Jessie Graham

hted house, where the song, the flirtation, the dance, and the gossip went on, and to which, at a late hour, Mrs. Bartow came, and with her Jessie Graham. Walter accompanied them,

Mr. Graham saw that Walter was not indifferent to his only child, nor was he displeased that it was so, and when Walter came to the city he found to his surprise that he was not to be the clerk, but the junior partner of his f

trust his daughter with me as if I were her brother," and Walter felt more determine

s apparent coldness, received them far more complacently than she would otherwise have done, and so the gulf widened between them, while in the heart of each there was a restless pain, which neither the gay worl

then to be treated that way was perfectly horrid," and the be

d lose Jessie. The relationship between the two was not known, for Walter had no desire to speak of it, and as William vainly fancied it might reflect discredit on himself, he, too, kept silent on the subject, while Mrs. Bartow, having received instructions both from Je

the crowded rooms, she made her way to the sofa, and greeting the lady with her blandest words, told her how delighted she was to see her in society again, how much she had been missed, and all the other compliments which meant worse than nothing. Then taking a mental inventory of the different articles which made up her dear friend's dress

y far the most distinguished looking man in the room, always excepting, of course, Mr. Bellen

, and then pronounced her "somebody." Twice Walter and Jessie passed, stopping the second time, while the l

having the belle of the evening so much to himself, and as they stood there thus the face of the li

man? You called him

tner. You know of Mr. Graham,-people call him a m

tle lady, who cared nothing for

id he co

a form of introduction, speaking the stranger's name so low, that in the surrounding hum it was

ould call him back. He was disengaged at last. Jessie had another gallant in the person of William Bellenger, Mrs. Bartow's fan moved faster than before, and M

but would you object to wa

k eyes, which were full of tears, offered her his

name," Mrs. Bartow asked, her lip dro

s. Bellenger, returned from a

e? I have always had a great desire to make her acquai

g the last year of her sojourn in London she spent her time in distributing tracts among the poor, and all that

range at all," and she was half tempted to tell he

t that moment directed her attention to William and Je

only laughs, and says he don't go with her any more than with Jessie Graham, though everybody knows he does. He likes Jessie, of course, but Charlotte is his first choice," and the old

; but I'll be even with her yet. I'll be revenged when Mrs. Bellenger comes back," and the fan moved rapidly

Europe. She had gone there with her husband and only surviving daughter, both of whom she had buried, one among the Grampian Hills, and the other upon the banks of the blue Rhine. Her youngest son, who was still unmarried, had joined her there, but he had become dissipated, and eighteen months before her return to America she had lain him in a drunkard's grave. With a breaking heart she returned to her lonely home i

had her wi

ce held for a brief moment upon her lap, her heart yearned t

and it may be he wil

they did it for the money she had in her possession, for the family was extravagant and deeply involved in debt. Once she asked if they knew anything of Ellen's child, and her son replied that he belie

remarks, she did not expect to meet the latter at the party, but she would find him next day, she said, and when he entered the room she was too muc

Ellen's child?" she said, and she wa

beating heart she listened to what they

ng lips, and as soon as she saw that he was free she jo

f uncertain what to say, then, a

s too young to be lying there, for she was scarcely twenty. She died with the shadow of my anger resting on her heart, for when I heard she had married one whom the world said was not her equal, I cast her off, I said she was not mine, and from that day to this the worm of remorse has been gnawing at my heart, for I hear continually the dying messag

dly around, Walter saw that no one was very near, and going up

grandmother,-I never e

t morning, and when she expressed a wish to see her, he started in quest of her at once. He knew that he was not a favorite with her, but she surely would like Je

ations soon," and a sudden fear came over him lest Wal

t diminished by the position of the pa

, while Jessie was conscious of a feeling of pleasure

received them both. Once, as they stood together talking, Mrs. Bellenger spoke of Deerwood, where her daughter was buried, and instan

s Howland recently?" he

ual. She is always feeble in the winter, though I believe the

ents of which had written the look upon his face which Mrs. Reev

essie. "I fear she's n

?" Mrs. Bellenger aske

er's namesake,

ed the lady, "for I am go

her not meet his grandmother there, and

will y

d Jessie his arm a second time and walked away, hearing little of what was passing around him, and caring

h Walter, asking him at last of his fathe

ied in the negative. "I have outlived all th

if William did keep Jessie continually at his side, walking frequently past t

tiful young woman. Is

e voice Mrs. Bellenger lear

nd, "pardon the liberty, but you love Jessie G

nswered, and his g

sant smile she arose, saying to him, laughingly: "I am going to acknowledge you now. You say they do not know that my blood is flowing in your veins," and she passed again

red how it could be, and why William had not told her before; then, as she remembered her investigations with regard to the Bellengers, she added what was wanting to complete the tale, leaving out the robbery, and merely saying that Mr. M

was enumerating Jessie's many virtues, Mrs. Bar

young man," and as she spoke, she wondered if he wo

ich is something," and having thus balanced the two, and found the heavier weight in William's favor, she looked after him, as he le

th Charlotte?" she thought, and she longed for the momen

by Mrs. Reeves, and thinking this a favorable opportu

any one in Leicester, Massachusetts, by th

ch she had long feared and greatly dreaded had come upon her

ll? I certainly do not number

artow, "particularly as she was malicious enou

lieve I'm going to faint. The idea! It's perfectly preposterous! Where is this mischief-mak

om you, and this Debby, who is an old maid, seventy at least, said she used to know a factory girl,-Charlotty Ann Gregory, of about her age, who married a man by the name of Reeves, a storekeeper, she called him. It's a remarkable coincidence, isn't it, that

If Debby Marshall knew everybody's history, she of course k

you say s

Marshall, about half a mile from the villa

pon the tablets of her memory, and then, in

e are, in this city, envious people who would delight in

rtow, but whether the certainly were

have received. This, however, was wholly unnecessary, for Mrs. Bellenger was too much absorbed in her own reflections to hear

y? I heard

remainder of the evening addressed Mrs. Bartow as "my dear," complimenting her onc