.
accept his uncle's offer of q home hi
tad met Meta Cresswell constantly
lie had received cordial welcome from
her mother, and had not suspected
the schemes and subtle influence that
had led him on, step by step, from th'
position of friend to that of accepted
suitor OF the beautiful girl. While
his feet were bringing him slowly t.
the momentous interview after tn
failure of the firm of which his uncl
had made him full partner, Mrs. CrCss
well was schooling her daughter tt
meet the emergency.
"Did you write to Morris, Meta?
she asked, languldly stirring her coffee
"Not yet" was the reply. "lIc viii
probably call, being an honorable gen
tleman. mamma"
a hope you will be firm, Meta. Re
member that you lave been the in
= iured 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
heircss of his property. He wor
shipped your aunt, and he never spoli
of any relatives of his own till thi
nephew appeared. | believe ther
was some quarrel between the broth
ers that ended in the younger one goin
West, while john the elder, RENAME
here, At all events it is very cleo
now that Norris wculd hay0 heen heI