Year: 1875

Miss Rehecca Melton, q valetndinar-
ian of sixty, lay dying at her house in
town, She had held so tenacious q
grip upon life that it was difficult for
the two young people to realize the END
was so near. These two young people
Gerald Melton, her nephew, and Miss
Amy Williams, her companion ana
nurse. 1891, O. 49, NF ~


Gerald had seem the young woman
every day for the three years she had
lived with his aunt, but never until
that moment had bestowed q serious
thought upon her. He did mot 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 luminously in the
sombre gloom of the sick chamber.


you expect to pay for that horse
for Emily Thorpe to ride with the mon
ey you get by my death, "said the dy-
ing woman, "you're mistaken" 4 q


"You don't understand, began Ger
aid. 3tLs,f. .F.Il


'It was an infamous transaction, Z"
said the old lady, I found out enough
abont it to make me put codicil to my
will I've left every penny to Amy
Williams" ~I7t-'l


twas then that Gerald looked at
Amy; but his aunt suddenly stretched
out her hand to him pleadiugly, and
finding grey pallor spreading over
her face, he knelt down by the bedside
and took her cold withered hand in his
own. ,s --


'If the horse had been for any one
but that Emily Thorpe!' faltered the
poor old lady. , --r


"Oh, aunt" said Gerald. ''If you'd
let me explain" IN


81 would if had time," she said;
"but must die now."


In ten minutes it was all over, and
Gerald went out OF the house with q
great ache at his heart. He was very
sorry for his aunt; she had been kind
to him-too kind, for she had reared
him for the useless life of a drone, when
now it appeared he must work for his
living like all the rest of the bees. It
had hitherto been something of a bore
to him merely to spend money, and the
fact began to dawn unpleasantly upon
his mind that to earn it must be infini-
tely more wearisome.
Walking almlessly on, his feet took
mechanically familiar direction, and
he found himself pausirg before a fine
house in fashionable quarter of the
city, from whence shambled g some
what bent and awkward figure that
presently disappeared in brougham
before the door. attss


Gerald recognized the man as Mr.,
Badger, the millionaire, and involun-
tariiy contrasted his own condition with
that Of the fortunate soap dealer. He
was, however, so absorbed with the
direful news he had totell Emily that
before she came into the parlor he had
forgotten Badgers existence. .l


1t was singular that Ter remarkable
beauty and brilliant toilet did not ap-
pail Gerald at that moment, that the
] fact of his no longer being able to grace
that lovely hand with BETTING gems
did prevent him from selling it 10
both his own and kissing ltrapturously.
For that enchanting moment he was al.
lowed to forget the gloomy chamber
where his aunt lag dead, and the wo-
man that waited there for Che money he
had been taught to consider his own.


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


Emily drew her hand gently away
from his caress.


Gerald" she said; ~ have some-
thing to tell you"


Her accent was cold. There was
something in her manner that caused
him to step back and look at her with
a dim pTemonition of what was to come


"You know" she continued, chow
bitterly opposed your aunt is toyour af-
fection to me. She has told me her.
self that she will never consent to our
happiness. Gerald, am too fond of
you to wreck your whole life. There
is but one way to END IL all--'n a.s .


She paused. He leaned forward and
still kept his eyes, now wan and hag-
gard upon her face. Then she sank,
pale and trembling into a chair; and
covered her eyes with her hands. She
was moved with pity, perhaps or va
que regret. AT last she spoke.


81 have Just accepted an offer OF