, 1899-06-16

were my all-my whole earthly possess
sion. l loved you as my own life!'
And a nice way you took to prove it,
by taking from me the only thing which
l possessed-my fathers name. Do you
know what that man said to me to-day?
That my proper name was not Moray, and
that if l used It for the future, he would
publicly denounce me as an impostor."
1.-THE wicked, cruel man! He knows
you are his own brothers. child-and eX-
cept in that one matter l nave never
harmed him-why should he rise up now
to destroy all my peace of mindY'
Because you put it in his power to do
so. By this lie which you told him to Sc
cure a temporary pleasure for yourself,
at the price of an everlasting shame for
me, you placed a weapon in his hand with
which he can stab us both to his life's end.
Do you know the mischief he has done
already with it? He has related the whole
base story to DIR. de Blois, who has per-
emptorily refused, in consequence, to give
me Gabrielle in marriage"
"Ah. no, no, Angus! it cannot be. You
must be Mistaken Think how long we
have lived and been respected in Bruges
what honored friends we nave gained
mere. Ut. Qt DlOlS Will NEVER TAKE the
word of a stranger against the proof of
his own eyes. He did not tell you so,
surely?'
"To all my entreaties that he would ex-
plain himself more satisfactorily, with re-
spect to refusing my offer, he had but one
reply: Ask your mother-she ought to
know
"And would you rather, then, that ]
had let you go to your uncle, Angus y
she cries in an agony of pain. "Would
you have given up my love and tender
ness for all these many years for the sake
of that mans riches"
81 would have given them up for the
AXE of an honest name" he answers
quickly: and then, seeing how he has
wounded her, he adds: Don't think l un.
dervalue your love, mother; but you might
have found a better way of showing it fol
me than you did"
And this is the end! This is the fruit
of all those weary, fearful years-thar
cheerfully borne labor, and those cheer
fully expended earnings, that her boy
might have everything of the best tina
she could give him-Angus tells her tina
he would have resigned it all to regain
that which her own hand wrested from
him! :
'To think" he exclaims; as he rises ant
PAGES the room, that for a single lie, my
life and my affections are blighted for
ever; that l have lost my Gabrielle ant
my good name at one and the same mo
ment; that here in this city, where | hay'
been reared to hold my head up with am
man, 1 must sink through the streeti
with downcast eyes. l will settle up m.
accounts at the Office as soon as ever il i
possible, and turn my back upon the plae,
forevern
"Angus-Angus! where will you go
sobs his mother.
Heaven knows-and | don't care. Any
where-so it be to a country where tn
disgrace you have cruelty tackled to m,
is not known, and l can begin life afresl
under the only name you have left me tn
right to bear. Life afresh! What a fare
it seems to me to speak so! Why, yoV
have destroyed my life, with all that wa
worth having in it. l shall have no lif
henceforward, as l shall have no name
Oh, mother! mother! you may have calle'
it love, but you are the bitteresr enem.
| have ever had"
ITO be c~ontinued.D