Middletown transcript., 1901-07-27

grand success of yourself you have righ
to expect from the beauty and the mag
nlticent voice God has given you!'
Blanche gave little shor laugh.
II like that. My beauty my voicel
Old Dan Berry's girl! tell you there
isn't human creature in all the world
who would help me or believe in meP'
The tears sprang to Maggie's soft brown
eyes.
"Oh. yes, there is-yes there is Blanche!
believe in you. Nobody could make
me believe you were bad girl. know
you are only discouraged and cast down.
And-and Mr.. St. Clyde told me he
thought there was the material for a
noble woman in you, if only you would
take different road. Oh, Blanche, do
try to do differently! wish l could holp
you, but it is SO little I have-I am going
to give you this. 1t is all have of my
own in the world. You need not starve
or be cold, until you get started in new
way. Take it, Blanche! I must go right
away. Hush! you must not cry. Take
it. You shall, because I trust you and
love youw
A cleaning coin -afterward Blanche
discovered it to be ten dollar gold piece
was thrown into her hands, warm,
fragrant mouth was swiftly pressed to
hers, and then Maggie went flying back
to the house.
For minute Blanche stood transfxed,
her eyes following the retleating figure;
then the first tears that had wet them for
many long day rushed in drenching
torrent over the money in her hand.
''She is an angel! She believes in me
in me! God! God! oh, won't You help
me?'
And the wild, fierce prayer went up
from the very raging depths of her soul,
just as Clyde st. Clyde stepped further
back into the shadows of the hedgerow
to let her pasS by on her rapid departure
where he had stood, from first to last,
and heard every word.
As he went ON toward the cleaning
light in the Melville farmhouse window,
all his handsome face was aglow with
proud, happy delight.
'My precious little Maggie! My noble,
womanly, tender hearted little darlingP'
For Clyde st. Clyde, son of the great
man who owned the magnificent property
on the hill, was the betrothed lover of
sweet Maggie Melville, the daughter and
heiress of the plain, thrifty farmer.
"And it must all go-everything-every
thing-Clyde?"
Clyde st. Clyde's wife lifted her piteous,
lovely face, whose eyes were wet with
tears, whose red lips were quivering, de-
spite the effort to be brave.
Everything, Maggie. 1t has been an
unfortunate affair from first to last, dear;
but l cannot see where my poor father
could have avoided doing just as he did.
Clyde Place will have to 60, and all the
luxuries and elegancies which we are
accustomed, and which l was SO proud
and glad to bestow on my little wife; be-
cause, Maggie, cannot possibly raise the
fifty thousand to prtvent the foreclosure
of the mortgage held by the Cameux es-
tate. You will be brave, and help me
boor n Moouia daar2''
For answer she twined her arms round
his neck, kissing him tenderly.
Il cannot help crying, Clyde, for your
sake! But you know l love you better
tlian all the world beside. All the riches
in the world could not make me love you
better, darling?"
'"Then l will face it as ought" st.
Clyde said, caressing her soft, shining
hair; land tomorrow, when Mr.. Cameux
comes TO see me finally about it, I will re-
member what you have said"
Maggie looked inquiring at him.
"Will Mr.. Cameux himself come? l
thought he was still abroad, where he
has been for years and yearsP thought
Mr.. Duncan was the agentT'
"He is; but Mr.. Cameux returned a
day or so ago, dear, and intimated at once
that he wished to see me personally.
That is all I know of it."
At noon the next day, the Cameux
carriage rolled grandly up to the entrance
at Clyde Place, the livery of the coach
man and footman, of quiet, aristocratic
elegance, that was in perfect accord with
the owner, who sprang out and assisted a
beautiful lady to alight, and then escorted
her to the Clyde Place drawingroom.
II am so impatient to see Maggie at
once" she said, in an exquisite contralto
voice, that, in five years of married life,
was still the sweetest music Howard Cam
eux had ever heard.
He smiled tenderly in his wife's eyes.
sThis is an extravagant piece of bust
ness you are making me transact for SEN
timent's sake, Blanche; but daresay, l
will have to afford it, you ruinous, little
woman"
She gave him look that was full of
appealing tenderness.
'But only think how perfectly happy
we are, Howard, and if it hadn't been for
Maggie Melville-you know what we owe
her, dearest. 1 would die for the sake of
what she has indirectly given me-you,
your love and beautiful home. Oh, How
ard, is it not worth more than this trife
of fifty thousand dollars?"
He smiled in her eager, impetuous face,
and whispered something in her ear that
made her eyes fill with happy tears, just
as Clyde St. Clyde and his wife came
into the room.
An hour or so later when the mortgage
was cancelled and free title deed to
CLYDE Place given to Maggie by Howard
Cameux and Blanche Berry, his wife,
Clyde St. Clyde took her in his arms, and