Year: 1879

J
had seen good deal of life and whose
purse had been well filed by the
death of an old aunt when he was
twenty-five, and who would have
turned over in her grave could she
have seen hoy her wild nephew vast
ed the money left him, which she be-
lieved would be devoted to charita-
bic acts, buying Sunday. school books
fer POOR churches, and doing good
generally.


But Rodney devoted liberal
amount to monument for the good
cd lady, put aside a sum to pay a
man to keep he weeds out of the lot,
and then set off upon his travels
which he kept Up until he sudden
ly got word from his agent that few
thousands were all that were left of
his fortune.


Rodney Shields was horrihed-he
had believed his old aunt's legacy
was a "widows's cruse;' but lie raj
lied quickly, and having been edu-
ca'ed for lawyer returned to New
1oik to commence the practice of his
| profession.


He purchased fair library, fitted
up pleasant Offices, paying for them
a year in advance, furnished hand
somely rooms in a poor widows house
and set himself down to wait for eli
ents, well knowing that he had bare
ly sufficient in bank to last him for a
years support.


But fortune smil on the young
lawyer and steadily a small practice
was opened to him, for he soon prov
ed himself man of considerable le-
gal knowledge, and fine orator.


Of Rodney's peculiarities, for all
men are in manner peculiar, was
his fckleness regarding the fair sex.
Though he was admired much in
society and many fair darnsel would
have been glad to have become Mrs.
| Shields, Rodney could not decide
which he loved the best a blonde or
a brunette for when with the former
be was confident that blue eyes and
sunny hair touched his heart most
deeply; yet when with a brunette,
he could swear that her dark eyes
and raven hair photographed them
selves in his very soul.


At length blonde beauty flashed
across his pathway-an heiress with
whose face, form and purse, there
could be no objections raised.


Day by day Rodney felt himself
falling in love with the fair blonde,
who rejoiced in the name of Lulie
Dalton, and who, by the way, seemed
very much pleased with the travelled
young lawyer, who was winning name,
fame, and enlarged bank account Of
his talent.


"This is the girl for mel GER
tainly am dead gone on those love-
ly eyes, so soft, yet so full of fire,
and her voice just seeks every recess
of my heart, whenever she speaks to
me.


"And they say her old governor ia
worth cool half million, and she is
the only child-excepting wild
brother a midshipman, whom l fear
may fall from aloft some day and be
killed, or be washed overheard in a
gale; yet I hope not, for there is
enough money in the Dalton family
for all of us.


"And why should I wish for more
money than I can make?


II have had my fun, and must work
now for my riches, if I wish them"
"By Jove! how those blue eyes
haunt me Yes will ask her this
very night to be mine own"
Thus mused Rodney Shields in his
Office, his feet upon his table, a cigar
in his lips but, as if having made up
his mind, he therw away his Havana,
and took off the lmpromptu paper
weights from his table.


Then came timid knock at the
door, and hastily assuming business
attitude, and calling to his face an ex-
preston of deep study and care, he
called out absent-mindedly:


"Come in p


In she came-a young girl OF nine
teen, perhaps, with slender grace
full form, and brunette, it would
seem, for her dark curls dropped out
from beneath her sun hat.


She was dressed plainly, yet neatly,
and in perfect taste, and advancing
1