, 1881-01-28

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minded, and was exceedingly alive to the
presence or absence of Miss DevereuX.
/ If she were absent. he must know whore
she was. If present, he made iucoherent
| replies To everybody else, and was like
/ the needle to the magnet, whatever the
Young lady's movements were.
If she loungod, he noticed that the
/ sun shouc in her eyes, and closed Il blind.
/ Ii she sang. he turned the leaves of her
music; if she walked the piazza, he
would urge that the rooms were to warm
| and iiul a seat without.
Once or twice he caught himself up in
neglecting Lucy and attending Nab, but
| the spell was too strong.
The fascination which this girl of n
wanton heart eXcrted he succumbed TO
almost uncousciously. And the siren
smiled and smiled, and drew him on un-
| til there came feveri-h light in Lucys
blue eyes and her checks grew thin with
| the fear she yet repealed.
Yes. it was dangerous for all three,
this playing with edged tools. 1t was
| true that the love between Allen and her
self was not founded ON mere fancy, but
| in mutual confidence, esteem and n
sweet congeniality. If she had known
it to be fancy she would have had no
confidence in it.
For three years they had known each
other well, and the tic had even grown
| stronger. She had often mused on this,
and, indeed, made it the strong point in
her acceptance of Allen Stopford.
She felt herself very young-but nine
| teen-when called to decide this matter;
she had long been motherless. From the
depth of her heart to the heights of her
wisdom she sounded herself before she
replied to him, and the expression of her
face at that moment, Allen never forgot.
Eye to eye and heart to heart they
pledged each other. and now-could
Allen forget?
Apparently he had forgotten. She
could not accuse him of rudeness toward
herself-that was impossible to his ma
ture-or seltishness; but that he was
drawn from her the most casual eye
could see. And NIab's fortnight had al
ready heightened to three weeks,
"Well have tea On the lawn to-
night, Lucy" said Aunt Lucretla, the
house-keeper at Rosehome, 1T is
such very warm night, it will be pleas
ant"
"As you please, auntie; it makes no
difference to me. shall take no tea; |
have "a severe headache"
Aunt Lucretia went indoors, but some
one else stood beside the hammock
where Lucy lay. She turned her head
and looked into Mab's mOcking dark
eyes.
Confess you are fretting yourself sick
about Mr.. Stopford. Why don't you send
me home?" she asked.
"Allen does not love you, Nab. He
will never tell you that he does, replied
Lucy, quickly, and with dignity, though
there was sharp contraction OF her del
icate features,
Nab saw, perhaps experienced, a pang
of remorse-for she sincerely liked her
gentle cousin; but she was full of q
wicked exultation, so strong was her
passion for power.
She turned and strolled down the
gravel walk among the cyprus vines,
flirting her pink fan, and Allen saw and
came from his seat in the avenue, with
Sultan, his great howling hound, at his
heels.
When tea was served, he brought
Lucy cup of the fragrant beverage
and the cologne flask and then he
was gone down the cyprus walk with
Nab.
The twilight deepened; a whip-poor-
will called; the scent of flowers stole up
from the beds and from among tue vines.
| Lucy lay alone in the hammock, and Il
| r,,,, toors ,,bioh ubo s,nrDa1 ur,,ll hoya
their way.
She sat up at last. Apparently Allen
and Nab had left the garden; no one was
in sight. It's recesses looked cool and
dewy; perhaps they would cease the
throbbing of her temples.
She slipped from the hammock and
went down the piazza steps, one little
white kitten following and rolling about
her feet.
The dreAies starred cyprus vines; the
birds twitted contentedly over their
June nests; some beautiful evening
blooming flowers filed the air with
| heavenly sweetness.
Lucy dragged herself slowly along
with half guilty feeling that this beauty
was so little to her. She was not in har.
mony with its peace; the stilluoss irri.
tated her.
Suddenly it was broken by voices
which stole gently upon her ear. She
could see no one, but she recognized
ALab's tones.
Then you do not hate me?' she syl-
Tabled, insinuatingly.
Hate you? No. 7 believe | love
You. You are the most bewitching girl"
Lucy felt the rustic of the cypress
vines, cool and dewy, about her face, she
did not know that she had fallen. But
the others heard the crash, aud Nab
called Lucy" guiltily, and Allen came
and lifted the little figure in his strong