Year: 1873

/ am the eldest son of a gentleman
who had a good property in one of the
northern counties of England. l had
one brother, year yonger than my
self-a wild, dissipated gambler Often
| have paid his debts out of my own
allowance, rather than let my father
know of his misdeeds. Each time |
did so, William-my brother was so
called-promised never to touch card
or back a horse again and each time,
after few weeks quiet life, he return
ed to his evil courses with redoubled
energy, and soon got as much in debt
as ever. When / was about twenty
eight wears old my father died, leaving
me heir to all his property. which was
entailed. Hitherto l had lived a quiet
country life but now, forced by busi-
ness to frequent the busy haunts of men
| began to like the eXcitements of the
world and the gay pleasures of socie-
ty. Rich gOOd-looking, and easy-tem-
pered, [ was soon a favOritc with those
whom ! came in contact with. Simple
in the ways of the world, and unsuspi-
cious by nature, [ was silly enough to
suppose that it was the man and not
the money they cOurted; and it flat
tered my pride and cOnceit TO be so
much thought of and sought after. To
crown my happiness, grew fondly
attached to beautiful girl, who seemed
to return my love and before l had
known her many months we were EN-
gagged. | need not tell her name, nor
need give you a description of her,
more than in saying that she was tall,
dark, with long raven locks, and black,
flashing eyes of rather a Spanish
beauty-cOmmand and imperious-
looking. / was intoxicated with her
type OF beauty, and wOrshipped her
madly. / obeyed every look or ge5-
ture. and, blinded by my foolish, in
sane love, l became her abject slave,
only living for the pleasure of serving
her and being near her.


Oh! fool, idiot that / was, to sup
pose that such rs she could love poor,
weak, silly creature like me! But soon
was to be undeceived. My brother
came to stay with me at the same time
that she and her mother were visiting
me, He, too. seemed struck with her
beauty, and told me, in joking, laugh
ing sort OF way, what lucky fellow l
was.


"You elder brothers," he said-half
bitterly, / thought-"are always in
luck, in love or war. With a nice
snug income, and dear old country
place, YOU are going to marry the
nandsomest woman in England, with
whom you are deeply in love, and no
wonder and who, as a matter of
course" he added, with a half-sneer-
ng smile, lis equally devoted to you or
your acres" Oh, happy accident OF
birth! Now look at the unhappy
Younger son, as illustrated by myself.
Unlucky at nay birth, the same evil
genius pursues me through life. Born
with the same or rather ten times grea-
ter desire, to enjoy the good things OF
this life,' brought up together in COM
fort and luxury, and not educated IN a
manner to fit me for fighting in the
battlefield of life,' come to mans s
estate, and discover myself dependent
on the generous bounty of brother,
whose only claim to superior sagaclty
is the fact of coming into the world a
year before me-"


SO saving, he turned and hurriedly
left me. | felt grieved that be should
i'm his heat blame me for his want of
luck. had always given him what |
considered to be a just proportion OF
my yearly income but II he had re-
ceived ten times that amount,i it would
all have gone in betting and gambling,
and in a few months he would have
been as poor as ever


Things went on quietly without any
change for a week or two. Then L be-
gan to be sensible of a change in her
behavior TO me. l could not say IN
what. Only now she seemed TO avoid
being alone with me, and at times
sroke shortly and impatiently to me.
For a long time | tried to make my
self believe it was only fancy; but by
degrees the heart-breaking truth
forced itselfupon me. She was ceasing
to love me. IF so, who was it who was
robbing me of my idol? Who could 1t
be but my own brother? Alas! alas
how could it be otherwise? Living IN
the same house, meeting every hour
of the day. was it possible for my
brother TO resist such perfection ,
Still. | might be mistaken, and L de-
termined TO watch them closely. For
days saw nothing to indicate that
nv surmises were correct, and began
to think that il was but a lovers fears,
and nav heart grew light and happy
again; and | went to find her, lnten-
ding to tell her of my idle, groundless
suspicious.


As | went through the garden, on
my way to a green house, where the
servants told me should find her, l
came suddenly on a sight which
checked my further progress. stan
ding under the shelter of tree were
two people, man and woman-he,
with his arm round her, tenderly sup
porting her, while she looked in his
face trustingly and lovinglys


II was my brother and my promised
wife. As | stood sill, rooted, as it
were to the spot, spell bound, their
lips met in a long, clinging kiss, d,


With groan, / turned and led
from the accursed spot, ard, reaching
NV room, threw myself on the bed
wild with grief and despair. and un-
able to collect my scattered thoughts
Nothing but one terrible truth was
ever before mel had lost her! Ana
he. my brother, whom l had loved as
myself, had robbed me of her. Stlll,
strange to say, no feeling of anger or
resentment stirred my heart. Could
blame him for loving her, or her for
loving him ? He, who was handso-
mer far than I, clever and learned in
the ways of the world, was more fit
ting mate for her than | was-pOor,
simple, weak-minded, blinded fool
Law for hours, crushed and stunned,