Year: 1873

your father doing then fair business, aud
already married and in his own house


1t was therefore with the name Of an
heiress that Jessie danced through her first
season, careless, Iight-hearted girl. very
pretty, and sufficiently accomplished TO
make pleasing impression wherever she
went. She was but little over twenty when
she became engaged to Stanley Horton, the
most fashionable man in all our circle Of
friends Not only handsome and talented
and he was both, but possessing in re-
markable degree the courtly polish and
winning grace Of manners that 90 so far
toward gaining a woman's heart. The alb
sorbing love Jessie felt for him seemed
mutual, and congratulations were the order
Of the day, when your grandfather failed
From a man Of wealth he became actually
poor, and losing energy and hope, he came
with Jessie to share our home. Stanley
Horton, the man we all supposed to be a
devoted lover, was fully aware Of the change
in Jessie's prospects, yet he continued bis
visits, making no abrupt, ungentlemanly
desertion Of his betrothed. Yet we, who
watched her with the Jealousy of affection,
soon discovered change 10 her She be-.
came pale and sad, often fearful, till fnal.
y she confded to the that Stanley was evi.
IDENTIFY weary Of her, aud had ceased to love
Even then she attributed the change to
some defect in herself, not seeing the mer-
cenary motive till later, when time had
taken the glamour Of love from her eyes
and heart She gave him back his ring
and promises thus accepting the position
his unmanly conduct forced upon her, of
herself breaking the engagement between
them. The first love of her life was the
last. She was your grandfather's comfort
until he died, and then went to keep house
for Hoyt who lost bis wife and baby one
year from his wedding day. When he died
he left her the house and his money
and she lived there till she died Still |
know she loved you and | am quite sure
her will is not designed so much to keep
you single, as it is to give you an oppor-
tunity to win the disinterested love Of your
future husband.


There was long silence after Mrs. Mark
ham concluded her story, and Jessie allow
ed her head to rest in her mothers lap,
under her mothers carcssng hand, trying
to picture future of easy competency
shared by the companion Of her life. 1t
had its bright side; there was still love
and happiness for her yet And then a
bright face crowned with curly brown hair
would come before her, and she knew that
neither the handsome house or comfortable
income could ever fll her heart If Charlie
left a void there.


Suddenly, like gust Of wind, there
swept into the little sitting-room, tall,
broad shouldered young man in a gray
tweed suit and a slouch hat, which latter
article found a resting place upon the floor,
as the young giant braced himself before
Jessie in an attitude Of grim defiance,
that sent thrills Of glad music into her
b sart.


"Will you have the kindness, Miss Mark.
ham, said the intruder, towering in his six
feet of manhood over Jessie's low seat, ITO
tell me what you mean by the absurd let
ter Polly handed to me? Wasit not fully
understood that you and / were to share
this cottage with your mamma until at
tanned sufficient legal eminence to warrant
the purchase of brown stone front in
New York? Was | not deuded into the
belief that your presence in the culinary
department of our establishment was to re-
duce our expenses TO the limits Of our pres.
ent income Was it not represented to me
that my present board bill was sufficient to
meet the requirements of two in this dom.
cile ? Ia short, Miss Markham, in what
way was | ever led to suppose that the
fortune of your spinster aunt was to ihfu.
ence in the slightest degree your matrimo.
nial intentions with regard to myself?
pause for reply


Jessie stood up, her hands meekly fold
ed together, and her happy eyes downcast
till the long lashes kissed her cheek.


" Please forgive me this time, and III
never say it again" she said and then
the laugh dimpled her cheek, danced in her
eyes, and rippled out clear aud sweet upon
the air.


"Oh, Charlie Charlie knew you
never thought Of aunt Jessies money


" Aud you" said Charlie, holding her off
at arms length, you can have it all, if
you give me up"


&" As if | loved money better than you, "
said Jessie, nesting in the strong arms now
wrapped closely around her.


1t seemed, however, as if Charlie was
actually afraid Of the money that was so
temptingly near Jessie's grasp, for he COM
menced series of interviews that bore en-
tirely upon the subject of an immediate
marriage.


What was there to wait for2' he would
ask, aud then enter upon calculations Of his
present expenses and those of the future,
proving most concusvely that there was a
decided saving for both in uniting their in-
comes


" You remind me-" said Jessie, " of the
Dutchman who said he could almost sup
port himself alone, and it was a pity if two
of them could not do it entirely"
But though she laughed at him, Jessie
was quite willing to admit the force of his
reasoning and one bright June morning,
six months after aunt Jessie's death, there
was wedding at the village church, and a
breakfast in the cottage for a few chosen
friends Among these was aunt Jesse's
lawyer, for the will stipulated that the
sealed codiei was to be opened at esses
wedding, if she preferred love to money.


The bride was little paler than usual
when with solemn face, the New York
lawyer broke the big red real. Visions OF
John Garland holding drunken revels in
her aunt's house fitted across her mind, and
then she looked into Charles face, and
over her own crept an expression of per-
feet content.


The will was opened and found to contain
only letter directed TO Jessie, and a
short, legally worded formula, making her.
self aud her chosen husband joint inheritor,
Of her aunt's fortune. Tearfully the bride
opened the letter from the dead.


With loving words aunt Jessie blessed
her, and wished her happiness.
I" do not" she wrote, "approye of the
money power in family being entirely in
the hands Of il woman therefore you will
find, dear Jessie, that half Of my fortune
only is yours, the remaining half to go to
your husband who has proved he loved you
for your own sweet self, not for your for.
tune


! During the wedding tour Of the young
couple, Mrs. Markham, at their earnest
solicitation took nm affectionate farewell OF