Year: 1873

''SA
trying to picture future of easy com
potency shared by the companions of
her life. 1t had its bright side; there
was still love and happiness for her yet.
And then bright face crowned with
curly brown hair would come before
her, and she knew that the handsome
house nor the comfortable income could
ever fill her heart if Charlie left an
aching void there.


Suddenly, like a gust of wind, there
swept into the little sitting room tall,
broad shouldered young man, in gray
tweed suit and slouch hat, which latter
article found a resting place upon the
floor, as the young giant braced himself
before Jessie in an attitude of grim de-
tiance that sent thrills of glad music
into her heart.


will you have the kindness, Miss
Markham" said the intruder, towering
in his six feet of manhood over Jessie's
low seat, to tell me what you mean by
that absurd letter Polly handed to me /?
Was 1t not fully understood that you
and | were to share this cottage with
your mamma until | attained sufficient
legal cminence to warrant the purchase
of brown-stone front i'll New York :?
Was ! not deluded into the belief that
your presence i'll the culinary depart
ment of our establishment was to reduce
our expenses to the limits of our present
income? Was it not represented to me
that my present hoard was sufficient to
meet the requirements of in this domi-
cile e? In short, Miss Markham, in what
way was | ever led to suppose that the
fortune of your spinster aunt was to in
huence in the slightest degree your mat
rimonial relations in regard to myself
pause for reply"


Jessie stood up, her hands meekly
folded together, and her happy eyes
downcast till the long lashes kissed her
cheek.


Please forgive me this time and I'll
never do it again. she said; and then
the laugh dimpled her cheek, danced in
her eye and rippled out clear and sweet
upon the air.


"Oh, Charlie Charlie d. l knew you
never thought of Aunt Jessie's money !"


"And you, said Charlie, holding her
off at arms length, you can have it all
if you give me up


CAS- if I loved money better than
you, said Jessie, nesting now in the
strong arms folded closely around her.


1t seemed, however as if Charlie were
actually afraid of the money that was Sc
temptingly near Jessie's grasp, for he
commenced series of interviews that
bore entire upon the subject of an
immediate marriage.


"What is there to wait for?' he
would ask, and then enter upon calcula-
tions of his present expenses and those
of the future, proving most conclusively
that there was decided saving for both
in uniting their incomes.


"You remind me, said JESSIE "of
the Dutchman who said he could al
most support himself alone, and it was
pity if two of them could not do it en-
tirely."


But though she laughed at him, Jes-
sic was quite willing to admit the force
of his reas oning ; and one bright June
morning, six months after Aunt Jesse's
death, there was wedding i'll the vii
lage church, and breakfast in the cot
tage for few chosen friends. Among
these was Aunt Jessie's lawyer, for the
will stipulated that the sealed codicil
was to be opened at Jessie's wedding, if
she preferred love to money.


The bride was little paler than usual
when with solemn face the New York
lawyer broke the big red seal. Visions
of John Garland holding drunken revels
in her aunt's house fitted across her
mind, and then she looked into Charles
face, and over her own crept an express
sion of perfect content.


The will was opened and found to
contain only letter directed to Jessie,
and short, legally-worded formula,
making herself and her chosen husband
| Joint inheritors Of her aunts fortune
Truly the bride opened the letter from
the dead.


With loving words Aunt Jessie blessed
her and wished her happiness.


81 do not" she wrote, "approve Cf
the money-power in a family being en-
tirely in the hands of a woman there
fore you will find, dear Jessie, that half
of my fortune only is yours, the remain
ing half to go to the husband who has
proved that he loved you for your own
sweet self, not for your fortune"


During the wedding tour of the young
couple, Mrs. Markham, at their earnest
solicitation, took an affectionate fare
well of her pupils, and removed her
household treasures to the New York
mansion, to which in due time came
Charlie and Jessie to brighten the long
silent rooms with their happiness, and
establish that loving circle that makes
home of any house, however grand or
however humble.