The morning call., 1890-06-27

the knowledge that he could no longer hold
it, said, in broken voice:
ayes, Alice, am wretchedW
"And why?" she continued. "Oh! let me
help you, whatever it is, dear Edmund u
You. Alice?" said he, with wan smile
ut is not you who could help me in such a
crisis as this. And it is / who ought to help
you. But / have been weak, foolish. not
careful enough, and my working expenses
are heavy. Oil Alice. we shall have to
move into a small house. and my wife must
teach the girls. How shall tell her? For
we are terribly in debt, and ruin stares me
in the face. Think what feel when l have
to say to you, my own sister. that you will
have to go out and teach under another roof
than mineP'
The doctor, as he finished in voice
choked with emotion, was not surprised to
see tears on his sisters face; but he GER
tainly was astonished TO perceive the sort
of rapture in her eyes.
allow much-how much do you owe, Ed
mund?" she cried, eagerly.
Hundreds, Alice; and | can no longer
hide my secret from the world. With our
move into smaller house the practice will
be certain to 60 down, and then what is to
become of the children!"
GLOW much do you owe, Edmund? Pr
painted Alice, her lips apart.
How much?" re-echoed the stricken
man. 80 large sum that nothing but q
miracle could save lie, and miracles are not
wrought in our time, especially Tor mortals
such as l.
"Who knows?" gasped Alice, standing
before him with sparkling eyes. "How
much do you owe. Edmund"
Seven hundred p0unds!" said he. with
gIoan. . -,
cried she, throwing her arms around his
neck and kissing his forehead. Yes,
saved, for l have put by $780, and it is ali
at your sposal-every pennyw
"You-you, Aliee2' murmured the be-
wildered man. not daring TO trust in what
he heard.
Ing to him lovingly. ''All the six years L
have lived with you l have put SO every
year into the bank out of the 9l00 you al
lowed me. There is more than 4400. And
the rest l have made by writing articles and
stories for different magazines, and once l
illustrated book. There is the secret of
my early rising or late going 10 bed. On.
dear Edmund, | meant to have kept silence
til L had saved elooo; but now is the
time to break silence. | will fetch you
my banking-book directly" And she
darted from the room, only to return with
proofs of her ability to take him safely
over the top of that great wave which
had been about to overwhelm them all.
Only a comparatively few hours had
passed since the above had transpired, but
ali his patients noticed that the doctor went
about like a new man. And before night
fall OF the second day every tTade5man was
paid, and every farthiDg the doctor owed;
and Alice had settled to go and teach Lady
WttingIon's two daughters.
1.-The position offers ITSELF" said she. 81
must earn money. dear Edmund. and l
should be culpable TO refuse"
She did not adj that she had heard that
Mr.. OrmSby was just engaged to be mar
ried, and that it was also better that she
should not meet him again. And soon all
the neighborhood rang with the news that
the beautiful Miss Merton, the doctors
sister, was going out as a gOverness.
" am glad, for l was afraid at one time
thai you meant to propose TO her, Samuel"
said his eldest sister.
" What?' replied he. us she really going
to teach Lady Wittington's daughters? l
thought she was to marry that handsome
cousin Of hers, the surgeon? He said he
was engaged to her and that he and She had
settled to get married ever since he could re-
member anything"
{" That is good thing" said Miss Orms-
by. coldy.
F." A good thing?" returned her brother
But her cousin would never let her go out
to teach if she was engaged to him; and !,
now | see a chance OF winning her, will try
to do so with my whole strength and will
She is the most fascinating, the most lovely
girl l ever met. have not dared to trust
myself to see her lately, but now l have
hope again"
And this is how it was that Samuel
Ormsby went woOing to beautiful Alice
Merton and that she consented to become
his vile instead OF going to teach Lady
WittingtOn's daughters. And you may be
sure that he did not value his fair bride the
less when lie learned from DR.. Merton why
it was she came to him penniless, and that
the careless young surgeon who had re-
peated unheedingly to gOSsiping lady q
childish promise of his cousin Alice to
marry him did not soon pardon himself for
having been the cause of separating two
loving hearts who would have remained for
ever divided but for the doctors great
trouble and his sisters unselfsh affection.