Year: 1859

and imagine how it would confront me, if she
knew what was, and how | had deceived her,
or dreaming more wildly still, reproduce it in a
hundred scenes which l had never before paus-
ed to imagine as the face of my acife | had
never loved, unless the butterfly loves of
Saratoga and Newport might be SO digniied,
and still less had | ever dreamed or thought
of marrying, even as a possibility and far off
contingency. Never before, | soemnly aver.
had seen the woman whom | wished to make
my wife-never before had so longed To call
my own, as did that lovely lying on my heart
No, it was impossible for me to sleep.
Ia the morning we reached Buffalo, and spent
the day at Niagara If / had thought her
lovely while sleeping, what was she when the
light of feeling and expression played over her
face, as she elOquenty admired the scene
before US, or was even more eloquent
still. | do not thiak | looked at the Cata-
ract as | looked at her, or thought the one
creation more beautiful than the other


She was now quite familiar with me, in her
innocent way, called me cousin Frank" and
seeming to take certain pleasure in my socie
ty and protection. 1t was delightful to be
greeted SO gladly with her, when | entered the
hotel parlor, to have her come forward from
the lonely seat where she had been waiting, not
unobseryed and unnoticed to receive me-to
have her hang on my arm-lOOk up into my
face-teIl me all her little adventures alone
and chide me for leaving her so long, (how
long it seemed to me- while every word, lCOk
and smile seemed doubly dear TO me, because
| knew the precarious tenure by which held
my right to them. She busted herself too
while was gone out, with our Joint baggage
and rummaged all over her franks to find
book which | had expressed desire to see
she mended my gloves, sewed the band on my
travelling cap, and found my cigar case when
ever | had lost it, which was about twenty
times day, which she declared almost equal
led her own. Long ago she had given over
into my possession her elegant port-monnaie
with all her money in it, which she was sure
she would lose as she could never keep any
thing" and as she had ordered me to take out
what was wanted for her travelling expenses,
| opened it with trembling hands when ! was
alone, and examined the contents There
were, besides all the bank bills with which she
had probably been furnished for her journey,
and which, with pious care, she had packed IN
to the smallest possibly compass, as much gold
| as her pretty toy could carry, tiny pearl ring,
too small to fit any fingers but herS-which
! am afraid kissed-a card with a name on it,
and a memorandum in pretty hand, "No. -
Olive street, st. Louis which, as | rightly
conjectured, was the residence of her cousin
Jennie whose husband was a very fortunate
| discovery for me- Indeed, thus far, | had not
| yet found "the way of the transgressor hard, -
in external circumstances at least, and when
with her | forgot everything but her grace and
! beauty and my firm resolution to be no more
to her than her cousin should be bat ont Of
that charmed presence my conscience made me
miserable


! | am afraid | must sometimes have BETRAYED
! the conflicts of feeling had, by my manner
! but when 1 was reserved and ceremOniOus with
| her, she always resented it, and begged me so
| bewitchingly not to treat her so, and to call
her by her sweet name, " Florence that had
| dreaded as much as | longed to do it,
could not have refused her But the consci
business that was not what she thought me-
bat an impoSter, of whom, after our connec
tion had ceased, and she had discovered the
deception practiced upon her. she could think
or remember nothing that would not cause un
merited selfrcproach and modification, all in
uOCCuG duu III uSAlIS dS 6uc WIS, IliS ItlCCllOu
more than any other confess, and the know
ledge of the estimation in which she would
forever hold me, after my imposition was dis
covered agonized me, and | would have given
all possessed to own it to her and leave hei
sight at once, though the thought of never
seeing her more was dreadful. But that couG
not be.


At last we reached ST. Louis Do l say
" at last ?" When the sight of those spires
and gables warned me that ply brief dream o
happiness was over, and that the remorsefu
reflections | had been staving off 50 long were
now to commence in earnest, the thought OF
coming baniShment from Florence was dread
fu to me, and the time seemed to fly Oh light
ming wings as it drew nearer She was al
gayety, and astOnished at my sadness and all
sence Of mind when so near home and Jennie
and when we entered the carriage that was tC
convey US to our destination, had half a miut
to take cowardly flight rather than enCount
er the scOrn aud disappointment of those blue
eyes but | mustered courageand followed hel
in, giving the address found in the p0rtmonni5
which, fortunately, was the right one, to the
driver


almost home :" said she, turning her brigh
face towards me--we were rafting up the
street and my time was short, chow can you
be so cool and quiet ?"


Because, Miss Florence" I answered
"the time has came in which must confess t.
you l have no more right i'll the house to which
we are Fastening, than the name by which yor
address me, and that my only claim to either
is that of an imposter and deceiver."


She turned her lovely face, wondering anC
puzzled, towards me.


Thank Heaven, did not yet read fear ant
aversion in it.


" No right mo claim" she repeated )" wha
can you mean 2"


/ told her, frankly and fully the whole
truth, nearly as | have set it down here, deny