, 1886-11-07

and her urSt lnt1matlOn OF Radnor's
presence was when she mef face to face
with him in the hall, whittier her part
ner in the last yalse had taken her for a
quiet promenade.
If there was n throb of insane JOY in
Dean Radnor's heart at this sudden
sight of Alice, no one but himself was
ever the wiser for it. In an instant the
scornful words flashed before his mind,
as distinctly as though the rosy lips now
quivering and paling before him had
gust uttered them, 1T is my wish that
we meet no more as acquainances.
Had he not returned from his cowardly
retreat to prove to her that he could
grant this request with no effort nor
pain to himself? Verify, her wish should
be respected. And so, with a cold
pride before which Alice's painfully
throbbing heart sank in utter and help
less despair, Dean Radnor stepped aside
with the graceful bow that he would
have given to the merest stranger,
and allowed Miss Weir and Col.
shepperson to pass on; then,
making his way to the call-room
he sought out the beautiful Miss Tenn
pie, and throughout the remainer of the
evening htNOltd illllScli " Iti Nith
c-onspicuousness that no one failed to OBJ
serve.
There was no deliberate trifling on
Dean Radnor's part. He was a consist
ent believer in the principles of home
opathy; and in affairs of the heart, as
well as in the more tangible ills that
flesh is heir to, he held the truth to be
self evident that like cures like He
was determined to cure himself of his
useless love for Alice Wier, and how
was this to be done? Why, by opposing
it with astrong, manly, sensible love for
some worthy girl; and there was no
young lady in all his wide social ac-
quaintance next to Alice Wier) whom
he esteemed SO highly as Miss Temple.
Hence, his deliberate determination to
fall in love with Miss Temple, Ia u
her and live happily forever after. u"
And Alice? Well, she observed
the assiduity of Radnor's atten-
ions to Miss Temple, and soon
became convinced that their motive was
sincere admiration and affection, their
object matrimony. Very good; she
had been quite mistaken, then, in i'm
agining that he had ever loved her; what
Sht nav ipplloiil th " " iPNt
was but the hypocritical preten-
sion of a selfish, mercenary, in
sincere tri1cr, who could easily
console himself when he found hat
she was not to he ,,u by his PROBES
sAns &c L, otion. oh, how nkfu
she was that she had had the pride, the
spirit to send him away from her be-
fore he had won her whole heart by his
empty words and his deceitful tender
ness of tone and glance! Glad-why,
all that she reproached herself for now,
was that she had not been ten times
more angry with him han she was, and
that she had ever dreamed of such n
thing afterward rs admitting herself in
the wrong.
And, at this point, Alice herself be-
came n convert to homeopathy; to this
extent-she resolved upon the same cure
for her wounded feelings hat Dean Rad
nor had prescribed for his own. Why
should she not love Col. Shepperson, who
for long months had been fluttering
around her in silent but unmistakable
admiration lie was wealthy, he was
fine looking, he wasn't so very old, and
rumor had it HAT he would some day be
~ tH'. 'hAtA1 oA1 b. 80 49,
senses would be thankful and proud to
encourage such Il lover; and Alice Wier,
disdainfully admitting that she had been
decidedly out of her senses in allowing
herself to think so much of Dean Rad
nor, resolved now, with n thrill of new
life running through all her nerves, that
she would conquer her foolish fancy for
Iiadnor 10y n sensible love for Col. Shep-
person; and, marrying him-as of course
he would soon ask her to do.-live hap
PLY for ever after.
And now the grand work of cure
began. The gayest season that Hastings
had ever known drew toward its close,
and society, looking on with amiable APP
proval upon the four most conspicuous
"eligibles' whose unusual prominence in
all social affairs had contributed so
largely to the brilliant success Of tho
season, was waiting with bated breath
for the announcement of the engage
mcnts which every one had so long been
predicting. Radnor, having danced at
tendance upon Miss Temple until moth
ing was left him in ordinary reason and
honor, but to make a formal offer of his
heart and hand, found himself putting
vi lllt Nlfihllh VI III htAloiNt NOiAo
from time to time with IA dread which
he little understood. Did he fear his
fate too much, or We're his desserts
small Or why did he hesitate about
pronuoncing the final wilt thou?'-
taking, as it were, the last sugared pei
let that remained before his cure could
be effected. Perhaps there vas some
thing in Miss Temples n which
warned him that. although willing
enough to be woed, she yet did not care
to be won. AT all events, he %faltered
and hcsitated on the brink of n pro-
posal.
And Col. sheppcrson, gallant and
gay and devoted swain-what allied him
that the sentiments of the heart, when
ever they forced themselves into speech,
melted away into "airy nothings,n that
made very delightful small talk for
Irritation, but bound him no more firmly
to the one to whom they were uttered
thar the %veriest threads of gossamer
would have done? Had Alice Wier been
impatient to accomplish her ambitious
scheme of marrying this prospective
member of congress, she would have
been ill-pleased with his Hardness in de
claring himself; but, for some reason,
she was strangely content to wait;
and every time the dangerous tender
ness that showed itself for an instant in
! Col. Shepperson's eyes when they met
hers, in his voice when he spoke to her,
in the pressure of his hand as it held
hers, resolved itself into the gray airi-
ness of Jest, and the threatened crisis
! tl,.. ..a-.1 ...n al, Ir.ut1,,l g, u,.I,