The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-02-12

were sitting in a cosy bondoir, turning over
the contents Of n box of photographs.
"Wherc did You get so many, Sue? =
one asked.
cousin John is III a photographers
gallery, and he gave me a great lot. They
are all fancy heads, or copies of paint
ings. Here is a lovely face"
1t was Il lovely face Sue Darlington held
up for her friends admiration, fair and
sweet, with waves of soft, curling hair
falling loose, under a coquettish little
hat.
SIT looks like a portrait" Nora Leslie
replied, taking it in her hand.
"No, there are no portraits here. Oh,
Norah, I've thought of something splendid.
Let's send it to Nod Hazard with a love
letter. He is always fancying every girl
completely smittcn by his deep black
eyes and great blonde whiskers, Let's
bother him, and have some fun"
'But-"
''But nothing. 1t is just for mischief,
and nobody will ever know. ! should like
to take a little of the conccit ont of that
flop. Come? I can write a hand nobody
will ever recognize, and we will write the
letter.
Some maidenly instinct i'll Morals heart
shrank from this freak of her merry COM
panion, but she was oyerbornc by her, and
the letter was written. The temptation
was certainly strong, for Ned Hazard was
the most conceited, empty headed dandy
that ever exposed himself to ridicule of
saucy girlhood. But his empty head was
decorated with a handsome face, his pock-
cts well-lincd with inherited wealth, and
he fancicd himself irresistible. He had
come to c., the pretty town where
Nora and Sue were acknowledged bellies,
for a summer s%ojourn, and having relatives
there, was introduced to society, where his
affected manners and evident good opinion
of his own merits were o the laughing
stock of the frank, cordial community.
Tic letter written by Sue, containing
the picture of the lovely face was duly an
swercd, and followed by others, until a sud
den summons to his city home cut short
Ned's ilourishing Irritation upon paper,
With a glowing cpistle promising to return
at the earliest possible opportunity, he
babe farewell to his unknown admirer,
and carried his blonde whiskcrs out of
c..
4 year later, when Sue had nearly for
gotten her ~eseapade, there was a sensation
in C-causcd by the return of Laurence
Halstcad, one of the boys who had gone
from home seven years before to seek his
fortune in California. Under the care of
an uncle, long resident in San Francisco,
he had won an cnviable reputation as a
business man, and had inherited the for
tune his uncle had acquired in years of
mercantile life. C-was ready to receive
him with open arms. His mother, who
had lived in quiet retirement, moved into
a handsome new house, and prepared it
for her sons coming, adding othe interest
of his arrival by her certainty that he re-
turned home h~eart-wholc and fancy free.
One of the first calls Laurence IIalstead
made was at Mrs. Carlington's, and Sue
gave him cordial welcome. He had left
her a gawky schoolgirl, he found her a
wondrously pretty maiden. But she, re-
Numbering well the bright, frank youth
who had carried her books so often to the
seminary, was not quite sure that seven
.,f absopon IoJ improvod har old
friend. He had gone away a bright, ami
mated young fellow, full of lite and hope;
he came home grave, almost to sadness,
reserved and aged far more than the added
years warranted.
Upon the strength of long friendship,
Laurence Halstead became a frequent visit
or at Mrs. Carlington's, and, by the
very force of contrast, he and Sue were
soon fast friends. The girls quick wit,
her sparkling conversation, her sunny tenn
permanent, were very fascinating to the
grave man, who sought more and more in
her society diversion from his own gloomy
thoughts.
In justice to Laurence IIalstcad it must
be said that, having but a modest estimate
of his w power of attraction, he did not
think of any danger to Sues heart i'll this
pleasant intercourse. He had a nissan
thropic idea that at thirty he was an
elderly man, world-weary-one from
whom youth would flee and lively chatter
become grave conversation in his presence.
1t surprised him that Sue found no chill in
his advanced years, but he never reflected
that her cordial, sunny liking for him
might become a deeper emotion.
The whole year had come and gone ince
Lawrence TIalstead's homecoming. He
had been Sues escort at winter parties, at
summer p%icnics, had learned duets with
her, had talked with her gravely or thought
of no further result than a lifelong friend
ship. But his mother, 4 tender, loving
woman, read more truly a dawning trout
bic in Sues sunny eyes, a soft, shy reserve
in her gay speeches, and a tender flush
upon her check for Laurence's coming.
"My son" she said to him one day, do
you love Susan Darlington ?'
Love her!' he repeated, in accents of
strongest amazement. "Why she is a
900 aIill -