Year: 1872


opinion she's been used to good clothes
and havin' things NICE"


elias she been out ?''


No She had good cryin' spell after
you went away last night, but 1 made up
good fire for her in the best room and my
old woman lent her some dry clothes to put
on, and to-day she's been pooty cheerful.


Pleased with this report in brief, the cap
tain passed up stairs and knocked at the
door of the room indicated by Saddler as
the "best one." 1t was opened at once by
his last nights acquaintance. So marked
an improvement was there in her appear
ance that Captain John retired step in
some surprise. She had employed the day
in drying and ironing her wet dress, and
this was neat and clean. Her hair, gather
ed up into light, braided coil, was bound
in place by bright ribbon which set of her
white, delicate complexion to fine advan-
tage. snowy apron, loaned by Saddler's
sold woman" completed her plain attire,
but although the garb was simplicity ITSELF
the real beauty of her face and form rem
dered it almost queenly. At least Captain
Burrill, as he took her hand, could not de-
ny as she looked timidly up to meet his
own, vague feeling came over him that
there was in this girl an indefnable some
thing worth having, which Marion Marshall
did not possess.


81 am glad you kept your promise" he
said.


go sir, that was small return to make
for your goodness. You have shown me
more kindness than have had done me for
a long time. How can ever thank you ?"


" Sit down." said the captain, "and let
us talk about it. What is your name ?''


They call me Mary Marsh," she said
taking seat on the opposite side of the
fire from him, "but l will not deceive you
into believing that to be my real name. 1t
is not"


"Never mind the real name," he said.
"Any name will do. / don't ask you~ to
coniide in me entirely, but if you will tell
me something of what your life has been, /
shall be better able, perhaps, to help you.
And let what you do tell me be the truth"


She bridled somewhat at this, and reveal
ed a little of what might have been the
half-conquered pride of better period of
her life.


"DO / look like one who would tell you
an untruth ?" she said.


The captain looked into the frank, brown
eyes which were opened upon him to their
widest extent, and then replied:


" No. do not think you do. Forgive
me if | have hurt you. There is some
thing strange about you that do not un-
derstand. What led you to attempt your
your own destruction ~


She rose from her chair and her face
flushed with excitement.


"What led me? Tell me whether you
would not have taken the same course.
Suppose that you had been like me, a
woman. Suppose that you had been
reared, as l have been, in a happy and lux
urious home, the spoiled pet of doting pa
rents, the willful, capricious child whose
will was law-who had but to ask in order





to receive whatever you most desired Sup
pose that when you were budding into early
womanhood with all your sensitive nature
as yet unguarded by the hard foils which
contact with the world learns you to use at
last with all your generous, impusive
heart open to receive impressions, whether
for good or for eyil-suppose, l say, at this
most critical juncture of your being, there
came across your life one to whom all your
affections opened as flower to the sunlight
--one who threw around you lustrous and
magnetic halo, within which magic circle
you learned to find your supreme and crown
ing happiness. Suppose you gave yourlife
your heart, your very soul to this man, and
he cruelty betrayed the trust. What would
you do then ?''


The captain was silent. The excitement
of her manner and the vehemence of her
passionate words had heightened the flush
upon her checks, until she appeared to him
royalty, divinely beautiful. Standing grace
fully by the chair from which she had un-
consciously risen, her soft eyes grown hard
and sparkling with unnatural fire, she look
cd at him steadily as she continued:


"Suppose that another woman--your
sister, whose comforting ministrations
should have soothed and healed the heart
less, cruel wound which his hand had given
you--had loved this man in secret. Sup
pose she exulted in your disgrace, rejoiced
in your fearful fall. Suppose, when the
worst came, she cast you out from all claim