The Morning herald., 1877-08-22

that he ought to have known better"
"Nor that you will not marry him be-
cause his father was stone cutter.".
Mr.. Helper accepted his refusal,
however, with good grace. He made
no fuss about it; he merely assured her
her happiness would always be dearer
| to him than his own.
''That's the letter Of gentleman"
said grandma" eff his father was forty
times stone cutter"
"Pshaw!' said Miss Agnes, tearing
it into fragments; but, curiously
enough, gathering them together as
soon as Mrs. Peverill's back was turned,
as if they were sweet to her as scattered
rose leaves. Perhaps she was thinking
of the days when Mr.. Helper was her
fathers clerk, and had taught her chess
of winter evenings-days when she was
not so worldly-minded, and more ro-
mantle, and didn't guess the worth of
position and long DESCENT, Perhaps she
regretfully remembered the spring NOR
nings when they pushed through the
woods for wild flowers and ferns. when
he made a quaint album tor her OF
pressed sea-weeds-she had it hidden
away somewhere now.
cit would never do," she said, half
aloud, answering some unspoken
thought. 'I should always be banker
Ing after family and money. One must
give up something; it may as we'll be
love as anything. Oh, ifmy father had
only been stone cutter, too''
Grandma Peverill met Mr.. Helper in
the street later. 81 hope you don't
mean to desert u.s." said she, ''just be-
cause that foolish chit of an Agnes
doesn't know when her bread is well
buttered. Remember it's woman's
privilege to change her mind. If you
neglect us,
You slut your life from happier chance
as the poet says. Nobody knows what
may happen" .....
"But / hear that Miss Peverill has
encouraged Mr.. Bond,' said Harold,
helplessly.
"And you're going to stand aloof and
let that little Miles Bond walk over
you? Now let me tell you that mean
to make you and Miles executors of my
will; so I'd like to keep on friendly
terms with you-don't you see?"
'"Thank you; but aren't we friends,
near or apart?"
"'lis said that absence conquers
love-" she laughed; land haven't you
heard of the virtue that resides in pro-
pinquity? If Agnes sees Miles every
day, and you once in six weeks, which
do you think she will be most likely to
love best?"
TT is not likely that she will ever
love me, whatever happens"
'"yho said she would never love you?
Aren't you worth forty Miles Bonds"
"Certainly not in Miss Peverilps re-
gard"
"Prithee, what do you know Of her
vegard, Sir Faintheart?"
Every little, to be sure"
"'He either fears his rate too much
Or his deserts are small,
That dares not put it to the touch,
To gain or lose it ALL
"Haven't put my fate 70 the touch,
Mrs. Peverill, and haven't found that
my deserts are miserably small?"
'Dear me! see that you don't know
that women blow twenty ways NOR
ming. Who knows but she is crying
her pretty eyes out this minute, and
wishing with all her silly heart that
she had it to do over again."
"Miles knows" laughed Harold.
"Come and see who knows best. An
old woman's advice isn't to be sneezed
at. refused my first lover myself, be-
cause | thought he'd come back and
teaze me into it, but he never did.
Served me right, too"
And Harold did as he was tod. lie
made himself intimate at the Peverllls
as of old. He was there in season ana
out of season. He bore with the ca
prices of Agnes and the condescenslons
of his rival. lie was often left to the
tender mercies of grandma Peverlll,
while Agnes and Miles made the garden
or the river echo with their songs. lie
came and went like a shadow. When
Agnes chose to listen, he let loose MS
enthusiasm; and when she gave him
the cold shoulder, he accepted it With
out murmur-as if one should be
nrat toful for any rift of harS=and fell