Year: 1867

lmDlV as q 1fle4Q OF NlAles so as TO
give you an opportunity for studying
my sister, case, unembarTassed by any
suspicion on her part. To excite her
suspicious is to Illustrate all hopes of
doing anything for or with her. Can
you-wiH you-do me the favor to
dine with me this evening? It is now
about an hour to six, and if you have
no other engagement, 1 will do my
best to entertain you, and you can then
meet my sister as her brothers guest.
Shall it be SO


The young mans tones were almost
beseeehing, and his manner betrayed
the most intense solicitude Quite
ready to accede to the request, from
curiosity as well as from a desire. to re-
assure the young maRs DR. Graham did
not hesitate to say, Willingly, sir, if
it will assist In a professional kn0Wl-
edge of the object Of my call.


The change from the Office to the
home into which ths physician was in
troduced was inde, grateful to the
doctors feelings The light, warmth
and splendor Of tie rooms gave to the
home an air Of tropical sensuOusness;
and vet an exquisite taste seemed to
preside over all Though not unfa-
miliar with elegance, this home of the
brother and sister wore, to the visitor
an enchanted look, as well from the
foreign character Of many Of its adorn-
ments and the rare richness Of its
works of arts, as from the gay, friend
~, enthusiastic mauner Of his enter
taIner,-a manner never attained by
English or Americans. Sending word
to Miss Marchand that there would be
a guest to dinner, st. Victor fell into
a sparkling conversation, discoursiDg
most intelligibly Of Paris, Madeira,
the East Indies and South America
taking his guest from room to room to
show this or that curious specimen of
the productions or handiCraft of each
country. As the articles exhibited
were rare, and many of them of scien-
titic value, and as the young man s
knowledge kept pace with his elo-
quenee Of discourse, DR. Graham was
agreeably absorbed


An hour passed rapidly. Then the
steward announced dinner; but it was
not until they were about seating them
selves at the table that the patient made
her appearance. 1t was now twilight
out of doors. The curtains were drawn
and the dining-room lit only with wax
tapers, under whose soft radiance
bloOmed an abundance Of flowers,
mostly of exotic beauty and fragrance.
1t was evident that the young master
of the house brought with him his
early tastes.


I'VE have an extra allowance of
light and flowers, and little feast, too,
/ believe; for neither myself nor my
English steward here forgot that this
is Christmas. Don't Won think 1t
beautiful holiday Ny mother always
kept It with plenty of wax candles and
flowers" j."


. tt Is a sacred day to me, answered
the doctor, sadly, thinking of his lost
wife and of the three times they had
kept it together, with feasting and
loves delights.


AT this moment Hiss Marchand
hoated into the room and tOsher place
at the head of the table,-a girlish
creature, who gave their guest a smile
when the brother said,


eDr. Graham Is not entirely a stran-
ger, Edith; he was in Paris when we
were there You were a child, then.
I was indeed glad to meet him in this
strange city, and I mean that we shall





he viii permit it. =


It was but natural for the physician
to fix a piercing look upon the face of
her whom he had been given to under
stand was to be his patient, and whose
disease was Of a character to command
his best skill His physicians eye de-
tected no outward tokens of i'll health,
either of body or mind. A serene
brow, sweet. steady, loving eyes, cheeks
rosy and full with maiden health, a
slender though not thin figure, all were
there before him. giving no indication
even of the nervousness" assumed to
be so common with young ladies of
this generation. Exquisite beauty al
lied with perfect health, seemed to
blush and bloom" all over her and
the medical man would have chosen
her, with professional enthusiasm, as
his ideal of what young woman ought
to be. Her pink-silk robe adapted it
self to her soft form as naturally as the
petals of a rose to its curVing sweet
ness. Only to look upon her gladden.
ed the sad heart of DR.. Graham, the
wifeless and ehildless. He felt young
er than he had felt for years, as thirsty
grass feels under the influence Of a
June sun after a morning of showers.
His spirits rose, and he talked well, ev-
en- wittily. betrayiDg not only his va
ried learning as a student and his keen
powers of observation as a man of the
world, but also the gentleness and
grace which, IN his more active, world
" life, were too much put aside It
was little festival, in which the dain-
ty dishes, the fruit, and wine played
but subordinate part


Nothing could be more apparent
than the pride and affection with which
Mr. Marchand regarded his sister
Was there. indeed, a skeleton at this
feast? The doctor shuddered as he
asked himself the question. All his
faculties were on the alert to deny and
disprOve the possibility of the pres
ence of the hideous visitor. His SYM
pathies were too keenly enlisted to be
willing to acknowledge its existence
even in the background of that day OF
the days to come to that household
/ Yet, ever and anon, in the midst OF
their joyousness, a strange look would
| leap from the quick. dark eyes of St
/ Victor, as he fixed them upon his sis
/ ter's face, and an expression would fiji
I across his own face inserutable TO the
/ Watchful physician. With slight mo-
/ tion of his hand OF head he would ar.
rest and direct the DOCTORS attention
EWho would then perceive Miss NJ ar
chand's luminous glance changing In
to a look expressive of anxiety and
/ terror, the glow of her cheeks fading
into a palloT like that of one in {


swoon. But, strangel an instant would
change it all The pallor, lingering bu


a moment, would melt away as a mis-
before the sun, and the roses WoulC


come back to the cheeks again in al


their rosiness. The host would di
vert his companions startled attention


by gracefully pressing the viands upoI
his notice, or by some brilliant sally


so scintiIlating with wit or droll wis


dom, as to have brought the smile tt


an ancborite's eyes. ........-


pray you watch her Did yol


not notice that slight incoherency 2


he remarked, IN a whisper, leaning
over toward the doctor,


! The doctor had noticed nothing bu


the playful badinage Of a happy girl.


Il am afraid her loveliness blind


my judgment. glts5 see what ther


is in all this, he answered to himself