Year: 1860

me ! let h'r play at liking me, just as
should have nslulged playful kitten. and
tired TO say and do something that might inn
prove her Tor Mr. Amea's sake. saw now
what his skeleton was Ia was to marry tho
poor child, and shrunk from 4 az I sbouId
have shrunk from a shallow husba.d


He used to come with her sometime. and
l must confess he behaved admirably. lInv-
er saw him in the least rude, or il-natured,
or contemptuous towards her, even when she
was silent and tried his patience most severe
ly; and felt my respect for him increasing
every day. As for Mrs. winslow, she came
sometimes TO see me, and was very particular
to invite me there; but saw that she watch
ed both me and Mr.. Ames, and suspected that
she had come to Huntsville for that purpose.
She sought every opportunity, too, of
making me seem awkward and ignorant be-
fore him; and he perceived it, know, and
was mortified and annoyed by il, though he
left the chasusement entirely TO me. Once
in while Cousin Mary and had a real old
fashioned visit from him all alone, either when
1t was very stormy, or when the ladies were
visiting elsewhere, He always came serious
and abstracted, and went away in good spir-
its, and he said that those few hours were the.
pleasantest he passed. Mrs. Winslow looked
on them with an evil eye, | knew, and sus-
pected a great deal Of which we were all in
nocent; for one day. when she had been din
ing at my house with her daughter, and we
were all out in the garden together, | over
heard hersaying-


She ia just the person to captivate him,
and you mustn't bring yourself into compcti-
ton with her, Lucy She can outshine YOU
in conversation, and know that she is play
idg deep game.


La, ma = the girl exclaimed. AN old
maid, without the least style and she makes
butter, too, and actually climbs up in chair
to scrub down her closets-for Ed Twin and
caught her at it one day"


Aud did she seem confused :. asked Mrs.
Winslow.


No, indeed Now | should have died, if
he had caught me in such plight but she
shook down her dress as though it were a
matter Of vvurso- and they were soon talking
about some German stuff don't know what
it was-while had to amuse myself with the
drawings


That's the way rotorted the mother
you play dummy for them. | wish you had
little more spirit, Lucy. You wouldn't play
into the hands of this designing-


Nonsense, mamma She's a real clever,
good-natured old thing, and like her. ex-
claimed the daughter. You're so suspicious.


You're so foolishly secure = answered NAM
ma. "A man is never certain until after the
ceremony and you don't know Edwin Ames,
Lucy


4 know he's got plenty of money, mother,
and | know he's real nice and handsome was
the reply; and they walked out of hearing


| wouldn't have listened even to so much
as that if could have avoided it and as
soon as | could, went into the parlor, and
set down to some work, trying to keep down
that old trouble, which somehow gathered
size like a rolling SNOWFALL l might have
known what it was, if l had not closed my
eyes resolutely, and said to myself-'The
summer will soon be gone, and there will be
an end of it all then;' and | WINGED, as | said
it. like one who sees blow coming.


The summer went by imperceptioly it was
autumn, and still all things remained outward
I ly as they had been. We went back and
forth continually, rode and walked out, sang
and read together, and Lucy grew fonder and
fonder of me. She could scarcely live out of
my presence, and confded to me all her plans
when she and Edward should be married.
how much she thought of him, and he of her,
all about their courtship, how he declared
himself, and how she accepted him one soft
moonlight night in far Italy, how agitated
and distressed he had been when she had
fever, and thousand other details which
swelled that great stone in my heart more and
more. But | shut my eyes, until one day
when saw them together. He was listen
ing, intent. and very pale, to something she
told him, and, to my surprise, she was pale
too, and weeping. Before she could finish,
she broke into passionate rush of tears, and
would have thrown herself at his feet but,
he caught her, and she sank down upon his
shoulder, and he stopped towards her as he
might if he had loved her. Then knew how
loved him.


| had to bear up a little while, for they
were in my house, and must bid them good
night, and talk idly, so that they should not
suspect the wound had. But / must do
something, or go mad and so l went out to
the garden-wall, and struck my hand upon it
until the blood ran. The pain of that bal
anced the terrible pain within for few mo-
ments, and | went in to them calm and sm-
ling. They were sitting on the sofa, he with
a perplexed, pale face, and she blushing and
radiant. They started up when they saw my
hand bandaged and she was full Of sympathy
for my hurt. He said but little, though he
looked fxedly into my face. / know | must
have looked strangely. When they were
gone, went into my chamber and shut the
door, with some such feelings as | should
have closed the entrance of a tomb behind me
forever. fought myself all that night. My
heart was hungry and cried out for food, aud
| would promise it none at all. Is there any
one who thinks that youth has monopolized
all the passions Of life, all the rapture, all the
wild despair Let them breast the deep,
strong current of mddle-life.


never could quite recollect how that last
month went away. know that kept my
self necessarily occupied. and that saw them
almost daily, without departing from the tone
Of familiar friendship had worn throughout,
although my heart was full Of jealousy and a
hatred that would not be quiet
I'd. Not for thousand happy loves would |
nave let them see my humiliation. | was
'ven afraid that already he might suspect it, |
or his manner was changed. Sometimes he
vas distant, sometimes sad, and sometimes
almost tenderer than a friend.


IL got to be October, and felt that could
rot bear such state Of things any longer.
md questioned with myself whether | had
,etter not leave homo for while. If had
,een alone, it would have been easy but my
ousin Mary was still with me, and could
i've no good reason for such stem. Before