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2 now linked, was there to smile with with a lover’s tenderness and devo tion. To seme young men, applause is daDgerous indeed. One successful effort which elicits a breath of public praise, sometimes changes and de stroys a noble young life. Harry Mohon cared not for the shouts of the common herd. He desired only to please his father and to win the gra cious smile of his Lily ; that accom plished, he asked no more. A short vacation passed pleasant ly, and we returned to College. Har ry was first in his class, and with re newed vigor and energy, he began his Senior course. His old friends were back, and the “Social Club” was revived. I did not want him to go back to it, and expressed a fear that he would lose time from his books. But he affirmed that he would not, and protested that the innocence of the club’s entertain ments made it a most charming re creation. I could not divine what charm made this club so attractive to my cousin. I knew that he was but ill prepared to discover a snare laid for his ruin. His knowledge of human nature was limited, and he was liable to be deluded by the false glare of foes in friendly garb; bonce 1 was constantly uneasy about him. Three weeks passed. I found another note in my bat as we were dismissed from morning prayers. “Irving:—lf you wish to save Mohon from disgrace, get him away from Halgrave and that.‘Social Club.’ Friend.” If Harry had been my own broth er, I could not have been more pain ed at the reception of that paper. What could Ido ? He would consi der it as an insult from me if I, a se cond time, showed him a note which bore a suspicion disreputable to the character of his friend. Yet I felt sure that he was in danger; and re' turning to our room in advance of him, I kneeled to ask God to direct me in saving him. That evening, I gained his consent to accompany mo to see some lady friends. This visit prevented his meeting Halgrave; and on the next morning the latter drew him aside to ask the cause of his absence. Mohon explained, and promised to be pre sant at the next meeting. An invol untary shudder passed through my frame as I hoard the promise. A band pressing my shoulder, caused me to turn my head, a friend and classmate desired a short inter view. “ Did you find a note in your bat on yesterday morning?” “ I did. You placed it there ? If so, give me positive evidence against the character of Mohan’s friend, and I can separate him from the club.” THE GEORGIA COLLEGIAN. “ Why, have you not heard the half-whispered report in regard to Halgrave ?” “ Indeed ! I have heard nothing at all.” “Well, it does not matter about that now ; such rumors are some times groundless, and injure innocent persons. * But listen to what con cerns you more intimately. Hal grave’s father is a notorious blackleg, and his son here has imbibed his fa ther’s baseness. He now lays a snare for young Mohon’s downfall. He has accomplices to assist in carrying out his foul design. That is all I have to say. Inform Mohon at once of his danger.” He turned to leave me, and I call ed after him to assure me of this in order that I might make Harry see the perfidy of the man whom he had chosen as a bosom friend. ( <>No,” he said, “ I have told you all I am at liberty to tell. Save Mohon.” I was prepared to believe what I had heard, and determined to see my cousin at once. He was not at our room when I returned, and I saw him no more till he came late into the dining room, where we were all still seated after partaking of our meal. In the afternoon he went iras mediately from recitation to see Miss Ashleigh, the beautiful and accom plished young girl to whom he was engaged. I met him coming in from that visit. He seemed troubled, and was about to pass me. “ What’s the matter, Harry ?” He t'-ok my arm, and replied, “1 have just seen Lily; found her very unhappy. Some one has told her that my intimacy with Halgrave will bring shame upon me and upon her. She appeared to be more distressed as I assured her that I knew Hal grave to be my friend. ‘ His father, she said, ‘is a very bad man, and it is natural that his sen should be so.’ I thought it unjust thus to visit the iniquity of the parent upon the child But she was so much troubled that I promised not to go to the club any more after to night.” All this while I was eager to tell him of what I had heard in the morn ing; but when he mentioned his pro mise, 1 thought it best to wait until I had some evidence of Halgrave’s perfidy. I went to my room from the tea table, and heard Harry close the door opening into the street. A strange impulse urged me to call him back— ah ! how I reproach myself for hush ing that inward voice! For more than two hours 1 tried to study. It was time for Harry to return. I closed the dry text book, and leaned my bead on the table. The clock in the sitting-room struck twelve. Five minutes later, and some one was rushing up to ray room. Alarmed, I started to the door—a classmate was at the top of the stairs almost breath less, and pale as death— “Oh! Irving, Hrving, Mohon is shot! Go—Hakpave’s room—l’m going on for tfifc*octor.” Stunned almost to insensibility, I hurried to the rooi|fcdesign«ted Harry was lying with his head resting on a pillow, the blood oozing out fro® his side. . . “ My dear Harry, low did it htfpi-* pen ?” He stared wildly at withjf out saying a word-. hy his side, and placed &y handker chief over the wound to stop the blood. A glance round the room told the tale. A scattered pack of cards and several bottles were on the table.