The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-05-07
Under a Cloud.

re ORRIS TUCKER and his I'M
NE Gle sat at the breakfast table
sEY5Ss one winter morning, eacf
| GSSS3 with a copy of the morning
paper in his hand, each with 8
clouded brow and troubled eye
The elder gentleman was the frs
to say.
cit is a bad business, Morrlsr'
GA bad business, indeed, sir!"
Then there was another long 81
lence, while each again read the
omineus news Of the failure of g
firm whose business was so involv
ed 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 untouch-
ed and the breakfast literally for
gotten, when the gentlemen left the
house to ascertain the extent OF
their misfertunes. Bad as they
feared these would prove, the reali-
ties were even worse than the antic-
ipation and before night the old
firm of Tucker q Co. was on the
list of failures.
There was a dreary amount OF
hard, distasteful work to be done
after the failure was an established
fact; but Morris Tucker never
fiinched from any task or interview
till night shadows fell, and he fac
ed his uncle st the table once more.
Then, with set features and q pale
face, he said:
eff you can spare me for an hour,
sir, L think had better call on
Miss Cresswel."
81 can spare you, but are you
wise to hurry an interview that, l
fear, will be very painful"
Better to unders tand my posi-
ton at once, sir. If" he mois-
tened his dry lips here, as If the
word choked him-''if Meta is true
to me, 1 will remain here and try to
work my way up again to the posi-
ton 1 held only yesterday. If she
frees me from my engagement, 1
accept your proposal to go to Cali
fornia."
81 think it is a good time to look
up those old claims" said Mr.. Tuck
er, sliding easily over the first part
of his nephew's speech; 'there may
be money in them"
eve will see. If do not go, we
may be able to find some trusty
messenger.
81 I'm afraid you will CO." his I'M
Gle said.
cit may be. Mrs. Cresswell is a
worldly woman"
"M eta is a worldly woman! Nay,
let me speak, Morris. l have said
nothing before, though my heart
was sore over your choice of wife.
Meta is wonderfully fascinating,
beautiful and accomplished as but
few women are, but she is thorough
ly heartless. 1 hoped your choice
would fall on Clarice."
"Clarice! She is a mere childp
"Only two years younger than
Meta. love her very dearly, Nor
rls."
"But you are fond of Meta"
'No! For her fathers sake, the
brother of my dead wife, l have tri-
ed to love Meta, but she repels me-"
sYst you never spoke when /
told you I should seek to win her
love-"
because love is too sacred in nv
eyes for anyone 10 interfere with its
expression. If Meta loves you 1
will give her warm welcome and
cordial affection when she becomes
your wife, Morris. But nerve your
self for the worst, ny boyT'
Nerved for the worst, Morris
Tucker sought his betrothed bride.
From the time he had come from
his western home, an orphaned lad
nineteen, to accept his uncle's offer
of a home, he had met Meta Cress
well constantly. He 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 the posi-
tion Of friend to that accepted suit
or of the beautiful girl. While his
feet were bringing him slowly to the
momentOus interview after the fail
ure of the firm of which his uncle
had made him full partner, Mrs.
CressweH vas schooling her daugh-
ter to meet the emergency.
"Did you write to Morris, Meta?"
she asked languidly stirring her
coffee.
'Eot yet" was the reply. "He
will probably call, being an honera
BILE gentleman, mamma"
Il hope you will be firm, Meta.
Remember that you have been the
injured party throughout. From
the time your poor papa died 1
have had every reason to believe
Mr.. Tucker would make you and
your sister the heiress Of his prop
erty. He wOrshipped your aunt,
and he never spoke of any relatives
of his own till this nephew appear
ed. believe there was some quar-
rel between the two brothers that
ended IN the younger one going
west, while John, the elder, remain
ed here. At all events, it is very
clear now that Morris would have
been heir to the business and prop
erty if this failure lad not happen
ed. You are to be congratulated
that it came before the wedding in
stead of after"
Meta shrugged her shoulders.
eyes! Love in a cottage is not 10
my stylew And while she spoke
the bell rang and she knew her
lover was waiting to test her cold,
worldly heart. She sauntered with
easy grace into the drawing room,
while upstairs In her own room
her sister Clarice Wept for the pain
that was to fall upon Morris Tuck
er's heart.
She was brown-eyed, golden
haired girl, whose quiet, unpretend-
ing charms had long been overshad-
owed by the more brilliant beauty
of her sister Meta. She was timid
TO Il fault and was her mother's