Year: 1878

envelopes, were distributed at extrava>
CANT rates of postage. ] had just been
favored with liberal offer from a cus>
toner, and, elated with my bargain,
proceeded to put up my bundles, not
giving much heed to the love letter from
tue neighboring booth. Truth to say,
| felt little tingling of the blood at the
idea of the mockery that might be con-
cealed therein by one of those witty VII
lage youths, and the letter lay there for
full half hour, when somebody said, in
the most commonplace way.


$50 Jack Hunter is back from China +"


In moment everything was black be-
fore me. / dropped my hands and my
eyes to the counter, and when this sud-
den dizziness was gone, | saw upon the
little tawdry envelope Jacks scrawling
handwriting. Here was the little line
hsd coveted all these years, and this Is
what my hslfblinded eyes made cut:


81 came home because / was mad to
see you-because all these year., and
your old perfdy couldn't kill my love
for you. find you just as / expected
to, in space small enough to be filed
outsi5e aud inside with-men. You are
as beautiful and fascinating as ever, and
as fond of admiration. ] hear that you
are about to be married to the grocer at
your elbow, who so engrosses your atten.
ton that you do not care TO look at the
passers by. God help him and God bless
you l have had my lesson. Now l
shall, perhaps, be satisfied. Good by"
Five minutes after that / was running
home, without my hat, and with his note
crumpled up in my hand. The people
at the festival no doubt thought that
Ao1r
could not have fsncied | was running
after Jack, because he had been there at
the church for an hour, and | had been
totally unconscious of his presence.
Dear heaven how could il be that ]
didn't know, that something didn't tell
me, that didn't feel he was near me?


But | did not. / went on talking to
the g1ocer about a remarkable operation
for an ulcer that he had undergone.
when Jack must have been only a few
rods away ! ran down the road, my
heart in my throat Fortunately the
village street was deserted. Every man
woman and child were at the festival,
except those who could not be out at all;
so | ran or unchecked, a dim fear gain
ing weight with me that Jack had not
unpacked his trunk, and was off to China
again within an hour. But when
reached his house, which was next door
10 my own, ! saw him sitting out on the
balcony smoking a cigar, with his feet
perched upon the railing. But his face
grew very pale in the moonlight, and his
feet clattered spec lily down upon the
porch when he saw me run in the gate.
The cigar fell from his lips, the ashes
tumbling over his broad white waistcoat.


"Why, thank God" he said, "this
must be my own dear little girl Now,
see here, Jenny" be began, scolding, a
minute after; but he kept tight hold of
me, and trembled as much with happi-
ness as did.


Nothing can persuade him that / am
not desperate flirt, as beautiful as an
angel, and irresistingly fascinating. |
have not the least doubt that half the
village are laughing az Jacks ridiculous
devotion and jealousy; but the we'll.
meant endeavors of his friends and
family to convince bin that / am plain,
faded, unattractive, and neglected old
maid he laughs to scorn as a conspiracy
of envy or jealousy. And how can
wonder at his delusion? Mamma says
Jack hiss terribly aged during these
wears of loneliness and exile. and looks
Ter and not so comely as our neighbOI
the grocer but TO me he is still the
handsome, alluring, in every way adora-
bic Jack. He is walking up and down
the little balcony next door at this
present moment, and hidden by our
odorous honeysuckle vine, J am listening
to him tTill out the last words of his
tayorite ballad:


ego girls be true while your lovers away,


For a cloudy morning. for a cloudy no oTning


Oft proves pleasant day"


= Hsrper's Weekly.