Year: 1864

parlor. 1t was late in November, and a
great wood fire blazed on the hearth, light
ing up the remOtest corner of tue apart
ment with ruddy glare. The warm light
fell full over the lonely woman, recliring
in the wide easy chair, and bought out
with vivid distinctness every line and curve
of her motionless 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 grey eyes, abundant brown hair
put plainly back from her forehead, we'll :,
cut, clearly defined features, and mouth
which had once been sweet and womanly,
but now its expression was cold and hard.
The crimson lips shut tightly, and there
was a steel-!ike 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
a thing entirely discovered from the pres
ent /; looking back upon it, she could
scarcely realize that she was the same gay
girl, who, six years ago, had made the Red
Rock farmhouse vocal with the music of
her laughter.


For six weary years she had been re-
cluse. Her only companions at the farm
were the sturdy hired man and his practi-
cal wife, who, under her supervision, man.
aged the farm work. She had received no
company, and had gone none abroad she
had buried the world and its interest and
little removed from the turmoil of the
city, she dwelt on in seclusiOn. 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 halting to utter friendly
bark: Yet Miss Hayne was unkind to no
living creature. She was only supremely
Indifferent Positive in temper would have
made her more popular than this strange,
passonless apathy, through the ice of
which nothing could penetrate.


At twenty-five, Hildred-Hayne was the
acknowledged belle of her vicinity-the
liveliest, gayest girls 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, confiding, atfectionate, she won
the love of Paul Lancaster-the only son
and heir of Judge Lancaster, at the hall !;
and with consent of all concerned they
were betrothed.


Mr.. Lancaster was handsome, well edu-
Gated, engaging in his manners, and SELF
acilled. Never in his life had single wish
of his been allowed to die ungratified. He
knew nothing of disappointment, nothing
of self-sacrifce; he was noble and gen.
erous; but impulsive, almost reckless.


They had been engaged a year, when
there came to Portland-the city of Lam
casters birth-a fair Southron lady,
distant relative of Pauls mother. Isabel
Courtland was beautiful and fascinating,
and was much in the society of the Lam
casters. There is no need of enlarging on
the subject; it was but repetition of the
old stOYy,-tbe first was valueless beside
the second. Almost before he was con-
scious of his perfdy, Paul Lancaster al
lowed his passion for the fair stranger, and
heard the words from her lips that made
his life for him an Eden.


| Like a 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





a face and nerves like steel; her own heart
was so true and loyal that it was with
difficulty she could understand such dis
honor in man she loved. She did not
censure him for loving another better
than herself, and remembering how ne
had kept her in ignorance of the change
in his feelings, she was cold and unforgiv-
ing; and when she sent Paul free from
her presence, it was with the command
never to show his face to her again as long
as they both should live


From that time Hildred was an altered
being She did not pine, nor NOPE, but
her youth seemed dead She went about
slowly, and methodically; became hard
and calculating in her disposition, and
shut out all love from her heart. When
her parents died, within few months Of
each other, leaving her all alone in the
world, but for her little sister, Mary, she
refused to break up the old establishment