Year: 1875

going away and leaving you, after all you
have done for me-"


"You are not leaving me, my dear; am
sending you away. 1t is right and good that
you should 60 and brighten your grandfath'
er's declining days. I could not honestly urge
you to stay with me, dearly as you know !
would love to have you always"


ut is comfort to know that one is doing
right, of course; but you know, auntie, |
have never seen grandpapa but once, and
hardly feel as if he were a relation"


"You will soon feel differently about that
dear and the poor old gentleman seemed SO
affected at the sight of you, that could hard
ly justify myself in not letting you 60 with
him at once, instead of keeping you longer
sick as I was at the time. am sure he will
love you dearly"


"He says am exactly like my MOTHER
said Alice.


eyes, and no doubt that resemblance seem.
ed to draw you very near to him. You will
be great comfort and happiness to him, |
know"


II am glad, at all events, that you will not
be alone" said Alice.


"Oh yes. I shall do very WE'LL Mrs.
Morton and I will be great company for each
other. I am glad she consented to come here
The rent of her house will be quite conside'
ration for her, and her company will be a
great consideration for me-"


"And you must write often, auntie, and tell
me all about yourself"


"And you must recollect your promise to
do the same. But here comes the carriage
dear, and it is quite time, for if you don't
start at once, you will be too late for the
train"


Alice's tears, which she had hitherto re.
strained with difficulty, now flowed in earnest,
nor was her kind friend backward in follow
ing her example. 1t was a very close tie
which was being severed between them, and
nothing but a strong sense of duty would have
made Alice consent to break it. She had
been truly happy at Elmwood, and felt as if
she could never consider any other place 80
thoroughly her home.


The parting was over, and ourheroine found
herself on her way to Oak Lawn. l will pass
over the journey, and her arrival at her grand
fathers, where she was welcomed with ten
derness that made her reproach herself tor
the reluctance which she had felt to coming.
She was soon installed in her post as mistress
of the house. Mr.. Chester placed all house
keeping affairs under her direction, taking
care, at the same time, that her duties should
be rendered light by efficient aid; and nothing
seemed to give him greater pleasure than to
see her thus taking possession of the rights
and claims of her new sphere, with which he
desired so fully to invest her. Her position as
heiress of all his remaining property was at
once established. And, more than this, she
found herself possessed of the fortune which
she had once resigned, and which Maurice
had so carefully invested for her, in foreign
intact, with its accumulated interest.


"But I can't and won't take ii" said Alice,
for it isn't mine. Did not give it up years
ago, and am I to be cheated into taking it
back now? I did not think Maurice would
be so unkind."


No one, however, could or would help her
out of her dilemma. The property was right
fully hers and Maurice would be greatly hurt
and displeased at any renewal Of her propo'
sal to relinquish it. He said as much in a
letter to her cousin-a letter over which, !
am bound to confess, Alice shed many secret
tears, for it seemed to her dreadfully cold and
formal, in contrast to the warm, eager ehusion
she had sent him, and to which it came in re-
ply. 1t must be acknowledged that her pain
and trouble in this unwelcome inheritance were
fully equal, in measure, to the satisfaction
usually felt by the recipients Of legacies, and
never had she more heartily despised it than
now.


"To think of my being rich, and Maurice
poor. Oh wish he had bought Confeder'
ate bonds with it, as he did with his own then
at least, I should have been spared all this
bother"


Maurice came down that winter to Oak
Lawn, on Mr.. Chester's invitation. "He had
better come and talk Alice into reason" the
old gentleman said, "for he found her quite
impracticable." 1t was the first real renewal
of their intercourse since the war, for sickness
at home, and business affairs, had prevented
Maurice hitherto from fulfilling his promise
of visiting either Elmwood or Oak Lawn
The meeting between them was warm, but
there was shadow of restraint over both
which did not wear of, and Alice, at least
feltit keenly. Maurice was graver, more re-
ticent than of yore while an unwonted shy
ness seemed to possess her, and prevent any
effort on her part to restore the old freedom
of intercourse between them.


1t was the eve Of the day which he had ap'
pointed for leaving them, and he had asked
her to take a stroll with him through the
grounds. II wish, Maurice, you could stay
little longer" she said, regretfully, as he
spoke of his coming journey. "Your visit
has seemed so short


"It has been Short" he replied "and yet
I fear, Alice, that in some respects it has
been all too long"


"Too long! Whyf" she asked.


He smiled little, and said that he could
not tell her why. "Private reasons of my
own, Alice. don't know that they would in
terest you"


"Try me and see," she rejoined.


"Better not; it would be only useless ex
planation."


"You used to be more candid, once upon a
time" she said with some pi9ue.


"Once upon time things were different d


'1u what way?"


"Oh in every way" he answered, lightly
She was hurt by his careless tone, and they
walked little way in silence. She felt moody
and sorrowful, and could not shake off hel
depression +; nor did his next remark tend to
lessen it.


"By this time next week l shall be hard al
work in my office again"


"Do you get much business, Maurice"
"My chief business at present consists in
waiting" he replied, laughing. "But [ am
very industrious, nevertheless, for in default
of clients, read diligently all day, in order
to be prepared for them when they do come u
"And all this worry and difficulty is SC
useless-could be so easily avoided! Oh