An Ambitious Man

Joy Irving had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to

rights, when the postman's ring sounded, and a moment later a letter

was slipped under her door.

She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart's penmanship. She sat

down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.

"It is Arthur's message, appointing a time and place for our

meeting," she said to herself. "How long ago that strange interview

with him seems!--yet it was only yesterday. How utterly the whole of

life has changed for me since then! The universe seems larger, God

nearer, and life grander. I am as one who slept and dreamed of

darkness and sorrow, and awakes to light and joy."

But when she opened the envelope and read the few hastily written

lines within, an exclamation of surprise escaped her lips. It was a

brief note from Arthur Stuart and began abruptly without an address

(a manner more suggestive of strong passion than any endearing

words).

"The first item which my eye fell upon in the telegraphic column of

the morning paper, was the death of my wife in the Retreat for the

Insane. I leave by the first express to bring her body here for

burial.

"A merciful providence has saved us the necessity of defying the laws

of God or man, and opened the way for me to claim you before all the

world as my worshipped wife so soon as propriety will permit.

"I shall see you at any hour you may indicate after to-morrow, for a

brief interview.

"ARTHUR EMERSON STUART."

Joy held the letter in her hand a long time, lost in profound

reflection. Then she sat down to her desk and wrote three letters;

one was to Mrs Lawrence; one to the chairman of the church committee,

who had requested her resignation; the third was to Mr Stuart, and

read thus:

"My Dear Mr Stuart,--Many strange things have occurred to me since I

saw you. I have learned the name of my father, and this knowledge

reveals the fact to me that your unfortunate wife was my half-sister.

I have learned, too, that the loss of my position here as organist is

not due to the narrow prejudice of the committee regarding the shadow

on my birth, but to malicious stories put in circulation by Mrs

Lawrence, relating to me.

"Infamous and libellous tales regarding my life have been told, and

must be refuted. I have written to Mrs Lawrence demanding a letter

from her, clearing my personal character, or giving her the

alternative of appearing in court to answer the charge of defamation

of character. I have also written to the church committee requesting

them to meet me here in my apartments to-morrow, and explain their

demand for my resignation.