Year: 1873

have you wooed and won for yourself


alone, and she has never positively
/ said you were to be her heiress, she
! has probably never supposed Charlie


biased by that hope. Still, dear, it is
possible y


Yes, it is possible" said Jessie
slowly, but tell me about Aunt Jes-
sic"


Your grandfather Markham, Jes-
sic, was one of the leading merchants
of New York, when your aunt, his on
ly daughter, was introduced into So
ciety. Your Uncle Hoyt was in good
practice as physician, your father
doing then a fair business, and already
married and in his own house.


1T was, therefore, with the name
of an heiress that Jessie danced thro'
her first season. careless light-heart-
ed girl, very pretty, and accomplished
enough to make a pleasing impression
wherever she went. She was but a
little over twenty when she became
engaged to Stanley Horton, the most
fascinating man in all our circle of
friends. Not only handsome and tai
ented, (and he was both, but possess
sing in a remarkable degree the court
ly polish and winning grace of man
ners that go so far toward gaining a
woman's heart, the absorbing love that
Jessie felt for him seemed mutual, and
congratulations were the order of the
day, when your grandfather failed.
From man of wealth he became ac-
tually poor, and losing energy and
home, he came with Jessie to share
our home. Stanley Horton, the man
we all supposed to be devoted lover,
was fully aware of the change in Jes-
ssie's prospects, yet he continued all
visits, making no abrubt ungentleman-
ly desertion of his betrothed. Yet
we, who watched her with the jealousy
of affection, sson discovered a change
in her. She became pale and sad, often
fearful, till finally she confded to me
that Stanley was evidently weary of
her, and had ceased to love her. 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 from her eyes
and heart. She gave him back his
ring and promises, thus accepting the
position his unmanly conduct had
forced upon her, of herself breaking
the engagement between them The
first love Of her lfe was the last. She
was your grandfather's comfort until
he died, and then went to keep house
for Hoyt, who lost his wife and baby
one year after his wedding day. When
he died he left her. the house and
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
win the disinterested love of your
future husband. 4


There was long silence after Mrs.
Markham concluded her story, and
Jessie allowed her head to rest in her
mothers lap, under her caressing hand
trying to picture future of easy COM
potency 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 be-
fore her, and she knew that the hand
some house nor the comfortable in
come could ever fill her heart if
Charlie left an aching void there.


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


"Will you have the kindness, Miss
Markham" said the intruder, tower
ing in his six feet of manhood over
Jessie's low seat, Ito tell me what you
mean by that absurd letter Polly hand
ed me? Was it not fully understood
that you and / were to share this cot
tage with your mamma until Iattained
sufficient legal eminence to warrant
the purchase of brown-stone front in
New York 2 Was | not deluded into
the belief that your presence in the
culinary department of our establish
ment was to reduce our expenses to
the limits of our present income?
Was it not represented to me that my
present hoard was sufficient to meet
the requirements of two in this domi-
cile? In short, Miss Markham, in
what way was / ever led to suppose
that the fortune of your spinster aunt
was to influence in the slightest degree
your matrimonial relations in regard
to myself | pause for reply"


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


please forgive me this time, and
I'll never do it again." she said; and
then the laugh dimpled her cheek,
danced in her eyes, and rippled out
clear and sweet upon the air.


"Oh, Charlie! Charlie! | knew you
never thought of Aunt Jessie's
money" t.


And you," said Charlie, holding
her off at arm S length, you can have
it all if you give me up"


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


1t seemed, however, as if Charlie
was actually afraid of the money that
was so temptingly near Jessie's grasp,
for he commenced a series of inter-
views that bore entirely upon the sub
iect of an immediate marriage.


What is there to wait for?" he
would ask, and thon enter upon calcu-
lations of his present expenses and
those Of the future, proving most con-
clusively that there was decided saw
ing for both in uniting their in
comes.


You remind me-" said Jessie, "of
the Dutchman who said he could al
most support 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 quiet we'd
ding in the village church, and break
fast in the cottage for a few chosen
friends. Ameng these was Aunt Jes-
sizes lawyer, for the will stipulated
that the sealed codicil was to be open
ed at Jessie's wedding if she preferred
love to money.


The bride was little paler than
usual when, with a solemn face, the
New York lawyer broke the big red
seal. Visions of John Garland hold
ing drunken revels in her aunt's house