he determined to ascertain one solution of the difficulty lay plain before him he could go away another presented itself but it was preposterous of all the women he knew was the least affected by him in the way that a man she liked him he knew but if he could read women at all and he thought he could she liked him only as a friend and had not a of sentiment about him he was easy then as to the point mrs had raised but had he the right to subject to gossip this was the main thing that troubled him he was half angry with himself that it kept rising in liis mind he determined to find out what her aunt oi it and decided that he could let that direct his course his conscience once or the o e presented itself whether it were possible that could care for him he banished it resolutely when he reached the he found that miss was sick so the virtuous plan he had formed fell through he was trying to fancy himself sorry but when came out on the in a dainty blue gown which fell about her girlish figure and seated with unconscious grace in the easy chair he pushed up for her he knew that he was glad to have her all to himself they fell to talking about her aunt i am dreadfully uneasy about her the girl said once or twice of late she has had something like fainting and the last one was very alarming you don t know what she has been to me she looked up at him with a silent appeal for sympathy which made his heart beat she is the only mother i ever knew and she is all i have in the world her voice faltered and she turned away her head a tear stole down her cheek and dropped in her lap i am so glad you like each other i hear you are engaged she said suddenly he was startled it in so with the thought in his mind at the moment no i am not but i would like to be he came near saying a great deal more but the girl s eyes were fixed on him so innocently that he for a moment hesitated he felt it would be folly if not to go further just then there was a step on the walk and the young man had seen dr came up the steps he was a handsome man stout well dressed and well satisfied could have consigned him and all his class to a distant and he came up the steps cheerily and began talking at once he was so glad to see and had he heard lately from dr � such a fine type of the old country doctor etc no said he had not heard lately his manner the mistress of the had at the man s condescension and he rose to go he said casually to as he shook hands how did yon hear the piece of news you mentioned mrs told me you must tell me all about it i will sometime i hope you will be very happy she said earnestly you deserve to be her eyes were very soft no i do not said almost angrily i am not at all what you suppose me to be i will not allow you to say such things of yourself she said smiling i will not stand my friends being abused even by themselves felt his courage her beauty her sincerity her tenderness her innocence her sweetness thrilled him he turned back to her abruptly i hope you will always think that of me he said earnestly i promise to try to deserve it gk od by good by don t forget me she held out her hand took it and held it for a second never he said looking her straight in the eyes gk od by and with a muttered good by to dr who stood with wide open eyes gazing at him he turned and went down the steps i don t like that man said the young doctor this speech sealed his fate don t i do said half her thoughts were far from the young physician at that moment and when they returned to him she knew that she would never marry him a half hour later he knew it the next morning received a note from saying he had left for his home when he bade mrs good by that evening she looked as if she were really sorry that he was going she walked with him down the toward where his carriage awaited him and thought she had never looked sweeter he had never had a � at least since he was a college boy � and a little of the old feeling came to him he lingered a little but just then mrs came out of the door near him for a moment could almost have fancied he was back on the at gates s her around had turned back the dial a dozen years just what brought it about perhaps no one of the in the little drama could have told but from this time the relations between the two ladies whom left at the hotel that summer night somehow changed not outwardly for they still sat and talked together but they were both conscious of a difference they rather with each other after that mrs set it down to a simple cause mrs was in love with and he had not addressed her of this she was satisfied yet she was a little mrs hardly defined the reason to herself she simply shut up on the side toward mrs and barred her out a strange thing was that she and miss became great friends they took to riding together walking together and seeing a great deal of each 