Year: 1872

if fearful that the sorrowful, stately figure be-
fore him might lead him to retract his deter
mination. II have accepted the position, and
am to enter on my duties tomorrow. Now,
mother"-as she moaned at this plain state
thoroughly. I went through the whole strug-
gle yesterday, but now can truthfully, say l
am glad that circumstances have brought me
to this. Why, mother, look at the matter.
I am not putting down pride by this course,
but upholding it. If I, a man of twenty-five,
we'll, strong, and of sound faculties, should
consent, for one moment, to be burden on
another, I would indeed, be fit subject for
tears, and our pride of birth might we'll be
leveled but, as it is, aim to keep unspotted
our clear family record, and shall let inde-
pendence and honesty compensate for the
wealth which has so suddenly disappeared"


The mothers face frightened little. The
enthusiasm and high-mindedness of the hand
some fellow wrought slight but salutary
change in her emotions, and The sis gh was but
a faint edition Of previous ones with which
she preceded her next remark.


"But q letter-carrier, my son! Surely a
higher position than that was attainable. Of
what avail will prove your talents and educa-
ton in such a life?


Alton Burke smiled sadly.


Mother, my talents and education have all
been devoted to one object-the practice Of
law. Fathers sickness has prevented my be-
ginning my profession with him, as we had
proposed. I will not ask the business infu-
ence of those who have socially given us the
cold shoulder and without influence there is
no possibility of obtaining mercantile posi-
ton. have tried perseveringly- know
with what result. We must live and a letter.
carrier is in my opinion, far superior to an
aimless puppy who sits down contented to ex-
ist on the bounty of relatives"


Mrs. Burke had by this time become pretty
we'll imbued with her sons magnetic fervor.
Her eyes were brighter, her forehead clearer,
and she had almost smiled, when another con-
sideration intruded itself, and, with most un-
pardonable oficiousness, dashed the gathering
brightness back into its hiding place.


"But, Alton, -" Here the fond mother
hesitated. It was delicate subject she would
have touched upon, and she was uncertain how
to proceed. He OWNED her meaning intui
lively, and a sadder light came into his dark
eyes.


"Maud Murray, suppose you mean, moth
er. Well, have relinquished, with other
hopes, the idea of winning her. She is proud
woefully proud-so am I. Adversely has
leveled that portion of my pride which was
weakest, but she has never been tried, and will
view the matter as should probably have
done month ago. Alton Burke, the aristo-
crat, was very we'll but Alton Burke, as
Letter Carrier, No. %, would be scorned most
heartily. I don't think the pecuniary loss
would have affected her. She is far too noble
for that. But social degradation she could
not endure. 1t is we'll that there was no en-
gagement existing between us, as there need
be no formal breaking of bonds"


"But Alton" and the speakers voice trem-
bled as she saw her boy thus putting away
from himself all hope Of happiness, "you may
misjudge Maud. Shall you make no endeav-
or to discover whether your estimate of her
character be correct?"


The dark face flushed brilliantly as the re-
membrance of certain cuts from divers of the
snall-minded of his past "set" rose vividly to
his mind, and very emphatic was the response ::


"No ma am! Maud Murray has our address,
and any desire on her part to retain our friend
ship may be easily manifested by call on
you. The worst part of my business is, that
her street is the principal one of my new
route, and as the number Of the young lady's
correspondents are by no means limited, 1
shall doubtless often have occasion to visit the
mansion in my new capacity and with a
whistle neither very loud nor very firm, the
young man turned to the window, looked out
moment silently, and then walked from the
room.


Alton Burke was morally strong. He had
studied, had travelled, and was just about to
commence the practice of law with his father,
Judge Burke, when that gentleman was strick-
en- with paralysis. Some time before his ulti-
mate illness he had shown symptoms of men,
tai weakness, which had worried his friends
exceedingly, and when his affairs came to be
looked into it was found that of his enormous
fortune scarcely thousand dollars remained.
Certain sharpers had taken advantage of his
business imbecility and drew him into specu-
lation from which his money had scarcely
more hope of escape than from grave. His
son, a young man whom fortune had petted
to an exceptional extent, rose superior to the
circumstances which had come upon him
without the slightest preparation, and rejecting
the money offers which had come in from va
rious wealthy relatives went manfully to work
to procure position, the proceedings of which
would be sufficient for the support of himself
and parents. This was not an easy underta-
king. The relatives who so generously prof
fered pecuniary aid had no sympathy with
what they termed his "Quixotic ideas of in.
dependence" They would gladly have placed
him in some law office, and taken care of the
family until he should have worked himself
up to a paying position in his profession; but
the idea of mercantile life for one upon
whose education so much had been expended,
and who most undoubtedly possessed superior
talent for the bar, was to them preposterous,
and they refused utterly to render him any as
sistance in the way he desired.


After persevering and energetic endeavor,
he discovered that, unaided, it was useless for
him to seek either very profitable, or 'gentecl'
occupation; so, after a struggle far more in
tense than even his mother had any conception
of, he accepted the first and only situation Of
fered-a metropolitan carriership The blow
was hard enough of itself, but his love for one
Of the proudest women of New York city
made his troubled heart even more sensitive


He had seen them banished from her good
graces for trifes no other young lady in her
circle would think of noticing, and although
she was in every sense of the word her own
mistress, the possibility of her overlooking his
selfimposed lowliness never once occurred to
him. She was-must be-fully aware of his
affection but that fact made it only the more
hopeless and resolutely putting away all
thought Of the naughty beauty, No. 20 COM
menced the next morning his tryinr occuDa-