Year: 1878

Miss Beth Hurst listened 70 tho sou,
ceaseless babble OF polished table-talA
quite as silently as was possible.


She had been in the house only fort.
night, during which time she had been
as recluse as she could be without seem.
ing odd or rude, until tonight she had
blissfully believed herself to be per-
son of no sort of interest at all to her
score or more of fellow -boarders.


But this evening, sitting among the
voluble diners, she felt queerly sensi-
tive and uppleasantly self-conscious,
and vaguely imagined that the old plati-
tudes hurled from mouth to mouth
with such new and surprising vivacity,
were intended to discomit her in some
politely subtle way.


"One would never be scandallzed If
he did no wrong," asserted one; "there
are more faults and follies and sins hid
den than will ever be revealed. But,
unfortunately, the trausgressors are
never grateful to those that love them
most and would reform and protect them
if they could from further offenses
against social requirements. Do you
not think the same, Miss Hurst"


Somehow the young lady felt that the
appeal was made ungenerously to test
or to confuse her, and her cheeks flushed
up painfully, although she answered
composedly enough:


81 am not wise enough to decide 50
dreadfully weighty question" She
smiled, at the same time rising lcisurely
from her chair "you will excuse me,
please"


She left her place gracefully, with an
apologetic bow, and crossed the large
dining room toward the door of the
broad, lighted hall, wholly assured that
the company she was leaving would
make her the choice subject of gossip
after her withdrawal.


At the door the insinuative voice OF
the mistress of the house stopped her.


"You will not stop in the parlor with
US for awhile? No? You will find q
card there for you. The gentleman
called while you were ont"


The young lady entered the parlor
with nervous step. She quickly
guessed whose name she would read
upon the card that had been LETT for her.


"Mine enemy has found me out"
she murmured, with blauchiDg lips.
"Hiram Wells has been here, and
heaven only knows what mischievous
story he has told to my landlady, nor
how she has exaggerated it to the board
era. can understand now the innuen-
does that disturbed me 50 distressfully
while was dining."


She went up to her room and locked
herself in with the movement of one who
was thus shutting out the world and it's
torments forever.


It was pretty room, ani from one
lofty window she could see wilderness
OF roofs, tangle of streets, and the
'gleam of the river not far away.


CT shall have more trouble to-mor-
row." she unused very cooily and philo-
sophically "and I shall need oil my
strength to meet it bravely. So, just for
tonight, I shall imagine l am the hap.
piest woman in the whole wide world,
and so sleep sweetly."


Had Miss Beth Hurst been lees famil-
lar with sorrow, she would have been
perhaps less philosophical. But it
seemed as if the waters Of grief had
gone over her until the allotted food
must surely be drawn almost dry and
from this reasoning she gathered COM
fort and hope.


She went down to breakfast the next
morning as calm and digniied as if she
were not absolutely certain to find there
curious stares or averted eyes.


She had dressed herself for her morn
ing walk, and she made charming pic
ture in her trim violet cashmere, with o
single white camelia fastened on the
collar of the rich dark velvet waistcoat
but Miss Beth Hurst was beautiful al.
ways, with her slim, stately fgure-hel
eolerless, statuesQue face, her proud,
crimson lips, her marvellous hazel eyes
and her abundant golden hair.


She had finished her meal, and stood
in the hall drawing on her delicate gray
gloves. when her landlady joined her.
"Miss Hurst" she began, rather re-
luctantly, "I do not mean to be meddle:
some or oficious, but I really think
ought to know if you mean to be the
wife of this Mr.. Wells, or not ?"


"And I really think I ought to know
why you ask me question that posi-
bly, may not seem to you impairment? 2
retorted Beth, while her large dark eyes
began to kindle with resentment and
scorn.


"Hush Do not be angry or ex
cited" returned her iuterlocuter with {
warning gesture toward the breakfast
room. "I wish to know, Miss Hurst
because I am interested in your vel
fare, because like you, and would ik'
to have you remain with me"


(Which means that if I am not t.
marry the man who called here yester
day, you wish me to give up my room,
interposed the young lady, dryly. !,


"WeD, yes," confessed the other
coloring beneath the unblenching eye
turned squarely upon her. "You see
my dear, the gentleman told me you
whole story; but he nobly exoneratet
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