Year: 1875




rian Of sixty, lay dying at her house
in town. She had held so tenacious a
grip upon life thatjt was difficult for
the two young people to realize the
end was so near. These two young
people were Gerald Melton, her neph-
ew, and Miss Amy Williams, her
companion and nurse.


Gerald had seen the young woman
every day for the last three years she
had lived with his aunt, but never
until that moment had bestowed a
serious thought upon her. He did not
even know the color of her eyes. till
his aunt gasped out sentence that
caused him to look at her attentively.
Then he found them shining lumin-
ously in the somber gloom of the sick
chamber.


eff you expect to pay for that horse
for Emily Thorpe to ride with the
money yon get by my DEATH" said the
dying woman, "you're mistaken"


you don't understand" began
Gerald.


eft was an Infamous transactisn,'
said the old lady. II found out
enough about it to make me put cod
icil to my will. I've left every penny
to Amy Williams"


1t was then that Gerald looked at
Amy but his aunt suddenly stretched
out her hands to him plcadingly, and
finding a grey pallor spreading over
her face, he knelt down by the bed
side and took her cold withered hand
in his own.


elf the horse had been for any one
but that Emily Thorpe" faltered the
poor old lady.


"Oh, aunt" said Gerald, if you'd
let me explain"


81 would if l had time," she said,
"but must die new."


In ten minutes it was all oyer, and
Gerald went out Of the house with a
great ache at his heart. He was very
sorry for his auut; she had been kind
to him-too kind, for she had reared
him for the useless life of drone,
when now it appeared he must work
for Lis living like the rest of the bees.
1t had hitherto been something of a
bore to him merely to spend money,
aud the fact began to dawn unpleasant
ly upon his mind that to earn it must
be infinitely more wearisome.


Walking aimlessly on, his feet took
mechanically a familiar direction, and
he found himself pausing before fine
house in a fashionable quarter of the
city, from whence shamblcd some
what bent and awkward figure that
presently disappeared in a brougham
before the door.


Gerald recognized the man as Mr..
Badger, the millionaire, and involun-
tarily contrasted his own condition
with that of the fortunate soap dealer.
He was, however, so absorbed with
the direful news he had to tell Emily,
that before she came into the parlor
uC naU III SottCu CAlStcHCc


1t was singular that her REMARKABLY c
beauty and brilliant toilet did not ap-
pal Gerald at that moment, that the
fact of his no longer being able to
grace that lovely hand with befittins
gems, did not prevent him from seiz.
ing it in both his own and kissing il
rapturously. For that enchanting
moment he was allowed to forget the
gloomy chamber where his aunt lay
dead, and the woman that waited there
for the money he had been taught tc
consider his own.


sit seems to me that you are very
beautiful this morning." was all that
he could say.


Emily drew hsr hand gently away
from his caress.


"Gerald," che said, 81 have some
thing to tell YOU"


Her accent was cold. There wa
something in her manner that caused
him to step back and look at her witt
q dim premonition of what was t,
come.


You know" she continued, " hov
bitterly opposed your aunt is to you
affection for me. She has told me her
self that she will never consent to ON
happiness. Gerald, l am too fond Q
you to wreck your whole life. Thcr
is but one way to end it all-"


She paused. He leaned ferwar
a and still kent his ewes now wan an