Ballou's Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXVII, No. 1 — page 80: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

84 He looked as if he doubted it. He moved nearer to her, and got hold of her hand. “ Maggie,” he said, “I want you to help me make something good and great of life. I shall never be good for anything without you. When we were children together, you used to promise to marry me! Why will you not promise once more—promise now ?” She turned very pale, and tried to get away from him, when she saw how much in earnest he had become. “Don't, Harry! You forget yourself!” she exclaimed. “What will Helen think? You are to marry her, you know.” “Never!” he cried, excitedly. “She does not love me—she never did. Besides, I never asked her to become my wife.” “But she has expected that you would, though.” “Pshaw, Maggie, it’s only my money that She is after. Ifshe should give me up of her own free will, would you marry me then ?” “Don’t ask me,” she said, breaking loose, her face burning with blushes. “ Remember, that time has not come yet, and until it does you must not ask me such questions.” She ran into the house after saying those last words. Perhaps she ought not to have given the young man so much encouragement, but she thought, with Harry, that Helen Was more captivated by the money than anything else. In less than a week, Harry came home one night, trying to look very grave and melan- choly. While at tea, he let out his trouble. “The Grafton bank has failed,” he said, shortly. There was a universal exclamation. “What a calamity!’ cried Mr. Westmore. “They held the bulk of your property! You must be a ruined man!” For some moments all was excitement. Helen went into hysterics, and refused to be comforted. Maggie was the calmest of them all. She had seen aroguish twinkle in Harry’s eyes that made her rather suspicious of him.. Maggie's Experience. The next day’s papers told the whole story. It was a hopeless failure, and Harry’s affairs seemed in a worse condition than ever. During the day, he came home, and asked to see Helen alone. “You know of my altered circumstances,” he said, the moment she entered the parlor, where he was awaiting her. “Wowever, I hope it will not delay my marriage. When will you be ready to become my wife ?” “What do you mean, Harry Henderson ?” she asked, with well-assumed indignation. “I have never promised to marry you at all that I know of. You'd better take Maggie. I know that you love her much better than you ever did me. She would take to cottage life better than I would.” And Helen sailed from the room with this parting shot. She seemed determined to have no nonsense about the matter, at least. Shortly afterwards, when Harry met her walking out with the new doctor—who was reputed to be a man of means—he understood better how she could be so easily reconciled. He waited several days after this, before he again broached the subject to Maggie. Then he addressed her very much after this fashion: “My dear, how will you like having the doctor for a brother-in-law, instead of me ?” “Very well, I am sure,” she answered, with a blush. “Why?” eyeing her curiously. “T should think you might guess the reason, Harry,” she returned, dropping her burning face upon his shoulder. By-and-by she raised it to ask, roguishly: “What of your money in the Grafton bank 2?” “T had drawn it out several days before the failure,” was the composed reply. “We are going to the city to live, and you shall have some of it to buy a brown stone front with, if you choose.” And thinking over all her “ experience,” she did choose ! Be SN iy le coniclooks. corn