Year: 1877

Miss Lenworth sat by the drawing
room window, in her dainty muslin
dress, the cool sea-breeze blowing
through the lace curtains, stirring the
loose, heavy masses of her raven hair,
and family tinging her cheeks


Those languid summer days were
very delightful, spent in the great house
with its cool, airy rooms, furnished
with all the elegance that good taste,
aided by wealth, loves to collect; and
here naught that could crafty the most
fastidious was lacking Miss Len
worth, arriving at this, her guardian S
residence, two months previously, weari-
ed with the excitement of the London
season, was very grateful for its quiet
and secluslOn, necessary on account of
the illness of her guardians wife; but
this was growing monotonOus, and she
was already beginning to sigh for some
excitement, some new conquest.


Her reverie was suddenly interrupted
by young lady exclaiming, in eager,
joyful tones, oh, Alberta! where have
you been? | have been searching for
you everywhere. | have such delight
full news for you. Do come back from
the land of dreams, throw off that air of
supreme Indifference, and ask me what
1t is; for | am sure, though you do look
so unconcerned, you are dying to know.


Some one is coming" returned Miss
Lcnworth. Yes; and | can imagine it
must be none other than your dashing
Hamilton, the inimitable and cnviable
knight who has stolen our Ethels heart
for you surely would not have taken so
much pains to make yourself charming
for any one else


She certainly was a charming little
creature, this Ethel Weston, with her
delicate blonde complexion, laughing
blue eyes, and cleaning golden curls,
falling in rich profusion over neck and
shoulders, and mingling with the deli
cate lace that increased the beauty of
her blue silk evening dress.


Some one else, she retorted, with Il
flush on her cheek; some one you will
thing worth dressing for. And you
don't care in the least who it isl The
queen of hearts is so sure that be he
prince or peasant, knight or page, he
will bow at her shrine; she will not even
take the trouble to inquire who this un-
expected arrival may be! | would pun
ish you for your Indifference if | could
do so without depriving myself of the
pleasure OF communicating such unex-
pected news. Know, then, that papa
has received letter from Hamilton,
stating that his particular friend, Col
Wolverton, the most elegant of men, the
hero of heroes, will accompany him
home, and spend few weeks here
We may expect them to dinner to-day.
| assure you this is foeman worthy of
your STEEL; and | advise you to burnish
up your armor, for | propose entering
the lists in opposition to you"


And the gay girl danced off without
noting the effect of her words.


Miss Lenworth went slowly up to her
room; but, although it was within an
hour of dinner-time, she did not com
mence dressing. Sitting by her window
her eyes, glowing now with fire that
told of the passionate soul within, again
wandered seaward, while the flush on
her cheek, that something in Ethel's
words had called up, grew brighter and
brighter. Memory wandered back to the
time she first met this man, the mention
of whose name affected her visibly.-
Six years previously she had met him
at a little country town, which was then
her home, and whittier he had come
with a college friend to spend the sum-
mer. Young, and ignorant of the ways
of the world, this handsome, refined gen
tleman, with his stories of London life
of the wondrous occurrences in what
was, to her. foreign land-soon not
only captivated her fancy, but won her
love.


She was sitting, one day, on the bank
of the river, under shadowy elm, whose
dropping branches concealed her from
view, when Edward Wolverton and his
friend passed by, bent on shooting ex-
petition. She heard her name mention
ed jestingly by his friend; and, with a
careless laugh, Edward Wolyerton re-
piled:


in love with that awkward, ignorant
country girl? What an opinion you must
have of my taste! Can't fellow amuse
himself little without being accused of
serious intentions?


Stung to the heart, she staggered
rather than walked homeward; and safe
in her own room she sat down to think
of the few weeks that had passed like a
happy, blissful dream, and of this rude
awakening. Even in the first moments
of her bitter grief the pride of her ma
ture rose paramount, and she determn-
to be revenged. 1t was no very terrible
revenge that she wished for-only to
make him suffer as she had done-to
win his love, then cast it scornfully
away.


A few weeks after that never-to-be-
forgotten day, her father died, and, after
spending three years at fashionable
boarding school, she became a member
of the family of Mr.. Weston, who had
been appointed her guardian. In those
years NE had not forgotten her resolve
It prompted her to redouble her exer-
tions in acquiring knowledge. If she
must always he awkward she would moi