Year: 1872

SOCAoIJ.


Grace was assisting Conway in dozen
ways. If she sometimes sighed to enjoy the
luxuries of Georgia's city residence, or the
elegancies of her villa on the lake, she thought
of her mother with her nervous attacks, and
said nothing Mrs. Elliott and Madame DE
Victor devoted most of their time to the chill
dren, and it was hard to say which loved them
the best.


II must have one of you marry and live
near me-" said Georgia, one day, when they
were all busy on some of fConway's new fnery'
II cannot live so far away, with none of my
own family near me. If Conway will only
fall in love with some good man and settle
out there, then, with long visits from mother
and the rest, I shall be perfectly happy"


"You forget cousin Jack" ventured Grace


"Not at ALL He don't want Conway. He
has given her up willingly"


The work fell from the hands of Grace,
and she turned deathly pale. Conway put
her arms around her with


"Cousin Jack doesn't want me. 1 have
thought so long time, and now I know it.
We are both free, and have been quite little
while. Now don't look so distressed; for l
assure you Jack is more glad than sorry
Then to turn her thoughts, she added jesting-
ly: "There! I've paid you back for your ST.
lence in keeping your wonderful exploit with
Captain Clinton a secret so long"


"Sister Conway, will you never forget that
I'm sure I've asked you often enough, and |
couldn't tell it till some one else broke the
ice."


"I wonder if that captain stole your heart,
that you were so cold to Arthur, and would
not notice young Stoudemeyer? 1 never
could imagine before what the impeachment
could be-" And she ran on with her nonsense
and laughter till Georgia threatened to turn
her out of the room, if she did not let Grace
alone. "You are only jealous because you
did not receive the KISS" said she."


"Bless me, what all idea! Well, I'll be
mute after such an intimation."


Jack came up every Saturday evening, at
tended church Sunday, enjoyed the company
of his relatives, and then was off before day
light Monday morning. He was always in
fine spirits, and did not appear to have a care
to trouble him. To the enquiries as to how
he was getting along, he replied, laughingly,
that "it took large tract of land to make
one rail to the acre answer in fencing it; that
he could eat corn bread week days, if the
ladies would give him something good on
Sundays; that he could soon live under and
from his own vine and fig tree, if their growth
and fruitfulness we're in proportion to their
numbers; that he could work very we'll in
the same shirt two days, but he couldn't sleep
in it the second night; that the negroes were
not afraid of work, as they could 60 to sleep
by it; but they must be afraid of laziness, for
they submitted to it without resistance. The
real state of things they must 60 and see for
themselves, and he would give them cold
water for refreshment, and bench in the
piazza for seat"


As Jack gave them many earnest invita-
tions to spend day with him, the ladies
agreed to 60, provided he would consent to
their carrying basket dinner, and not put
himself to any trouble on their account.


Mr.. Ellison had been to see Jack two or
three times, but he never gave any informa-
tion beyond the mere remark that "Jack was
getting along well-very we'll, indeed; he
had taken Mr.. Wright's advice on some
things, had good ideas of his own, and stood
fair chance of prospering:"


Mr.. Elliott would not 60 near the place.
"It was Jacks own venture, and he might
sink or swim-he shouldn't interfere"