The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-05-26

said. al surely wrote it to you We
all felt so sorry for Daisy. Her
mother died few weeks before her
father and was spared the trouble that
followed. Mr.. Metcalf's fortune, that
was supposed to amount to millions,
did not cover his debts when the es-
tate was settled. Everything was sold,
even Daisy's jewels and grand piano.
"Why is she not here2" Fred said,
walking up and down the long rooms,
to the infinite peril Of my spindle
legged tables and fragile bric-a-bric.
"You professed to love her. Why do
you not give her a homer
"Because she won't take it'll You
! need not look at me as if were
monster, FredI tried every way to
make Daisy come here. even offered
her salary to come as nursery gov
erness for Harry and Netty, and made
her laugh out as merrily as she did in
our old girlish days when she had not
care. But she is as proud as-as-
some other folks know, and would
not take charity, even from me-"
"Where is she?"
"She is boarding at 427 L
street."
"L-- street," my brother cried,
"There is not a decent house In the
street,"
"They are small, poor houses" l
said, "but they are respectable. Most
OF them are clearinghouse for
clerks, shop-girls and needle-wo-
men,"
"And Daisy lives therel Daisy,
who never knew want in her whole
petted lifel"
"Poor little Daisy!" he said, pres-
emily. .Think of her wasting her
eyesight upon such work as this, while
l."
eyes" 1 said, after waiting some
time for the conclusion Of the sentence
-'you2"
II not q millionaire, as Saul Met
calf was supposed to be-" Fred said,
"but / am on the road to wealth, and
l am already rich man. And it is
solid money, not gained in speculation,
but laid up dollar by dollar in fair.
honest. commercial business. Our
business is f1ourishing and l am at the
head Of the branch house in Sacra-
mento, as you know, with every op-
portunity TO push my own fortune, as
that of the firm. What time 10 it ?
Nearly elevenl Too late to call any
where now"
81 should say So" said.
Tomorrow" said Fred.
TO morrow Daisy dimes here" I
said. "She comes to dinner every
Tuesday, and Harry escorts her home
in the evening. He might, however,
be persuaded to resign that duty, for
once, tomorrow.
We chatted q few minutes longer,
and then Fred went to his room, car
rying Daisy's milking stool with him.
Wether he sat up all night comtem-
plating that work of art, am unable
10 say; but l do know that the next
afternoon, when pale, little Daisy,
in deep mourning, came into my sit
ting-room, expecting to find me alone,
she had no reason to complain Of
Fred's GOODNESS. Long, long before l
guessed the secret of her rejected suit
or, and the interest she took in my
Sacramento letters. But never hint
ed at my suspicious, and / looked on
at that rapturous meeting and SAID
nothing, even to Fred, of the added
color on Daisy's cheek, or the new
brightness in her eye.
After dinner. the old duets were
rummaged out of a long-closed
drawer of old music, and at ten o'clock
Harry made no movement when Daisy
went to my room for her hat and
wrap.
"The course of true love" ran very
smoothly for the next month, the time
Of Fred's visit to me; and when he
returned to Sacramento, it was not
alone. Daisy put her pride aside and
let me provide her trousseau, and the
wedding, at my house, called together
all her old friends.
There was very handsome show
of wedding presents, but mine was
most carefully packed by Fred's own
hands, and was presented at his re-