Year: 1879

Godfrey Prime was a very rich and sue
cessful merchant.


He had no wife, and but one child-a
daughter y whom he adored, and upon
whom it was his delight to lavish every
thing she asked for, if money would buy
IL


Annis Prime was beautiful, and she was
besides, a girl of considerable sense too
much So, indeed, to be easily satisfied in her
choice of a husband.


She had many suitors, but none of them
suited her


One day the merchant came home to his
splendid mansion. looking like a ghost, he
was SO pale. His hair had grown several
degrees whittier since he went away in the
morning.


Going to his private room he locked the
door and loaded his pistol.


IF l kill myself, he said, ''Annis will
be obliged to marry some of her rich ad-
mirers, because she will have no home with
out. | could never endure to live and see
her suffer the miseries of poverty which
her rearing has so ill-fitted her to bear"


Then he took the pistol in his hand and
looked at it calmly.


''Shall blow out my brains or shoot my
self through the heart"


''You will do neither if you please, papa, =
said Annis herself, coming forward from
behind the curtain of window in which
she had been sitting ever since he entered
the room. ''What is the matter: Why do
YOU wish to kill yourselfl'


'Annis, " said the merchant, sadly, lever
since your mother died | have lived only
for You. All | cared to get wealth for was
for you. But of late have been unfortu-
nate Stand to-day on the verge of hank
ruptcy."


well, am sure that is bad enough with
out your killing yourself, said Annis
do you imagine, oh, foollsh papa That all
the riches OF the world could make up to
me the loss OF you:


The merchant started and looked down as
if ashamed Then he opened his arms wide
and his daughter flew into them.


''Promise me this moment, papa, she
said. THAT you will never, never think Of
such a wicked thing again.


s.My darling" answered the merchant
with emotion. Il never will. Now YOU
must make me a promise. | can stem the
tide, | think a month longer-possiblv six
weeks | should not care myself how soon
the crash came. if | could see YOU provided
fer. Will YOU not. in that time, choose
yourself a husband from all those who are
so anxious to marry voul''


Annis made face. Then, seeing how
anxious her father looked, she said


I'm honestly try, papa. But whoever |
choose must know the truth about Your
affairs before will marry him"


Certainly" said her father, 'sbut | am
sure it will make no difference. You are
too sweet and beautiful To be loved for any
thing but yourself. -


J-non the following evening when An
mis- received companv. she made a careful
toilet


She was a black-eved blonde. and she
wore a male green tissue of silk. looped with
wafer lilies and sea-crasses. and water lilies
in her yellow floating hair.


She looked a siren: hut no siren WAS ever
81 indifferent TO the homage layisbed at her
feet


One after another they came-tbe taH.
the short the fair the dark She looked
in blue eyes and She looked in black: but
no, a heart heat ouickened. even when the
bandsomest man in the room bowed low
before her and murmured fatterinr words
n boneved tones


All would not do. She felt a positive
aversion to some of them, and having every
thing she wanted, because of her father S
indulgence, she could not reconcile herself
to the idea of marrying man for whom she
did not care half us much as she did for her
canary.


When the month was nearly up, during
which the merchant, while he waited anx-
iouslv, said nothing. Annis spoke:


s.Papa," she said, ''you are worth a dozen
of them. | would rather live in poverty
with YOU than in affiuence with one OF
them"


''You don't know what poverty is, said
her father gloomily.


''But | have curiosity to know, said
the daughter, bravely. ''Be good papa,
now, and don't tease me. | am sure you
can save enough of the wreck TO furnish
two rooms, and the cook has been giving
me lessons. Wont il be funl'
The ruined merchant sighed, but nc was
not altogether displeased-
The girl had such a sweet and coaXing
voice-she looked at him so lovingly, and
he was in the habit of giving her everything
she wanted. So the end of it was he lei
her do as she liked in this
Godfrey Prime saved nothing from the
wreck. He was an honorable man, and
gave up everything TO his creditors, even
his daughters many and costly ornaments
with her consent, too.
But even then all was not paid, and hum
BILE as was the home to which the pair be
took themselves. the saddest thought that
entered there was that a dollar remained
| ,nna;d AGAINST the name of Prime