Year: 1877

Miss Jane Finch was lonely the SEN
sation was an odd one, and she was at a
loss what to do with it. She had lived
for fifteen years a solitary life, had
prlded herself for a decade and half on
being independent of and Indifferent to
the rest of the great human family, and
now she grew suddenly weary of her
self-imposed solitude. 1t might be be-
cause it was Thanksgiving week, and
everybody about her was SO buoy and
bustling and happy, or it might be from
many other reasons but whatever tho
cause, the fact remains that, on certain
sunny morning in November, Miss Finch
awoke to the knowledge that her condi-
tion was not to be envied. ---.


In vain she tried to argue herself back
into her old self-satisfaction It was
just as true now as it was yesterday that
her brother James had married Sarah
Jones-a girl she thought she had good
reason to,hate; but, someway there was
no pleasure to be gained from comparing
their poverty with her riches


A monster turkey was just being
brought into her next door neighbours !;
it reminded her that the following day
was Thanksgiving, and also reminded
her that she had yet to provide herself
with the culinary wherewithal without
which no Thanksgiving dinner might be
properly celebrated.


Railways made Miss Finch s face burn
to think of Captain Abel Jones-frst
cousin to her obnoxious sister-in-law.
Long ago, when she was in her teens,
they had been a lovers, and everybody
knew that, as soon as he got his ship,
Abel Jones and Jenny Finch, were to be
man and wife /; but one evening she ran
over to Sarah's dhey had once been
bosom friends), and hearing voices in the
| parlor, had stopped a moment to discover
who was there. In that moment she had
seen Miss Sarah crying, as if her heart
would break, with her head on Mr..
! Abel's shoulder. lEA at


P Quite ignoring the fact that these two
had been brought up together, and that
Abel had time and again told her that
Sarah was just the same to him as a dear
sister, Miss Finch grew righteously in
dignant; yet she was just-yery just, in
deed !! she would not judge them on this
evidence, although to most any one it
4 would have been proof enough Of very
disagreeable fact; but she would wait,
ana see how their conversation accorded
with their position. So she waited.
Don't cry," said Mr.. Abel Jones,
\ pleadingly, "I am sure I can fix it all
right. She isn't nearly so fond of me as
| yo,f think; and you know, Sarah, how
dear you are to her. I'll break it to her
gently, and I'm sure she'll give me up
of her own accord. :"


Now, Miss Finch hadn't jealous ma
ture, not at all but the most ansuspi.
lcious idiot in the universe could not have
misunderstood that speech. It was very
evident he wanted to be free from her.
So She stole gently out, without letting
them know of her presence, walked
home at atrailroad speed, and, with q very
proper self-respect, Immediately tied
up his picture, his few presents and hi
! fewer letters, and sent them back to hin
| with the pretty falsehood that she fount
she didn't like him well enough to marry
him, and should be Obliged if he woult
release her from the engagement.


She didn't propose to be Tilted by hin
i -and she wasn't. ~


Then she went off on visit, staid tive
4 months. and came home to find he
dabrother engaged to her false friend. ant
her false lover nowhere. y, y. Z. y


In vain she endeayored to proven
this marriage. Fer brother would no
be convinced, without absolute proof
, that Sarah Jones was not a perfec
woman. oShebegged, pleaded and urged
Bat pride prevented her giving him tn
one fact of which she had become pos


sessed, and 80 the two were married, an