Year: 1864

parlor. It was late in November, and a
great wood fire blazed on the hearth,
lighting up the remotest corner Of the
apartment with a ruddy glare. The
warm light fell full over the lonely wo
man, reclining in the wide easy chair,
and brought out with livid distinctness
every line and curve of her motioniess
figure.


Miss Hayne had, probably, seen thirty
years of life, though the silver threads
in her temple gave you the impression
that she was older. She was slight and
! tall, with deep gray eyes, abundant
brown hair put plainly back from her
forehead, we'll cut, clearly defined fea
lures, and a mouth which had once
been sweet and womanly, but now its
expression was cold and hard. The
crimson lips shut tightly, and there was
steel-like determination about them at
variance with the tender light in the
downcast eyes, and the thoughtful curve
of the fair brow Looking in her face,
you knew that all Miss Haynes life had
not passed as quietly as the days she
was now living. The existence Of her
girlhood was thing ntirely discovered
from the present; looking back upon it,
she could scarcely realize that she was
the same gay girl, who, six years ago,
made the Red Rock farm house vocal
with the music of her laughter.


For six weary wears she had been a
recluse. Her only companions at the
farm were the sturdy hired man and his
practical wife, who, under her supervis-
ion, managed the farm work, She had
received no company-gone none abroad
she had buried the world and its in
terest; and little removed from the
turmoil of the city, she dwelt on in Sc
clusion. Little children avoided her.
Neighbors never ran in of an evening
for an hours chat with her; the very
dogs trotted past her gate without halt
ing to utter friendly bark Yet Miss
Hayne was unkind to no living creature.
She was only supremely Indifferent.
Positive i'll temper would have made
her more popular than this strange, pas
sionless apathy, through the ice Of which
nothing could penetrate.


At twenty two, Hildred Hayne was
the acknowledged belle Of her vicinity
the liveliest, gayest girl for miles and
miles around To her personal grace
and beauty, she united charms of mind
and heart far above the common order
Sensitive, high spirited, confding, affec-
tionate, she won the love Of Paul Ian
caster, at the hill; and with the con-
sent of all concerned, they were be-
trcthed.


Mr. Lancaster was handsome, we'll
educated, engaging in his manners and
seEuillcd. Never in his life had sin
gle wish of his been allowed to die un-
gratiGed. He knew nothing Of disap-
pointments, nothing Of self-sacrifce; he
was noble and generous; but impulsiye,
almost reckless. aiaa


They had been engaged year, when
there came to Portland-the city of Mr..
Lancaster's birth-a fair Southern lady,
distant relative of Paul's mother. Is
abel CORTLAND was beautiful and fas-
cinating, and was much in the society of
the Lancasters. There is no need of
enlarging on the subject; it was but a
repetition of the old story-the first
was valueless beside the second Al
most before he was conscious of his per-
fdy, Paul Lancaster avowed his passion
for the fair stranger, and heard the
the words from her lips which made for
him an Eden


Like flash of lightning from cloud


less sky came the knowledge to Hildred


that her lover was hers no longer She
did not weep, nor rave-she heard it with


face and nerves Nike steel; her own
heart was so true and loyal that it was
with difficulty she could understand


such dishonor in the man she loved
She did not censure him for loving
another better than herself, and remem-
bering how he had kept her in ignor.
ance of the change in his feelings, she
was cold and unforgiving and when
) she sent Paul free from her presence, il
J was with the command never to show his
face to her again SO long as they both
should live.


From that time Hildred was an alter
ed being. She did not pine, nor NOPE
but her youth seemed dead. She wen
about slowly and methodically; became
hard and calculating in her dispositions
and shut out all love from her heart
: When her parents died, within a few
months of each other; leaving her al
alone in the world, but for her sister
Mary, she refused to break UP the ole
establishment at Red Rock farm, a
her friends advised, but lived there still
taking all the responsibility Of the larg'
farm on her slender shoulders.


Mary, beautiful, golden haired Mar
was her solace-the only thing she seem
ed to love; to her she was tender, dc


voted and self-sacrifcing. The sole ii
that bound Hildred Hayne to humanity
Even this was rent away. 4 malignan