Year: 1875

AN UNEXPECTED ENGAGEMENT.


For moment, surprise kept me still. Then,
as quickly as 1 had come, turned and left
the place before either of the pair had time
to perceive me.


A suspicion of something underhanded in
Ellen's conduct now intruded itself for the
first time into my mind Why had she cho-
sen such time as this for rendezvous with
Stephen Holcombe? The early hour, the re-
tired spot, seemed to indicate a desire tor con-
cealment; and was the more astonished, as
she had never appeared to have any fancy tor
his society, nor had he been in the habit OF
paving any special attention to her III COM
pany.


could not resist the thought that she was
desirous of keeping her intimacy with him, if
intimacy there was, a secret from her step.
mother and myself. Several circumstances
pointed to this conclusion. l now recalled
her evident reluctance to have me accompany
her to the spring when had first proposed
doing 80 and her prolonged absence on the
morning that had gone in search of her,
which she accounted for by saying she had
been to gather wildhowers. 1t was singular,
too, that on that occasion no one had seen her
in company with Stephen Holcombe. She
must, therefore, have met him privately after
leaving the spring. Her fiuttered manner on
his first arrival seemed to point at some prior
understanding existing between them; and
yet, we'll knew, not theslightest idea OF such
an understanding had any place in my god
mothers mind.


l resolved to say not word on the subject
to Ellen, until she should volunteer to take


ba
offer, however; nor did she allude in any way
to her meeting with Mr.. Holcombe that morn
ing. This reticence, of course, confirmed my
suspicious, and l could not repress an anx-
ious, troubled feeling at the discovery of her
uncandid conduct; nor little natural lndlg
nation at finding her mother and myself so
entirely kept in the dark.


This feeling infused slight GOODNESS into
my manner toward her, which she could not
fail to observe. At first she made no com.
ment on it; but would occasionally cast pen
etratiug glance at me, as if to discover the
meaning of this change on my part. At last,
one day, she said to me in q half.careless
halfanxious tone.


"What in the world has got into you late
lv, Rosamond? You scarcely talk to me at
all, nowadays. Is anything wrong?"


Now of all things in the world, | have al
ways despised anything like concealment or
deceit; and there never was person less Ca
psble of hiding sentiment than l was at
that time. So after moment burst forth,
impctuously,


"You ought to know best, Nelly, whether
there is anything wrong; it does not rest with
me to decide"


She changed color, and looked earnestly at
me.


"What do you mean p she asked.


81 ,nean," answered, waxing warmer rs l
proceeded, "that you are keeping secret
from aunt Mabel and from me, which | have
only by chance found out; and l can't feel
satisfied that you are acting right in doing
So"


"a cret!" she repeated. explain that
accusation, if you please, my dear"


II can easily explain it. | allude to your
meetings with Stephen Holconbe-prlvate
meetings, which know aunt Mabel would
not approve Of o.,


Have you been playing the spy upon me ?"
she interrupted with flashing eyes, and a
voice quivering with anger.


"Not Intentionally; 1 found it out quite by
accident"


Pound it out! After all, Rosamond,
what have you found out? Gu on, now
you have made charge against me, and you
must substantiate it.


She spoke with forced calmness, but there
was an uneasy look on her face. | was not
willing to quarrel with her, nor did | wish to
accuse her unjustly; so went on in gen.
tier tone.


"Don't be angry with me, Nelly; but you
know it was impossible not to feel hurt at
your want of confidence l had no idea that
there was anything like friendship between
Stephen Holcombe and yourself, until l saw
YOU walking with him, away from everybody
else, in the dell I went to look for you, not
knowing he was there. You seemed to be
talking very cou6dentially; and you know
that is not your usual manner towards each
other; and it seemed to me as if you must
have some motive for not betraying all this. -


"You are the most absurd child! cried
Ellen, impatiently, as if she were quite vexed
at my folly. II don't see how you manage
to get such ideas into your head"


"Facts-not ideas," l reminded her.


Facts indeed! Do tell me, Rosamond,
where is the harm of walking with friend
or even mere acquaintance-without ma
king fuss and telling every one that have
done so? Betraying! What have | to be-
tray? Why should l proclaim every triAing
thing do?"


But Nely-that is not the question.
Would aunt Mabel approve of it?'


"Why should she not"


"You know why she should not. She'i SO
very particular about our behaviour; and she
especially dslikes Stephen Holcombe."


II can't help it if mamma is prejudiced."


All this was mere evasion, not explanation
and could not help telling her 80. She go1
very angry with me, of course; but after q
while she changed her tone and tried to laugh
it of. Finding me still unsatisfed, she ther
adopted another course.


"I'll tell you what, Rosamond," she said
dropping her voice, con6dentislly, Though
there is really no such great mystery going OF
as you seem to suppose yet must own yot
are partly right in your ideas. l don't mear
about my concealing the thing, and all that
you are very unjust to me there. Of course
if there was anything really to tell mamma
I'd tell it. But Stephen really does like me
believe-and-and it may possibly come tt
something, don't you see ? But then l am al
most afraid to speak about it, because, as
said Just now, mamma certainly Is preJudlced
don't mind talking to you, now that the lc'
is broken; because girls can understand
each other better than old people can under
stand them. And know can trust you tt
keep this to yourself, just for the present
there's no harm in it, because am not en-