, 1886-07-16

the habit OF engaging themselves to two
people at the came time. Shall wo go In
now, or have you any other interesting &C
cusations to make"
Forgive me. Nancy; ] was n fool"
pleaded Jim earnestly. II forget some
times that l have not still the right to
speak to you on such matters. For nve
years | have thought OF you as my prom
ised wife, and now that l am with you
cannot always realize that you are mine
no longer. Say that you forgive me,
Nancy, for my %roughness and presuinp-
ton"
There is nothing to forgive" she said
coldly. Let us go in now. The evenings
are getting quite chilly"
After this quarrel Jim found 1t inpos
sible to be on the same footing OF friend
ship with Nancy. She was colder ana
more constrained than ever in her manner
towards him; and though every uay ne
felt more clearly that his love was nope
less, he found 1t more and more diincuit 10
hide IL from her. He was too proud and too
manly to force his love on her. believing, as
he lid. that she disliked him; and Mt last
after a bitter struggle with himself, he de-
termined to return to India at once.
He had never been to the Ness lately
without some valid reason, and this new
decision was so good an excuse for calling
that he was not slow in taking advantage
Of 1t. He found Nancy in the garden,
arrayed In n large white ~sun-bonnet, busily
gathering Strawberries for tea.
"You find 1t rather hot work, 1 am
afraid" he said, looking down gravely
into her flushed lace. "Let me pick some
now"
Thank you" she answered, resigning
the basket; STOPPING so much has tired
me a little"
He had soon filed the basket, and then,
at his suggestion, they seated themselves
under an old apple-tree to rest. Nancy
took off her sun-bonnet, and leant her
bare head against the gnarled trunk Ian
guidly. Jim watched her as she sat there,
thinking that he would soon ave only
the memory of her sweet, pure face to
bear with him.
81 came up this afternoon to say good
bye" he said, breaking the long silence
rather abruptly"
Nancy started slightly and raised her
eyes to his in wonderment.
"Good-bye;" she said. "And where are
you going,"
II am going back to India; l nave had
enough OF England"
ITO Indiaf at oncei Oh, why;n she
asked piteously, growing very white, and
looking at him with frightened eyes. An
expression of tumultous hope began to
dawn on .Jim's face as he saw how his
words had affected her.
"Do you care, Nancy" he asked eagerly.
would you rather | stayedf'
"My wishes have nothing to do with the
matter" she said rather bitterly.
Indeed they have" he said very earn
estly-"Nancy, tell me, would you rather
| stayeds"
"If I said Yes would you stays" she
asked, quietly.
"Only if you loved me" he said. II can
not stay on n see you day after day, and
feel that you will never care for me. May
/ stay, Nancy"
"If you like she answered shyly.
Jim took her into his arms, and kissed
her very tenderly. There is one thing l
want to know he said presently, looking
down into her eyes: " when did you begin
to love Inc, dear;"
"When did you begin to love mel" she
replied, blushing undo his gaze.
81 don't know; | have loved you all my
life" he answered.
Il don't know, either" she said: "When
| was about four or five, l think"
"But, my darling, you broke off our en-
gagement, " he said wonderingly.
"Yes; from your letters | thought l did
not love you. They were so stupid-I-I
mean"
"Yes, they were stupid, but yours were
silly too, and | thought that was the kind
of thing you liked" he said, n ray of in
telligence dawning in his eyes.
II thought you were terrible boyisE~so l
wrote very young letters, thinking ee3x-
would ireresu yosN" she said. beuirsiIng