Year: 1877

The new teacher for the village


school had come. She was q plain


enough looking woman-nothine


wonderful in the contour of he


shapely head, the coil of darl


brown hair, the brown eyes tha
just matched her hair in shade, will


somewhat regular features and {


very good form. That was Judge
Chester's sons opinion of her, al
least, and Phil Chester was a good
judge of womanly beauty. She
boarded at Judge Chester's, and,
though Pills law office was in q
neighbortown town, yet he was al
home enough to have good oppor.
tunity to study her face and features.
He mentally styled her plain-look-
ing at their first acquaintance, but
forgot the fact while he looked in
her calm, brown eyes, or heard the
low and somewhat musical tones OF
her voice. Miss Comonsey had
raised those brown eyes to his face,
when Judge Chester introduced his
son, and beheld a a man of near
twenty-five years of age, tall and
fine looking, with dark hair, clear
and honest grey eyes, and silken
moustache sweeping over the firm
and handsome lips.


All this she took in at one glance,
and fully realized the fact that she
had met man it would not be hard
to learn to love. She and Phil soon
glided into perfect friendship.


One quiet moonlit evening, she
had taken her seat among the roses
of Judge Chester's garden, thinking
how serene and happy had been the
last month, and of the circumstances
that had thrown her upon her own
eXertions for livelihood, when n
shadow fell across her path.


All! Miss Comonsey. out dream
ing in the moonlight? I've Just
come over from A.; was wondering
where YOU were, and thought I
might find you among the roses.
Now, if were not fearful of being
thought intrusive, 1 would ask "a
penny for your thoughts?'" and
Phil Chester threw himself at her
feet.


Mr.. Chester! We were not ex-
pecting you tonight. I was dream
ing, of course; dreaming of the
past"


"And how many lovers does that
past hold, Miss Comonsey?"


None," was the quiet answer.


None! All, Miss Hildreth, you
ladies always say none, even though
you count your victims by the score.
Now, if I were to ask you where that
ring came from, what would you
say?' taking her hand as he spoke
and turning on her finger a plain
gold ring.


81 would tell you," she said SIM
ply, " that it was was my mothers
dying gift"


The silence was unbroken for a
minute, and when Phil looked up in
her face he saw tear in each of her
brown eyes.


Pardon lne," he said in q low
voice fraught with compassion, and
still retaining her hand in his. "It
is like me, giving pain so needlessly;
and yet, Miss Hildreth, I would, if
the subject lie not too painful, like
to hear something of your life. How
long have you been an orphan?'


Miss Comonsey was silent mo-
ment, then said: "Three years. I
have been teaching two years, and
in vacations have made my home
with friend of my mothers. My
father died when I was quite a
child. With neither brother nor
sister, have at times felt quite lone



Let me take brothers place,
then. You know my friendship for
you can never be questioned, and I
have long felt the need of just such
n woman as You as my firm friend.
Do you know, Hildreth Comonsey,
you are like tho roses around you
for purity and sweetness? For your
and grandeur of character,
l don't know what I should find