— “ Who shot him?” I asked of tbe on ly young man I saw in the room. “ Halgrave,” he answered; and I ut tered aloud an oath of vengeance. The Doctor came in, and involun tarily shook his head, as he saw where the ball had entered. We as sisted him to raise tbe sufferer on a bed, and he began to examine the wound. “ I fear it is a serious affair,” he said, turning to mo. “ You had bet ter inform his parents at once.” I wrote a dispatch immediately, and sent it to the office; and when the wound was dressed took the re maining young man aside to learn how it had happened. “ Halgrave did it,” he said, “ in the heat of Several days ago, he proposed anew game. It was more fascinating than any we had yet learned. To-night, there were only four of us here, and all became deeply interested. Halgrave, for the first time since the organization of the club, sent for champagne Mo hon would not drink any at first, but when he was so badly beat, he seized the bottle and took a heavy draught. Halgrave and he then played alone; Mobon was still unsuccessful. He drank again. Halgrave proposed a wager and ho assented. In the mid dle of the game he stopped suddenly and cried out, “ These cards are marked; Halgrave, you are a cheat ing scoundrel.” Both were now crazy with wine ; Halgrave drew a revolver from his bosom and fired. The unfortunate Mohon was just ri sing from his chair, and fell back say ing, ‘he has killed me/ He closed his eyes, and we thought he would die instantly—” Here the Doctor called me back to the bed. “Go for Dr. Craig,” said he, “he has been an army surgeon, and will be of infinite service here.” It was not far to Dr. C.’s house, and I soon returned with him. A consultation was held; the wound was then probed aud pronounced mortal. Never can I forget ray feeliDgs at this momcot. Mingled with the deep revenge whieh I had sworn against Halgrave, was a love for my cousin, that amounted almost to idolatry. Nothing had over been half so dear to me as that piece of bleeding clay. Bitterly, bitterly did I reproaefi my self for not calling him back when he started out that night. Towards morning, the effects of the wine had died out, and a burning ,/fever arose. The Doctor feared that he could not live until his father and mother came. If they received the dispatch that night in time for the ‘train, they would arrive in tho even ing of the following day. It was a long, dreary day. I stood over the bed of the dying boy and watched each breath as the life-tide ebbed slowly away. He would some times call out in his delirium to his mother, and ask her to forgive him; at other times ho would ask if Lily had forsaken him. Once he roused from the stupor and turned his still clear, soul-lit eye upon me. “ Char lie, am I dying? I feel so strange. Take my hand, dear Charlie.” My own heartstrings were ready to break as I clasped the purple hand in both of mine. The train came, and in a few mins utes a carriage stopped at the door of tho house where Harry lay.— Another moment, and the door of the room flew open. The mother, in advance of her husband, rushed in. “ Soft, soft,” whispered the doctor, but she heeded him not. Bending over the bed, she folded her boy to her breast; Harry started up wildly —“Oh! mother, save me, save me!” “ She will save you my darling ! Oh ! that you had never left her side —nothing ever could have harmed you! The Doctor, fearing the result, came up to release her hold. But it was needless now. Tbe eyes that appealed so imploringly to the mo ther were set in death; and the arms that were twined so tenderly about her neck fell back palseless on the pillow. The quick eye of the moth er saw the change, and in words that rose from her broken heart, she wail ed out, “ Oh! my God ! he is dead !” I closed my eyes on the harrowing scene, and turned to leave tho room. A dark form glided out just before me, coming, as I thought, from under tho bed. When out in the street, I could see by the twilight that it was the form of a man. It turned to fol low me; and when away from the public walk came suddenly before me. It was Halgrave. He had been all the time concealed in the room — had heard my oath of vengeance. “I have followed you here to offer you an opportunity to redeem your threat,” he gruffly said. “ And may God help me, foul de mon, to avenge the blood you have spilled !” I sprang upon him, bears