The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-12-03
BY Emily S. Windsor.
,hI6hIIIIIii IIIIIIIH11u1.C

| III was all so lonS ag0-2D years-that
the pain and shame of it had grown dim.
| And he was dead Yet was it SO long ago D.?
1t seemed but yesterday that he was with
her talking OF their coming marriage. She
had loved him so. and had been so proud Of
him, though she had not said much about
it it had never been her way to talk a
great deal. Then came that dreadful day
when they told her that he had gone away
and married Sallie, with her yellow hair
| and pink cheeks. That awful day she
could remember the shame aud agony of it
yet And now he was dead had been
dead year There was no feeling of anger
| in her heart toward him there never had
been much. She had known that be was
weak-and Salie had led him on But for
her-how she hated her ! 1t gave her
pleasure to recall Mrs Sprague's words
about her looking poor and miserable.
She was glad that she was suffering it
was hit just.
The next morning Miss Biggs donned
! her old black al paca gown, which she had
carefully brushed Fortunately, the day,
| for the beginning of autumn, was cold
| enough to warrant her wearing her winter
cape, which hid the worn spots in her
waist. She had freshened her bonnet with
new ribbon, so that, as she started to the
station next morning, she looked really
| rln 81
gave color and warmth to her face. Life
was not so hard with $4,000 in prospect.
She stepped along briskly.
One OF the uppermost thoughts in Miss
Biggs' mind during the trip to Plainville
WAS the stone which she could now put to
her fathers grave. Ii should be fine one,
and she would order it that very day in
Plainvile as soon as her interview with
Lawyer Penny was over.
She found the latter awaiting her. He
was an elderly man with kindly gray eyes
After he had made various explanations
regarding Miss Biggs' legacy, he said,
rather hesitatingly
| Wy iu'S was aDDUt III IDltcipSt
the mortgage but perhaps you will be dis
posed to exercise little clemeLcy, and ex-
tend the time. 1t is a sad case If James
Mayhem had lived"
"Who?' interrupted Miss Biggs, sharply.
The lawyer looked at her in surprise
"James Mayhem. II he had lived the
mortgage would, no doubt, have been
lifted, but dying so suddenly, he left his
family in very Strengthened circumstances
II time is given Mrs. Mayhem will most
likely be able to pay the money. She is
going hrayely to work, and her eldest boy
will soon be in position to help her. II
you will make easy terms for her. 1t will
be great blow to her to lose her home. 5"
Lawyer Penny paused and looked in
quirngly at his visitor, but she made no
reply, and he went on
81 should be sorry to see them lose il.
II you are willing to extend the time, Mrs.
Mayhem will be here today, and it would
be great relief to her to know"
Miss Bggs stood up abruptly 81 be-
lieve need remain no longer this morn
ing. You will foreolose at once, as you
were about to do for my cousin Hiram.
Good morning." and she walked quickly
out of the office.
Miss Biggs had walked some distance
| when she remembered her intention of
| ordering the stone for her fathers grave,
but she had passed the stone cutters shop.
which was several blocks back. She would
not retrace her steps, for she felt strangely
tired and weak She had eaten scarcely
any breakfast that morning. She would
return home on the noon tram instead of
passing the day in Plainville, as she had
intended SO she turned in the direction
of the station. When she reached it sub
urban train had just come in, and the pas
sengers were hurrying across the platform
One Of them, woman, was pushed heavily
against Miss Biggs. She began to apollo
gize, but stopped suddenly, as Miss Biggs
looked up at her with quickly suppressed
exclamation. The two women stared at
each other few moments, and then Miss
Biggs brushed past with brusque move
ment, and hurried into her train.
Sallie Mayhem And so thin, pale and
aged The blue eyes dim and the yellow
hair faded. How different from the pink
aud white face which had tempted jim.
The weather changed suddenly that even
ing A cold and steady rain set in. Miss
Biggs found it so depressing that she lit a
fire on the broad hearth of her sitting ROOM
rejecting as she did so, that with those
1000, it was no longer necessary to deny
herself such little comforts. She settled
herself to enjoy the blaze, but she could
not rest. She felt peculiarly unquiet, and
tried to account for it by telling herself
that she was tired out after her trip to
Plainville, but as her unrest increased, she