The record-union., 1892-04-23
His locks are gold,
His looks are bold,
NV Herol
Hal hal''

Ha! ba!''
My laughter stopped almost in its birth.
was looking over her shoulder on to the
paper, when full, round tear fell with
blob" as we used to say in the nursery,
on to the page in front of her. That
blob" went straight to my heart. |
caught her hand in mine; L may have
gone on my knees; | don't know what |
did.
Mrs. Winterton! Kater' 1 cried.
"What is 1t? What Is the mattera Tell
me! | can't hear to see you unhappy.
How can | serve you? | came here to-
day to tell you-yes, indeed, to tell you /
love you.n
She tore her hand away from mine, and
was speaking TO me from the other side
of the room. l was half kneeling by her
chair, L think, and rose slowly as she
spoke.
You love me! Youl Why, you wrote
that!'' she cried Indignantly, pointing 10
the wretched review.
| looked at her in surprise. Then it
began to dawn upon me as gazed at her
dear little figure quivering with indigna-
ton.
"Why you-do you mean-to saw /
stammered out, ''that-you-are?"
You great BOBBY, of course I'm Sap
pho. What fool the man is!''
She stamped her little foot impatiently,
and was almost laughing through her
tears at my stupor and amazement. /
had never seen her look prettier.
'But-I never knew,"I l began feebly.
"Yo ou never told me-"
"Of course didn't. / should have told
you to-day. / only got the first copy on
Tuesday, and Mr.. Etheridge came in
and found me with them, and he likes
them"
''Did he tell you so?' shouted.
''Of course he did, and you can say so
Please go on. Say they are lovely and
beautiful, and soul-stirring, and all the
rest of it. Praise me up. Do. They are
works of genius, are they not? Worthy
of the great poetess herself"
mo, Kate" / said. 81 will be quite
honest with you; they are rubbish-great
She was not prepared for this, and did
not know what to say. Something
prompted me to cross the room toward
her. She allowed me to take her hand.
Kate" | continued, 81 love you too
well to tell you lie. They are rubbish
dreadful rubbish. / did not know whose
they were. If you had shown them to
me before, they need never have been re-
viewed at all, here or anywhere. [ love
you so well / would not have told YOU a
lie about them-no, not to win you for
myself for ever. Do you believe that,
Kate?''
Sne ndQ let IDe miserable paper fall
into the fender, and her head was turned
from me again. Eyes, believe you,''
was all her answer. 1 gathered the paper
up and thrust it into the fire. Turning
to her / took her hand once more, and
we both stood over the mantel-piece
watching the paper Writhing in the flame.
"Etheridge gave me your book" I
said.
Her hand frightened involuntarily on
mine. She was about to say something
angry, but | checked her.
sHe, too, loved you,'' said, ''and all
is fair in love and war, they say. Never
mind him; what about me2 Am 1 to be
forgiven? Can you forget this miserable
affair? You are the only friend l have in
the world. Is this to part us?n
She said not a word, but gazed into the
fire.
"Kate, you heard what / said just now.
I have told you / love you. May / come
back when all this is past and forgotten
and say this to you again?'
The ashes had whitened in the flames
and were now burned into nothingness,
and she turned her face up toward mine.
.'You may stay and say it now, My
Hero" she whispered with smile, and
the least suspicion of twinkle in her
bright eye. And it was thus / made my
Last Proposal. Magazine.