Year: 1861

: grew calm again Yet with a strange
perversity for which l could not ac,
count, my heart was never quite at
rest till my tormentor was once more
with US.


1 was lying on the grass, beneath
the tamarac trees in front of the door,
one hot afternoon, when Maude burst in
through the gate, (she never opened it
like any one else. } and was running
through toward the house, when she
caught sight of me. I was three. .fourths
asleep, and quite lost in delicious rev.
cry, when some insect crawled along
my cheek. I brushed it off and com
posed myself once more. No, there it
was again, behind my ear, making my
flesh creep; and then upon my fore
head, and from there to my cheek again;
crawling, crawling, in every place
where my hand did not go; till at last
it took refuge in the corner of my eye
lid, dodging all my frantic attempts to
capture or dislodge it. Itwas paltry
irritation, but 1t was also a hot after
noon, and at last 1 burst out with a
naughty word, and sat upright and
opened my eyes.---Maude dropped the
spear Of grass with which she had been
tickling ire and sprang to her feet, and
shook her finger at me, with wide open
eyes.


oh, John: what a naughty boy you
are! Do you know what you said,
sir? What do you think will become of
you if you talk like that?'


4 beg your pardon thousand times,
Maude,' said, getting up from the
grass. But pray, what do you think
will become of YOU my lady, if you
play such tricks as this on mep


/ am sure l don't know


Shall tell you?'


made step towards her, but as if
she read my purpose in my eyes, she
was away like a frightened deer. l
ran after her, and after hard chase,
had nearly caught her, when she slip
ped from my hands, and dashed into
an old building which stood opposite the
farm house, and was only used, as I
supposed for a granary. Quick as
thought she turned the key, and I
heard her laughing saucily inside, But
I saw an window open. She had forgotten
that, and I leaped IN and had her in
my arms.


Flushed with tho frolic, palpitating
with her fright and haste, she had nev-
er looked half SC pretty or so lovable
before. held her so tightly that she
could not struggle, but just as I bent
down to punish her with the threat
ened kiss, her eyes met mine, and l
could feel the beatiuss of her hear.
against my breast. She did not speak
she did not stir-but her eyes stop
cd me. There was something in them
which l had never seen before; some
thing that made my heart beat as loud
ly as hers. Icould have held her there
forever-I could have died at that mo-
ment. But opened my arms and let
her 20. She sat down in broken arm
chair that stood there, covered with
dust and cobwebs. and covered her
face with her hands, and I stood by the
window and looked at her.
Maude-'


sNo-say nothing! say nothingr
she said hastily.


You are right. / will not. God
bless you, Maude.'


Iwalked away, unlocked the door,
and left her. But one truth was thrill
ling through my heart like fire. I
loved Maude-Maude loved me!


When I got to the house, Maude was
sitting at her window, with a book in
her hand, though it was quite dark.
She did not look up or speak as pass
ed by, and in the parlor found Isabel,
who was silent and nervous, and ev-
identity suffering from headache. 1t
was net long before she excused herself,
and retired.