The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13

and conduct above reproach. We live in land
let us be thankful where this Is all-sufficient
and no man Is better than his neighbor. By the
grace Of God. but only By his own merit"
Tracy tried to break In. but she stopped him
and kept the floor herself
| lam not through yet. am going to purge
myself OF the last vestiges OF artifciality and
pretence. and then start fair on your own
honest level and be worthy mate TO you thence.
forth. My father honestly thinks he Is an
carl Well. leave him his dreami It pleases
him and docs no ono any HARM 1t was the
| dream OF his ancestors before him. 1t
has made fools Of the house Of Sellers for gem
| erations. and it has made something 81 q
fool OF me. but took no deep root I am done
with IL now and for good. Forty-eiRht hours
ago was privately proud OF being the dsugh-
ter OF q pinchbeck earl. aud thought the
proper mate for me must be . man Of
like degree: but to-day-oh. how grateful
ara for your love- which has healed my sick
brain and restored my sanity-I could make
oath that no earl's son in all the world"
"Oh-well. but-but--"
why. you look like q person in panic
What is It? What is the mattera"
Matter Oh. nothing - nothing. I Was
only going to say" But in his furry moth.
Ing occurred to him to say FOR amoment: then.
by lucky inspiration. he thought Of some.
thing entirely sufficient for the occasion and
brought 1. out with eloquent force: "Oh. how
beautiful you erei You take my breath away
when you look like that"
It was we'll conceived. we'll timed. and cor.
daily delivered. and 1t got It's reward.
LET me seq Where was II Yes. my faith
er's earldom is pure moonshine. Look at those
dreadful things on the wall-you have. OF
course. supposed them to be portraits OF his
ancestors. Earls Of Rossmore. Well. they are
not. They are chromos Of distinguished
Americans-all moderns: but he has carried
them back thousand years BY relabelling
them. Andrew jackson there Is doing what
he can to be the late American earl. and the
newest treasure in the collection Is supposed
to be the young English heir-I mean the idiot
with the Grape: but in truth it's shoemaker.
and not Lord Berkeley at ALL"
Are you sure?"
"why. OF course am. he wouldn't look
like that"
"Why?"
because his conduct In his last moments.
when the fire was sweeping around him. shows
that he WAS man. It shows that he was Q
fine. high-souled young creature"
Tracy was strongly moved by these COM
pliments. and It seemed to him that the Girls
lovely lips took on a new loveliness when they
were delivering them. He said. softly:
Tits pity he could not know what q gracious
impression his behavior was going to leave
with the dearest and sweetest stranger In the
land f"
"Oh. almost loved him! Why. I think Of
him every day. He is always floating about
in my mind"
Tracy felt that this was . little moro than
was necessary. He was conscious Of the sting
OF jealousy. He said:
ut is quite right to think Of him-at least
now and then-that is at intervals-in perhaps
an admiring way but it seems to me that -"
Howard Tracy. are you jealous OF that
dead man."
He was ashamed-and at the same time not
ashamed. He was jealous-and at tho same
time he was not jealous. In sense the dead
mau was himself: in that case compliments
and affection lavshed upon that corpse went
into his own till and were clear profit. But in
another sense the dead man was not himse
and in that case all compliments and affection
lavished there were wasted. and a Sufficient
basis for jealousy. A til was the result OF the
dispute between the two. They made 1t UP.
and were more loving than ever. As an a1ec-
tionate clincher OF the reconciliation Sally de-
clprad that she had now banished Lord Berke-
10y from her mind. and added: And. In order
to make sure that he shall never make trouble
between us again. will teach myself to detest
tUnC name Huu I'LL IHhI HuVo UOIuo IL VI ever
shall bear it."
This inflicted another pang. aud Tracy was
minded to ask her to modify that little-just
on general principles and as practice in not
OVERRIDING good thing-but thought perhaps
he might better leave things as they were and
not risk bringing on another tifI He got
away from that particular and sought less
tender ground for conversation.
81 suppose you disapprove OF aristocracies
and nobilities. now that you have renowned
your title and your fathers earldom."
Real ones? Oh. dear. no. but I've thrown
aside our sham one for good"
This answer fell just at the right time and
just in the right place to save the poor unsta-
bio young man from changing his political
complexion once more. He had been on the
point Of beginning to totter again. but this
prop shored him up and kept him from foun-
dering back into democracy and re-renouno-
ing arstocracy. So he went home glad that
he had asked the fortunate question. The girl
would accept little thing like genuine earl
dom; she was merely prejudiced against the |
brummagen article Yes. he could have his
girl and have his earldom. too: that question |
was q fortunate stroke.
Sally went to bed happy. too: and remained |
happy. deliriously happy. for nearly two hours:
but at last. Just as she was sinking into con- |
shady devil who lives and turks and hides and |
watches inside OF human beings. and Is al
ways waiting for chance to do the proprietor |
a malicious damage. whispered to her soul |
and said: |
THAT question had harmless look. but |
what was back Of it2-what was the score
motive Of 1t ?-what suggested it,"
The shady devil had knitted her. and could
retire now and take a rest the wound would
attend to business for him. And 1t did.
Why should Howard Tracy ask that ques-
tionp II he was not trying to marry her for
the sake OF her rank. what should suggest
that question to him9. Didn't he plainly look
gratltied when she said her objections to aris-
tocracy had their .limitations' All. no is after
me he wants.
SO she argued. in anguish and tears. Then
weak, poor business OF It, and lost the case.
the other. the rest Of the night and at last fell
ssssn Il the da%n fs Are at dawn
bles fire, and one comes out OF 1t with his