Year: 1861

he had first learned lhc sof music of love
and though The object Of his boyish pas
sion had rather sighted Il, AMI welded
her fortunes 70 another older, and better
provided With thc worlds e@as, ye. bad
he never diyested his mind altogether Of
her image.


He naturally wished to ask the little
lady before him some question q the rec
reant fair one, but hcsilated to come SO
directly to tbe point. To reach IL there
fore, be began by saying that he was well
acquainted with Nj, had spent some
years there's at which declaration she
opened her eyes widely, and looked hard
at the young man. He did notrcmcmber
her, be said, bat them how could he, as It
was nearly ten years since he had lctt
there, and at thai time she must have been
only a little girl.


What was her name3


Another pause, as though unwilling TO
answer, and then she said, Hannah Lin
ley


What an extraordinary start he makes,
staring so wildly at her, and then before
she can make a single movement to pre-
vent it, catching her in his arms and CIV
ing her such kiss, loud enough almost,
to be heard in the street.


Why Hannah, don't you know me Z


How should she know him She was
much too frightened for that, and had he
not closed her mouth by very astonish-
ment, the chances are very large that
scream would have issued from it that
would have brought strangers on the
scene.


Don't you remember Robert--little
Bob Davis Don't you remember who
used to make you baby chairs and tables,
and who built you wagon, Hannah z


Dear dear How her eyes lit up.
Remember him To be sure she did.
And il any one could have seen and heard
that second kiss and the real truthful way
in which it was returned they would have
believed there was something in the mem
ory.


And was Hannah Linley' Not
Bob Dayis's boy-loye certainly, she was
too young for that. No she was not his
old love Ruth, but she was next to it,
her sister, and it was in her sweet sad
face that Bob had traced the dream Of his
boy-days.


And Hannah --how was il that she was
alone in tie great wilderness Of New
York? The story was soon told, and
Bob, cousin Bob, as she used TO call him,
though no cousin at all, was pondering on
it.


Her mother was dead and Hannah had
her choice Of two lives, either to live with
her well-to-do sister, and be dependent, or
10 earn her own subsistence With the
natural independence Of the New England
girl, she had chosen the latter, but had
also chosen to seek that subsistence else
whore than in the town where she was
born. How far she was right in seeking
it in New York, none can answer but her.
self, who could alone measure her own
strength. How il was done, a sewing
machine and her own skill as a needle
woman and embroidercss told the story.


When all the questions were asked and
answered about Ruth, and about every
thing and everybody in Nj, Han
nah, with quite as much self fpossession as
though she had been doing it every day,
before cousin Bob, made tea for him, while
be sat in a corner Of the lounge and
watched her. 1t looked SO pretty and
home-like 10 see her get out tbe bread
board, and with her own white hands mix
up the biscuit and put them to bake to
see her draw the tea in that bright little
pot; TO see her spread the spot ess cloth,
and put out her scanty stock Of plain white
china 1t was a delicious tea, such tea
as Bob had not known since he had be-
come New Yorker. What with the tea
and the talk, he utterly forgot that it was
necessary for him to call in the aid Of
locksmith that very evening, so that be
might have a couch whereon 10 rest after
the exciting affair of the afternoon; but
Hannah reminded him and that was soon
done, and the man at work while Hannah
held the lamp and Bob the tools. The
skillfuI locksmith quickly picked away the
cause Of all this disturbance in the shape
Of a bit Of paper which had evidently been
put in the key-hole and thrust farther in
by Bob in bis efforts at entrance. When
unrolled it read:


g Dear Bob,--Come and see me tomorrow
morning; the place is yours, you lucky dog, aud
good for FIVE years sure, at $500 year.


Yours,


ToMPRIag."


How Bob rubbed his hands and kissed
Hannah again, right there within foot Of
that locksmith, who fortunately was an
old man, and too deaf to be aware of the
shocking inpropriety


And then they went together into Bob's
room. and the locksmiih went away, and
Hafnah looked all about upon the wild
confusion. saying many times, What a
pity 2 and Dear me until Bob, like a
wretch as he was, slipped bis arm about
the little round form and drew the fair
face upon bis breast, aud asked her so
softly, 50 powerfully, 10 take himself and
his loneliness into her keeping, that She