Year: 1865

10 my own tnlukluSJ H"N PtOAOuHN
ed our doom now; but Mark Sutherland


only laughed, and said:


dwell, then, you shall not; Miss Mil
} ly shall go too"


"Ahl if that could only be- but Mil
. lly would die in India. We came home
because the climate was killing her,"
"And you will not leave her"
"I promised mamma, before she died,
that I never would; that if married it
should not separate US that my home
should be Milly's till she did not needit
1 answered, faultering under something
in the look of his face that was new to
me. Up to this time I had been think
ing of myself; now I was reminded that
I was giving pain to him.


He was silent two or three minutes,
looking away into the distance. He had
taken his hand from my shoulder.


"Well, Hester" said he, presently,
gravely, not unkindly-but ah as it
seemed to me, very coldly-"you have
simply to choose between your sister
and myself. You are best able to judge
of your sisters claims upon you of my
own, I will only say that I love you. 1
never thought or cared much about
women till 1 saw you, so I am not likely
to change my liking or to forget it and
if you had married me-But 1 will
not try and plead ny cause against your
sisters. It is for you to decide, and for
me to abide by your decision"


I looked desperately up to the smil-
ing blue heavens, at the calm stream
flowing on its tranquil path to the sea,
at all the sun basking peace around me,
and prayed, with a prayer so passionate
that it seemed like loud demand, that
I might not be forced into Staying with
my own hands the young happiness of
my life. az can not and will not do it,
I said in my heart ; yet knowing the
while that must, and could.


Then Mark spoke again.


Would you like a little time to con-
slider the matter? I need not leave the
Hollies till tomorrow evening, or, per-
haps, the next day"


"No," I answered-with or without
my own will, I never knew. Z" I know
what must do I cannot leave Milly.


"And Millv cannot 90. That decides
it, then. Well, I have nothing to say, I
am the last man in the world to try and
persuade any one against their judg
ment."


He rose deliberately, but did not go,
for I sat still.


Are you going home ?" he asked,
after minute Hester, don't look so
sad YOU are feeling for me-don't DO
that. I should like to think of you when
I am over the seas; as happy as I would
have tried to have made you. Think of
me sometimes as a friend I don't ex-
pect to forget you, Hester. Good-by."


His hand, as he held it out, shook ever
so slightly but it held mine in firm
pressure for an instant. Then he let it
drop, stopped and picked up his gun,
whistled his dogs around him, and strobe
away again along the sea-wall, without
once turning to look back.


Milly and I were orphans. Our father
and mother had both died in India, and
we were sent home to the care Of our
sole relation, my fathers only sister. an
elderly maiden lady, living in kind of
lady-like poverty, at dull little village
at Kent. Aunt Dolly died when I was
seventeen and Milly twelve, leaving to
US the little cottage that had been her
home and ours, with everything it con-
tanned no very valuable bequest, but
all the poor soul had to leave and here
Milly and mot heiresses, no, but not
destitute, neither-continued to live with
the dear old servant who had been our
aunt's faithful friend and companion,
and our own kind affectionate nurse ever
since, fatherless and motherless we had
been sent to England.


There were not many people to visit
at Hillstead-the rector, the doctor. and
the family at the Hollies comprised them.
I think we were the most intimate at the
Hollies for the children there were
Milly's cotemporaries, and her sworn
admirers and friends. l first saw Mark
Sutherland at the Hollies; he was Mr..
Sutherland's cousin and I had heard of
him often before I saw him. He had
led a wild, adventurous kind of life,
wandering all over the world for his
simple pleasure, I suppose, since I never
heard that he had any other object in
doing so. had formed my idea ofhim
to be sure, the reality was not in the
least like it. No, quite otherwise, and
yet, after the first five minutes, would
not have changed the real man for the
ideal for worlds.


Do not suppose that I speculated much
upon Marks character in those DAYS.
such as he was I loved-ah ! be would
never know how dearly, for had I not
given him up?


AS one in dream I went home; as
in dream crawled slowly up the steep
winding lawn to our cottage saw Milly
hanging on the garden gate watching for
me, come flying cut into the lawn to meet
me, all her golden hair streaming straight
out behind her, heard her call me, scold
me for being late, my own voice answer
ing, saw and heard all the familiar sights
and sounds of everyday life as we do
sometimes in dreams, all made strange
and perplezing by some dreadful sense
Of pain and trouble.


"Het," said Milly, as we sat at tea
you're not eating anything, you look
pale and glum, you've sat out in those
horried marshes till the sun has made
you sick. shall not allow you to 90
there again, mind that"


It pleased Milly to play the elder sis
ter, and I was always content that the
little one should do what pleased her,
She was my darling, the one thing that