Year: 1875

the doctor by ten years, and very much
of boy still, and the rising moon found
May and her little cousin Tom and Mar
Gus all sitting together on the lower
step of the porch, talking of blackberry
ing. as three children might.


The heiress wore linen dress and
knot of blue ribbon in her hair. Marcus
forgot she was an heiress. 1t was only a
dear little girl, just the incest creature
he ever met, who looked at him frankly
with her.blue eyes-real blue eyes, not
blue gray. He went home in the first
stages of love, and sat at the window
looking at the moon, and thinking of
her nearly all the night.


May had never had anything like a
beau in her life. Shut up with an inva-
lid uncle in great city home that was
like prison-seeing no one but the
doctor and nurse, and now and then
some old gentlemen, whom her uncle
was persuaded to admit on the score of
old friendship-she had no idea that
she might be belle. Life was all new
to her. Even her cousin was a new
found relative who had taken to her,
when the friends gathered at the old
mans funeral.


People who had never remembered
little May until the news of her heiress-
ship brought her to notice, had been so
very kind since. The liberty she enjoy
ed made the country-house very happy
place and now two admirers dawned
upon her horizon at once, and made life
perfectly splendid" to May, much as
the situation would have bored many an
experienced belle.


Matters naturally assumed this form
as the time passed on. May had two
lovers and hardly knew which she liked
best


Marcus did not make love-he did
not dare-but looked it. The doctor
made love scientifically; he had pumped
the farmer, who believed that the young
lady's fortune was something more than
common" He had even extracted from
the married cousin a statement that
"Uncle left everything to May"


He had three months to work in be-
fore the heiress knew her own powers,
and had learnt from one gray winter
that lovers follow money thick and fast
and he was determined sort of a fell
low where there was anything to gain.


Marcus had no plans. His boy''
heart ran away with him-that was all
He could not keep away from May
side, nor forget her when they wer'
apart and so summer passed and au
tumn approached, and the city folk
were going home, and the district .schoo
was to be opened. and cousin Helen
husband, hard driven Wall street man
came down to spend week before h
took his family home, and all this de
lightful time was nearly at an end.


Marcus was to be examined for hi
position as teacher of the school-a mer
form with his fine education.


The doctor, as a learned gentleman
was one of committee to examine tn
coming school-ma'am for the girls de
partment.


"a pleasanter task" as he said, jest


ingly, eff he expected to see anybod


there but old Miss Cynthia Alderny an


old Miss Baker"


May heard good deal of the schoo


especially as farmer Parsons was anotf


er of the committee, and she felt an in


terest in it, too, as Marcus was to teacf


1t seemed so odd to think of.


Cousin Helen's husband went abou


as men generally do, and heard more i


day than the ladies could in a yea


He returned one evening with solem


face, and informed his wife in con6denC


that the talk of the whole place va


Nays fortune, and that the doctor, wh
had done nothing but run after rich w
men since he came to the place, W;
said to be "after it.


! "a regular fortune-hunter, my dear,
said the husband. "You must use yol
influence with poor May ea
May, meanwhile, had been in her
vorite grove, and there had Marcl
Moreland betaken himself to say goo
bye. Poor boy, he had had some bitt
t hours of late The truth that May
: love was the one thing worth havir
upon earth, had dawned upon him, al


with it the knowledge that he had ]
right to offer himself to an heiress. He
f he hated her money. 1t stood betwe'
: them like some awful spell. If she b;
: been the poorest girl living, he cou
r have said all that was in his heart
!, her-not now.


5 So the poor boy uttered few falte
r ing words and went away.


a alt was folly for me to think he lik
r me much, said May, as he left b,
e "How formal and cold he is after /;
J. our sOciabIlity," and little pang nj
: ped her heart and she smiled mo
e brightly on the doctor when he also e
+ tered the grove than she had ever SIN
II ed before.