Year: 1874

tndt cOulu UOt Ue uDSaiu, dHu uOuc thltiS .
that could not be undone, and she had
given me back the letters hat had sent
her, and the ring that she bad worn, and
all those little presents that every man
lavishes on the woman lie bves. 1t was
all over, and we were free again; AMI
tried to believe it was better so, but
could not


Poor little Millcent, her face was very
sad. and her eyes very heavy when |
chanced to meet her; but she had ,eld
me that she hated me a. much a. she
once loved me, and l trisd ITO Toe k
merry and unconcerned as ! passed her,
and got up Irritation With red-haircd
her good deal.


Her father had made great deal OF
money BY certain shoddy transactions
/ during the war, and she was an heiress,
and very much sought afta, and all that
sort Of thing. If had been the kind of
have tried to win the prize perhaps, for,
after real, honest love affair has come
to an untimely end, either man or woman
is just ripe for something wrong in that
line; and Of all the wrongs that are,
though many have worse names, there
ism one that is really worse than mer
cenary or loveless marriage.


wasn't bad enough for that, but ]
was bad enough to tlirt abpminably with
a very decent young woman, who fancied
that | meant everything, and was pleas
antly frank with me in Consequence, and
report even arose that ! was engaged
to her | liked it, for knew that Milli-
cent must hear it.


OF course, when l heard that she was
engaged to Tom Brown l was not pleased
You never can be sufficiently off with the
old love to hear such news without a
pang | had not sworn mtselfto cciba
cy, but it seemed to me in measure,
Millcents duty to do 50. At least it
would be better taste, | thought, remem-
bering how fond she had once seemed to
me. Going into convent or something
of that sort-at least no more love or
-making-l had supposed would be
her course And here she was at the
opera, with fan, opera glass, bouquet,
and attendant adorer, as if nothing had
happened.


sat in the next row with Miss Martin,
and looked into her eyes, and whisper
ed compliments in terrible sort of way
considering that had 20 intentions
whatever All, well she was very
practical girl, not romantic, ! knew she
had budding fancy for me, but l don't
think she would ever let


"Concealmcnt like worm / the bud,


Feed her damask cheek"


SIN sure that she married the retired
grocer, who proved to be her fate, with a
lignt heart and know her appetite did
not fail her. for sat opposite her at the
table one day not long since and she
took kindly to roast beef and gravy, and
must have weighed at least hundred
and sixty pounds; but If she had been
the most splitueiis creature, who ever
broke her heart, | doubt if should have
remembered anything but my own selfish
sell that night; and all the while | was
thinking, just as we remember snatches
OF some familiar song while we are busy
with something very different from mu'
sic, Of the pleasant hours my little black
eyed love and l had had together-of
the soltness of the velvet palm that lay
unresistngy in mine as we walked in the
moonlight by the river brink, the sum.
mer before, when twenty of us stopped
at the same gay hotel at -----; OF the
kisses she used to let me take, and the
blushcs they brought to her cheeks; and
| wanted to kill Brown He was harm
less young man, with lisp and an eye.
glass. but longed to assass'nate him


This sort of thing happened more than
once during the season, and felt glad
when it was gone and summer sent 80
ciety" hying to woods and glens and
waterfalls. | did not seek the us.ai re.
sort went to a wild, Jut of.the. way
place and ashed n9rslstcntly, | did some
shooting, too. and formed friendship
with a certain Mr. Briggs, who was fond
of sport, so he said, though ! never
knew him to cate fish or to shoot any
thing whatever.


No one knew where was knew
nothing OF the whereabouts OF any otmy
acouaintanees. There were a few ladies
at the hotel principally invalids, for
there were springs thereabout that had Il
great medicinal reputation; but it was
not the sort Of place to tempt" our set. v


anticipated no unpleasant meeting
with people who would want to know
why Milly and | had parted. And fancy
IVY astonshment and horror when, one
evening, rs / took my seat at the table,
saw straight opposite me, little, pale
shadow, which recognized rs all that
was left OF Millicent Hood. Her portly
grandmother was with her, and the way
that old lady didn't look at me was more
dreadful than the most awful looks could
have been


made a short meal that day, and re-
solved to leave the place by the morning
train Unfortunately oversight myself,
Wait minute--was it unfortunately
1t seemed so to me for good while.
missed the stage at all events. There
was no other way Of reaching the cars,
and went out to spend the whole Sep.
tember day with Briggs and our guns.
There was an evening stage also. ! in.
tended to go down on that.


Out in the woods, and having purpose.
" lost sight Of my companion for little
while, | sat down at the foot of a tree
and fell to thinking of Milliceat Poor
little girl how worn she was--did she ?
But. no-no she had declared that she
hated me. All, there was truth In Moore's