Year: 1874




you if you disliked mo-if / have
offended you and you always evade
an answer"


The hands lying in her lap tight
ened upon each other but she ans
wered bravely. "Dislike youi
No, but you are an engaged man,
and that prohibits my flirting with
you "


"Then You acknowledge that you
flirt, you wonder among women ?"
he said lightly.


"Certainly. Surely some of my
numerous friends must have told
you that I am guilty Of that crime
The first thing which a gentleman
hears on arriving at D is my
dangerous proclivity. I Cont re-
member whether / firted before
they called me hirt, or whether I
was driven to it in desperation,
and urged on by a wish to earn the
name given me. It's too much
trouble to investigate" She spoke
rapidly, hardly knowing what she
said, but determined to keep clear
of dangerous subjects, for she be-
gan to doubt herself. Not giving
him time to reply. she continued
81 am so sorry Hester could not
come with u.s."


His face darkened and he said
abruptly, Miss Lee, why do you
drag Hester's name into all our
conversation No, you cannot go
just yet. You mast hear me. You
must see how / love you, how long
and how truly. He had taken her
hand, and for a second she let it
rest in his, while her heart almost
ceased to beat at the thought of
the choice which lay before her.
Then she withdrew it saying al
most aloud in her agony, "My
promisc-my promise


She tried to speak, but he stop
ped her, saying brokenly, "You
think I am wrong in saying such
words to you; but oh! Mabel,
when I met Hester l had pity for
her, but think it would be wrong
, to marry one woman while you
loved another?"


He waited eagerly for an answer.


There was a pause, and Nab
gathering her strength, said stead
lily, You are wrong, and your
words, coming from an engaged
man are insults. If you pitied
Hester at first, you should pity her
still more now that you have
taught her to love you only that
you might desert her.


Stanhope WINGED under her
speech, and little guessed how the
poor little heart ached at the pain
she was inficting on him.


His face was ghastly pale as no
said, "You are right Miss Lee. 1
ask pardon for what l have said,
=" his voice failed and no
turned away. Then he returned
and taking her hand, said hurried
ly, "Forgive me Mable, l will do
what is right, and though you cam
not love me, you have done me the
greatest kindness, reminded me of
my duty. God bless you, my only
love-" He walked rapidly away,
and Mable stood where he had left
her, living lifetime in half an
hour f
On reaching home she found a tel-
egram calling her to Boston to the
death bed of her aunt. Snatcbing
at anything that would take her
from Stanhope, she hastely made
her arrangements to leave and in
an hour was seated in a railway
car.


The next news she received OF
Hester was her marriage to Stan.
hope, and who can blame her II tho
brave little heart gave way for once
and if tears flowed in memory of
a dead love. Poor little Nab
flirt and coquette they had called
her, but she learned the hardest
lesson q woman can ever learn-to
place duty before affection.


She and Stanhope had never
met since that night, and she so
steadily refused all Hestcr's en-
treaties to visit, that by and by, in
the fiew cares and ties incident to-
her changed life, Hester almost
forgot her friend, OF remembered
her only as one remembers o pleas
ant dream--a bright, pleasant
thing, which one cant bring back.
She was very happy, for her hus-
band was kind and indulgent,