Omaha daily bee., 1888-05-06

| brain. Even as they fitted away he
came to n sudden halt, for the sound Of
voices fell upon his ear. He was stand
ing behind u tall hedge of arbor vitae,
and was consequently screened from OBJ
servation, yet he could hear distinctly.
Do not despise him as an eavesdropper.
/ doubt if there is a man in the world
who would have acted otherwise.
"How dare you say such a thing,
Anne Somels?" screamed a shrill-
pitched voice, (which made the unsus-
pecte d listener start as though he had
| peer shot; "how dare you say itp
Apologize this instant, or l will make
| you! You wretched little nobody, in
terfering in my atfairs!"
But, sister Lilly" returned a soft,
sweet voice in a o Of depreciation,
''you know that 1 am right, and that it
! is not honorable for you to do such
| things, You did say that you would
marry the wealthiest one of your suitors
no matter which one. / heard you.
And you said also that you would accept
! Mr.. Moody if ne asked you, simply be-
cause he had plenty of money. You
said, too, that you hate him, positively
hate him. oh, Lilly, how could you?'
; How could she say the words, or how
could she hate him, which was it?
Harry felt his heart thrill a little. 1t 10
| 81 ulCC W naNC IL Shtili pun, ~ .hbo"
that one person in the world is ever
ready to defend and approve you in
your absence as we'll as in your pres
| nee.
And shy little Annie would have
! almost died of shame had she dreamed
that the man whose cause she was
J pleading was even then within hearing
of her words.
! But Lilly spoke and Harry listened
eagerly
! ers, in a lower key, but her voice was
sullen and defiant: 81 said it, | admit,
and | repeat it. | hate him-and that's
more han you do and you know it,"
Harry Moody stared in utter ,i%ncredu-
lous amazement. A low sob was heard,
and again the soft low voice Of Annie
Somers fell upon his ear.
81 am not ashamed TOTO care for a
good man" she painted; ''and | do care
for-for him. But | would be ashamed
to marry a man whom | hated just for
his money. If you do that, Lilly-if
you marry Harry Moody for his money
you will both be unhappy to the end
of your days!"
'SShe will never marry Harry
Moody" cried our hero, sternly, step
ping suddenly around the hedge, and
confronting the sisters.
Annie, SllHHJ anu preIIy, Hcdu anu
dainty as u household fairy, glanced
quickly into his eyes, and then, cover
ing her face with her little hands,
darted away like a frightened fawn.
Lilly Somers staggered to her feet in
wordless horror n establishment. Lilly
| Somers, in a soiled and ragged wrapper,
with n pair Of slippers were much down
at the heel, and her hair in untidy
curl-papers; Lilly Somers minus powder,
rouge and all the thousand and one lit
tie arts which go to make up the toilet
Lilly Somers, a very plain and unlovely
Lilly, indeed.
The young man toek in the situation
at IA glance; then, with a profound bow,
quietly withdrew. He had seen
enough.
1t was a long time before he met Misc
| Annie again, and then she was so shy
and retiring-so almost cold-that he
began to despair. But the memory OF
that confession to which he had listened
nerved him, and at last he was able to
conquer all obstacles and ask her to be
his wife.
They were married and lived together
happily, while Lilly, the wife OF an old
millionaire, is now the acknowledged
leader Of fashion in the great city.
And Harry Moody never recalls tina
rude awakening without a shudder,
followed by a prayer OF heartfelt gratI-
tude for his narrow escape.