, 1876-03-03

say it will be all arranged"
"NO doubt" said Mrs. Horton, little
ISpitefully, for she had noticed his atten-
tions to Kitty, and felt they boded
her no good-probaLly put ridiculous
ideas into her head, and prevented her
from accepting the illustrious Frederick,
who was ready to throw himself at her
feet on the slightest provocation. 81
have always heard that they were very
much attached to each other"
Mrs. Horton had not heard anything of
the kind; but no. .matter-she was given
to fibbing.
The very next day the hero called. He
looked handsomer than ever, Kitty
thought. His shoulders are broader, his
hands bigger, and his face more sun
burnt. He talked chiefly to Mrs. Hor-
ton, but he kept looking across at Kitty
that pretty, innocent, round-faced
Kitty, with the sparkle in her down-cast
eyes, and the flush on her dimped cheeks
till he made her heart beat with hap
piness and excitement.
"By the way, Miss Kitty" he said,
suddenly fumbling in the big pocket of
his loose tweed coat, 81 have a note for
you. There's to be some croquet up at
the Laurels on Thursday, and my aunt
wants you to come" ~
The white muslin dress was donned,
and the coquettish hat and the little
make-believe wrap twisted about her
shoulders to the best advantage, and Kitty
was ready for the party at the Laurels.
She did look very pretty, as even her
stepmother secretly acknowledged.
Remember, Kitty, shall expect you
home by seven o'clock. 1t is not right
for you to come later through those woods
alone. Indeed, think Mrs. Hughes
ought to have asked me to ehdperoa you"
"Yes, mamma" and Kitty went on her
joyful way. The woods Mrs. Horton al
luded to were private ones, belonging to
the Laurels, but they made a short cut
for Kitty, and saved her good half-mile
of road. "Perhaps he will come and
meet me, " she thought shyly, and strained
her eyes to catch sight Of his awkward
figure in the distance, but it did not ap-
pear. Then presently she heard the dis
tant church-clock chime half-past three.
"Therel I'm much too early. We were
not even asked till four. l know what
I'll do when l get further on; I'll sit
down in shady part of the wood and
waittill about five minutes after the hour
So she went on, and when she was within
quarter of mile of the house branched
off into thick part of the wood and fol-
lowed sleepy stream that wandered on
beneath the tall trees and among the
tangled underwood, hecked with water
lilies and fringed with yellow iris, which
nodded their golden heads to the sun.
She found quiet leafy nook close to its
edge, and sat down and waited. Then
suddenly through the distant trees she
saw coming along the edge of the stream
two figures, those of man and woman.
The one she knew at a glance-it was
John Laurence; the other she saw a min
ute later was his cousin Caroline . With
bound, her heart seemed to come into
her throat. SITS Miss Hughes she said
to herself, "and how nice she looks, and
whata pretty dress she has onp' She
drew her white muslin closer round her,
and retreated a few inches further back
behind the thick bushes, so that they
might pass her unperceived, and waited.
On they came, arm in arm, talking earn
estly and in low voice The color fed
from Kitty's cheek, and the light died
out Of her eyes, as she saw them, for
surely only lovers walked as they did7
They stopped as they got to within three
yards of Kittyis hiding place, while Car
oline Hughes stopped absently to pick
one of the yellow water-iris, and Kitty
heard her say
"Do you know, John, 1 never liked you
so well as | do to-day, aAd thought you
did not care for me.p
'My dear girl, I was always awfully
fond Of you. l think you ought to give
me kiss to make up for all the unkind
things you have been saying"
She put up her face, and Kitty looked
away, with pain which almost made her
cry. Then they passed on and were soon
lost to view.
Kitty did not move from her hiding
place, and went to no croquet party that
afternoon.
Mrs. Horton almost screamed with sur
prise an hour later, when Kitty suddenly
appeared, her muslin dress crushed, the
rose in front of her dress all faded, and
her cheeks and lips as white as the jas
mine about her head, as she stood in the
window leading in from the garden.
'Mamma, / felt i'll. and my head
ached, and sat down in the wood, and
felt too i'll to go on, and have come
back.n
~Didn't you see any onel" Mrs. Horton
asked doubtfully.
aI have not spoken to a soul, she an
swered, and went to her room, saying she
wished to lie down.
In the dusk of the evening Kitty came
down stairs again to find Mr.. Baverstock
talking with her father and step-mother.
ave were talking Of getting married,
Kitty" Mrs. Horton said, making way for
her to sit down; but she stood staring at
the group before her almost as If in a
dream. "And Mr.. BaverstOck said he
would not marry an heiress for the world
"No, indeed / would not, Miss Kitty.
1 should only marry because l loved the
young lady, and felt could devote my
life to her,"
aAnd why do you expect to be mar
ried, Mr.. Baverstockl" she asked absently.
He shufied about uneasily and an
swered in his squeaky voice
swell, / hope-I hope the young lady
will have an affection for m-e-e-e."
u Kitty would have laughed at any other
time, but now she only stared at him and
passed out into the garden.
She went through the gate and wan
dered just a little way down the lane
again, feeling as if she would give any
thing to walk straight on and out Of the
weary world altogether.
J, "Kitty r a aWell-knoWn voice said softly,
and John Laurence appeared from behind
q tree and stood before hor In the dim