The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-04-02
UNDER A CLOUD.

UNDER A CLOUD.
Morris Tucker and his uncle sat at
their cozy breakfast table one winter
morning, each with a copy of the
mornings paper in his hand, each with
Il clouded brow and troubled eye. The
elder gentleman was the first tn speak.
1T is bad business, Morris
"A bad business, indeed, sire
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 ut
ter ruin to the other. The hot chops
cooled ON the dish, the coffee was un-
touched, and the breakfast literally for
gotten. when the gentlemen left the
house TO ascertain the extent of their
InisfOriunes. Bad as they feared these
would prove, the realities were even
worse than the anticipation, and before
night the old firm of Tucker 4 Co. was
in the list of failures.
There was dreary amount of hard,
distasteful work to be done after the
failure was an established fact; but
Morris Tucker never tiin,hcd from anv
task or interview till night-shadows
fell. and he faced his uncle at the table
once more. Then, with set features
and Il pale face. he said:
If you can spare me for an hour,
sir, ] think | had better call on Miss
Creswell."
Il can spare You, but are You wise
to hurry an interview that, fear, will
be very painful9'
Better TO understand my position at
once, sir. II" he moistened his
dry lips here. as if the words choked
hlm-''if Meta is true to me | will re-
main here and try to work my way up
again 10 the position held only yestcr-
day. If she frees me from my engage
ment, accept your proposal to go to
California.
Il think it good time to look up
those old claims" said Mr.. Tucker,
sliding easily over the first part of his
nephew's speech; there may be mon
ey in them"
be able to tind some trustv messen-
ger"
Il am afraid you will go" his uncle
said.
1T may be. Mrs Cresswell is a world
ly woman
Meta is a worldly woman. Nay, let
me speak. Morris. nave said nothing
before, though my heart was sore over
your choice of a wi:r. Meta is Won
derfully fascinating, beautiful and ac-
cpnplished as but few women are, but
she is thoroughly heartless. | hoped
your choice would fall on Clarice.
"Claric"! She is mere child!'
"Only two Years younger than Meta.
| love her very dearly. Morris.
But YOU are fond of Metal"
'.Soi For her fathers sake, the
brother of my dead wife, have tried
to love Meta. but she repels men'
Yet YOU never spoke when | told
YOU should seek to win her love.
because love is too sacred in my
eyes for anyone to interfere with its
expression. If Meta loves YOU 1 viii
give her warm welcome and cordial af-
lection when she becomes Your wife,
Morris. But nerve yourself for the
worst, my boy"
Nerzed for the worst Morris Tucker
sought his betrothed bride From the
time he had come from his Western
home, an orphaned lad of nineteen. to
accept his uncle's offer of i home he
had met Meta Cresswell constantly.
He had received cordial welcome from
her mother, and had not suspected the
schemes and subtitle influence that had
led him on, step by step, from the po-
sition of friend to that of accepted suit
or Of the beautiful girl While his feet
were bringing him slowly to the mo-
IRentous interview after the failure OF
the firm of which his uncle had made
him full partner, Mrs. Cresswell was
schooling her daughter to meet the
emergency.
Ibid YOU write to Morris, Meta?"
she asked, languidly stirring her cof-
fee.
Not yet" was the reply. He will
probably call. being an honorable gen.
tleman, mamma.
hope YOU will be firm, Meta. Re-
member that you have been the injured
party throughout. From the time your
poor papa died have had every reason
to believe Mr. Tucker would make you
and YOUR sist-r the heiress of his prop
erty. He worshipped your aunt. and
he never spoke of any relatives OF his
own till this nephew appeared. l be-
lieve there was some quarrel between
one going West. while John, the elder,
remained here. At all events it is very
clear now that Morris would have been
heir to the business and property If
this failure had not happened. You
are to be congratulated that it came
before the wedding, instead OF after.
Meta shrugged her shoulders.
'.Yes! Love in a cottage IS not my
l.. L., IL ,lva Inll
rang, and she knew her lover was wait
ing to test her cold, worldly heart.
She sauntered with easy grace. into the
! draw II groom. while upstairs in hei
own room her sister Clarice wept fol
the pain that was to fall upon Morris
| fuckers heart.
She was q brown-eyed. golden-haired
! girl, whose quiet. unpretending charm!
| had long been Gvershadowed by the
| brilliant beauty of her sister Meta. She
| was timid to a fault, and was her moth
| er's greatest atfiictiOn in her career o
fashionable gayety. With higher in
tsnect than Meta's, with more com
mand of foreign tongues. with a true
musicians love and knowledge 0
music, a sweet, clear voice, and won
derful powers of expression, she was 81
painfully shy that society was miser,
to her her beauty w.,s OF the delicate
order that does not strike at hrs
glance, and her affections were careful
" hidden in her shrinking. gentl'
heart.
She had given John Tucker true low
since she was a mere baby and sat upol
his knee, playing with his watch-chain
She had never thought of his money
! and when Morris came she was onl
glad that her dear old uncle. as sh
called HIM, was to have a companion
and friend. She had never qnestlone'
her heart about Morris Tucker, reloiC
! --i.,....,Sl,z l-il ON