Year: 1879

uOWn -


He blushed up to his eyes. Even the
roots of his hair turned dull crimson.


"I hope to, some day, Miss judy" he
replied.


4" For heavens sake, don't call me
judy" L almost screamed. elf you
can't call me anything"


81 would like to call you something
better YETI he said hesitatingly. 81
should like to call you my wife," and
wan smile fitted over his pale face.


" But you never will" said, won
dering, even as l spoke, how Armand
would ask the one important question.


You say positively that there never
will be the slightest chance for me, Miss
Judith 7"


"Never the slightest chance, Mr..
Bung."


Then l won't trouble you any more,
since you are so certain," he said, in
sad tone, which touched my heart in
spite of my determination not to be
affected by it. 81 hope you will meet
with some one able to win your loveand
better calculated than am to make you
happy" he added and rose from his
seat, bowed in q stiff, constrained man.
ner, and left the room.


The next day my eager hands receiv-
ed from the postmistress letter directed
in the well known handwriting of
Annie Towers, and bearing the Bar
court pOstmark. / hurried home, gain
ed the seclusion of my own room, and
tore open the precious missive.


There was indeed letter from Ar
mand, and in it he told of his delight at
hearing from me, and the consciousness
he felt that we would yet rejoice over
our acquaintanceship, and begging me
to write soon again.


The style was elegant, the handwriting
beautiful and legible, and there was not
an error in the whole letter.
/ could not resist the temptation to
sit down and answer it at once, while
all the beautiful expressions had in my
mind were fresh; but 1 dated it three
days ahead, and mailed it on the day it
was dated, so that my Armand should
not think me too eager to reply.


/ could not help missing Hiram just
little. True to his promise, he did not
come near me any more. Several pic
mics took place in the beautiful Septem-
Der weather. but, lacking an escort,
could not attend them. Then when
the Lyceum lectures and spelling match
es began, missed Hiram greatly, and
felt regret that had not given him just
enough encouragement to keep him
dancing attendance ON me all winter.
1t was very nice to be in correspondence
with the elegant Armand, but wished
most heartily that he lived in Stapleton,
so that he could escort me to places of
amusement.


sat in the little prim parlor through
the long winter evenings, crocheting
mats and tides and thinking of my un-
known lover in Barcourt. The mats
and tides 1 sent to Annie Towers, who
sold them to a store keeper in the town
for me. L carefully saved up my money,
thinking that the time might come
when would need every cent of my
hard-earned hoard to buy wedding
gown.


My sister Hannah rang the changes
on my rejection of Hiram, and the prob
ability of my being an old maid, until
my ears ached. She dwelt with peculiar
sadness on my obstinacy to be Mrs.
Bung after an adventure which occurred
to Hiram during the winter. At the
risk of his own life he saved that of an
old man who had broken through the
ice into the river. Hiram plunged in
after him, and after desperate efforts
rescued him from certain death. l con-
fess that admired the courage of my
quondam lover, when 1 heard from
Jonas the story of his bravery, and
would have been glad to praise him
had he allowed me to do so, but when
we met on the street he invariably
passed by with a nod and pleasant
smile.


Armand and corresponded regular.
ly twice week until June came with
its soft breezes and fragran. roses.
had been careful to give him in my
letters no hint of my identity, and had
never mentioned my place of residence
allowing him to suppose that lived in
Barcourt. We had not exchanged pho.
tographs, though had described for hi:
benefit my face and figure. Our letter: