The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-27
UNDER A CLOUD.

first t. spesk.
III i q bad business, Morris
A ad.b0siness, indeed. sir"
Then there was another long silence,
xhiis sscb again read The ominous news OF
lie f4iiu1e of a nrm whose business was so
involved with their own that the failure Of
ons house was nearly utter ruin to the other.
The hot chops cooled on the dish the coffee
Sas untouched and the breakfast literally
forgotten when the gentlemen left the house
30 ascertain the extsnt Of their misfortunes.
BAD Is they feared these would prove, the
realities we're even worse than the anticipa-
ticn. aid before night the old irm OF Tucker
* Co vas on TIE list of failures
There was a dreary amount OF hard, dis
tasteful work to be done after the failure was
IN established fact; but Morris Tucker never
finChed from any task or interview till
night shadows fell, and he faced MS uncle at
abe table once more. Then, with set features
and pale face, he said:
II you can spare me FOR an hour, sir,
think had better call on Miss CresWell"
Can spare you. bat are you wise to hurry
az intsrvisw that, fear, viii be very pain
fui9"
Better 70 understand nv position at once
ST. II -' he moistensd his dry lips here
as II toe Werda Chokes Liu-''if Meta il true
10 lie, I sil remain hers aud try TO work my
vas up again to the position / held only yes
fsrcay. X she frees me from my Engage
meni, sccspt your prOpcsal to 80 to Cali
lCrnia
Think it is 3 good time 70 look up those
cd claims, said Mr.. Tucker, sliding easily
oyeS The frat part Of bis nephsa's speech;
hire my be money in them"
We viii seel If do not 90. we may be
abe 70 ind some Irusty III sssenger."
I am afraid you will 90 his uncle said.
ma he nfrcf 81 -
woman"
Meta is a worldly woman Nay, let me
speak, Morris. have said nothing before,
though my heart was sore over your choice
OF a wife. Meta is wonderfully fascinating
Beautiful and accomplished as but feH w0-
r. en- ere, but she Is thoroughly heartlsss. I
hoped your choice would fail on Claricen
"Clarioe She is mere Child'
Oily two yesTs younger than Meta. /
love beg very dearly MOrris'
Bot yCu are fond OF Meta"
40 For her fathers sake. the brother
mg dead wife, / have tried - love Meta,
Dlt she ecels ne"
yet og never spoke when told you 1
shcuId seek 70 win Der love-"
"BtcaUEe love is too sacred in nv eyes for
any ore - interfere with its expression. If
Meta loves you, l will give Der warm vel
con- anc cordial affection when she becomes
yoar wife, Morris Bat nerve yourself for
Il worst, my boyl"
sought BIS besr0thed bride. From the time
Re bad come from his Western home an Or
TfaIed lad OF nineteen 10 accept his uncle's
cisr oi = home ne had met Meta CressweH
constantly. He had received cordial vel
Gone from her mother. aud had not sos-
'fec'ed tke schemes and suble iof1sEoe that
bsd ed him on, step by step from the posi-
t-ou C friend 20 that of accepted suitOr OF
re Beautiful girl While MS feet were
bringing him slowly TO the momeEtous inter
vieT after the failure OF the firm OF which
Dis uncle had made him full partner, Mrs.
tiessweli was schooling her dR1ghler to
meet Ire emergency.
Did you write to Morris, Meta2r she
ssEsd. aoguidly stirring her coffee.
Not yeg," was the reply. He will prob
fb'y cal being an honorable gentleman,
y swma
- nope you will be firm Meta. Remem-
be- that yen have been the figured party
throughout. From the time your poor papa
died eave had every reason to believe Mr..
.T'TrR|- would maze you aud your sister the
heiress OF bis property. He worshipped
your aunt, and he never spoke of any rels-
fiyes OF his own I'LL this nephew appeared.
] believe there was some quarrel between
the brothers that ended in the younger one
SONG West, while John, the elder, remained
here. At AL events It is very clear now
that Morris would have been heir to the
busin ess and property ii this failure had not
happened. 40u are to be congratulated that
II came before the wedding instead OF after
Meta shrugged her shoulders.
Yes. Love in a cottage is not IN my
sfylsn' And while she spoke.the bell IHng.
and she knew her lover was waiting 10 test
Der cold. worldly heart. She ssuntered with
easy grsce into the DRAWN groom. while up
slsirs IN her own room her sister Clarice wept
for the pain that was TO fail upon Morris
fuckers heart.
she vss Drown-eved, golden-haired girl,
whose quiet, dnpretendng charms had long
been overshad0Ted by the more brilliant
beauty Of her sister Meta. She was timid TO
3 FAULT and was her mothars greatest Attic
ton IN her career OF fashionable gayety.
With q higher intellect than Meta's, with
more command Of foreign tongues, with
tIae musicians love aad knowledge OF mu.
sic. sweet clear voice, and wonderful pow
ers Of expression, she wss so painfully shy.
that sociesy was q misery to her Her
seautT vas Of tbs delicate order that does
net strike at 1Tst glance, aud her affections
we're carefully hidden IN her shrinklng,gen-
Z e heart
She had given John Tucker true love since
she vas mere baby and sat upon MS knee,
PLAYING with his watch.chain She had
Eeyer thought of Ms Honey, aud when Nor
us came she Was only glad that her dear old
Uncle. Is she called him, WAS To have 3 COM
nsnion aid friend. She had never ques-
tened her heart ABOUT Morris Tucker. re-
joicing sincerely when his engagement with
Meta Grew him into nearer brOtherly Tela-
tons win herself. she respected his worth.
bis devotion to his uncle: she admired his
talents, bis noble, frank beauty, and she
grievsd deeply over the sorroEs s. suddenly
thrown into his life. Shyly as she had liked
him. so she crept away 10 weep for him The
heertlessness that would tnrow him aside in
his trouble was only comprehensive to her
from knowing we'll how her mother aud SIS
ter worshipped wealth.
She heard the door of the drawing.room
opsn ard her sisters clear voice say coldly:
Coed evening Mr.. Tucker You have
ms best ~ishes for your future success"
Then voice cold and naughty an
swered:
Thank 5ou. I have the honor TO wish
M, nod arnninr -