Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-12

= bAS Ouiy bllHR III Tie WOIiu worm GET
ting or having. Titlel What's a title with
out an mcconnell But il l had the title I'd
soon get the income"
Il believe you would, Dick, " Hugh replied,
quietly.
These two young men had been at school
together. OF the old schooldays there re-
manned the use Of the Christian name. When
they were quite young they may have had
the same thoughts and the like ambitions.
But their paths from the beginning diverged,
and now they were 60 wide apart that they
looked in opposite directions; one to the
sunny south and one to the bleak north.
One looked downward and the other up
ward. One saw a bright and sunny picture,
with wonderful and unvarying effects of
light and color, and the other saw only a
gray and fog-laden landscape, with a bit of
lurid sky; one saw men and women noble,
erect and go1-like; the other saw men and
women creeping, sneaking, backbiting, flch-
ing and treacherous. One longed to give,
and the other only lived that he might grab.
Hugh thought he had never seen his former
friend more morose and grumpy. This dark
and gloomy creature, to want his bright and
clever Norah! His cheek famed at the very
thought.
They stood in silence for a while, each ex-
pecting that the other would say something.
Then Dick asked if Calista was in her ward,
and learning that he would find her there be
went away.
There is something" said the young doc
tor, mot quite right with Dick. He can't
have taken to drink. Yet there was a look
as of drink-unsteadiness in his hands and
eyes, no purpose in his movements, want of
will in his manner. There is something very
queer about Dick Murridge."
The young doctor drew two letters from
his pocket and fell to reading them. That
is to say, he read them eagerly and yet slow
~, as il he wanted to read every word. No
body shall know what was in the first letter.
except that it was signed 'Norah," with
some very sweet words preceding the sigma
ture. He sat with this letter in his hands
for a while, meditating on the charms and
graces of the writer. Then he put it back
into his pocketbook, and read the other let
ter, which was from his mother
"My dearest son" she said, 81 am quite
ready to believe that your mistress is every
hlA5 bhaO JOu OCllCN6 u6T 10 Ue, as ROOQ,
and as sweet, and as beautiful 1 pray that
you may have as good a wife as you deserve.
and that is saying a great deal VIII you
please give Norah my love, and tell her l am
looking forward with the greatest eagarness
to seeing her and getting to know her! AS
regards your plan and manner of living, |
quite approve Of your ambition to become a
successful physician. 1t is fortunate that
you are the son of a successful singer. nv
dear boy. You will find no difficulty in
making th attempt. AS for my money, it
was made for you, and is all your own, if
you a it all. There is, however, a great
surprise for me in your letter, apart from
the news of your engagement, which ought
not to be a surprise to a mother. 1t is the
surname and the Christian name of your
fiancee. is she one of the C.onsilla Cronans!
In that case her Christian name Is easily ac.
counted for. There should be also a Calista
in the family, and her fathers Christian
name should be Hyacinth. They should also
be poor, which l suppose is the case with
them, because you tell me her father is a
general practitioner in Camden Town. Tell
me, when you write next, about their family,
which concerns you in a very strange man
ner. But of this l will tell you when We
meet. Hope to see you-and Norah-next
moath. But do not forget to answer this
~qusstion-ls her fathers Christian name
HJacinth9 Your affectionate
MOTHER"
"Well, his name is certainly Hyacinth;
and there is a Calista in the family. And
they are the Clonsilla Cronans. l wonder
what the mater meansl After all. she will
tell me in her own time"
lie laid his head back, and closed his ewes
He had been up half the night with a bad
case, and he fell asleep -instantaneously, and
slept till they brought him his early dinner.
There certainly was something very queer
with the other young man, and he was GOING
to Calista in order to tell her SO. He had
been accustomed for a great many years to
make Calista that kind of half-confdant who
shares all the woes, hears nothing of their
cause, and is forgotten when things run
smoothly. Persons like Calista always have
plenty of friends, who make use of their
%sympathies when trouble has to be faced
"Calista, he said, dropping into a chair,
Il wish was deadr'
DO you, Dickl You said the same thing
about two months ago, when 1 saw you last,
yet heard afterwards that you were cheer
full"
u wish l was dead now, then"
What has %happenedl What is the mat
tern
II didn't say anything had happened, 1
said I wish l was dead"
Us that all you have come to tell mep
hhNnf nIItfo I1-ro 5000 - al
Calista; Pm the most miserable, unlucky
beggar in the worldp'
What Is it Dick' Have you done any
thing foolishg'
"rve-Ive-' He stopped, because he
caught Calista's clear eyes gazing steadily in
his, and it seemed as if he changed his pur-
pose. Il didn't k low,'' he said, in confrl-
sion, 'that it woul | really happen until this
morning. Now l lind it must.'
What will happenF
you will remember my words when 1t
ONE of-will you3 1 came to warn you"
well, Dick, if anything is to happen, and
l am not to know what it is, l see no use in
warning me-"
II warn yu because want you to under
stand that it is all her own fault"
Whose own fault!'
Whose should it be but Norah'sG I'm
talking about her, amt II Very well, then.
Let her understand that it is her own fault"
"What has Norah doueq'
"She's deceived me. That's what she's
done. I've offered myself a dozen times and
she has refused me. Told me there was no
body else that she cared for; said she didn't
want to get married; said that last week;
and then l hear she's engaged"
Very well. You are not going to take