68 TRUE RICHES; OR,

 

turbed. The long-cherished love of money, sub-
dued for a brief season, was becoming active again.
Here were six dollars to be added, weekly, to his
income, provided his wife approved the arrangement,
—and it was to come through Jasper. The more
he thought of this incréase, the more his natural
cupidity was stirred, and the less willing he felt to
give up the proposed one hundred dollars in his
salary. “If he persisted in leaving Jasper, there
would, in all probability, be a breach between them,
and this would, he felt certain, prevent an arrange-
ment that he liked better and better the more he
thought about it. He was in this state of mind

when he arrived at home. :

On pushing open the door of their sitting-room,
the attention of Claire was arrested by the ani-
mated expression of his wife’s face. She raised
her finger to enjoin silence. ‘Tripping lightly
to his side, she drew her arm within his, and
whispered— .

“Come into the chamber, dear—tread softly—
there, isn’t that sweet !—isn’t it lovely ?”

The sight was lovely indeed. A pillow had been
thrown on the floor, and upon this lay sleeping, arm
in arm, the two children. Pressed close together
were their rosy cheeks; and the sunny curls of
Fanny Elder were mixed, like gleams of sunshine,
amid the darker ringlets that covered profusely the
head of little Edith.

‘Did you ever see any thing so beautiful?” said
the delighted mother. |

‘What a picture it would make!” remarked Ed-
ward, who was charmed with the sight.