Year: 1878

the little tawdry envelope Jacks scrawl-
ing handwriting. Here was the little
line had coveted all these years, and
this is what my hali-blinded eyes made
out:


81 came home because I was mad to
see you-because all these years, and
your old perhdy couldn't kill my love
for you. / find you just as / expected
to, in a space small enough to be filled
outside and inside with men. You are
as beautiful and fascinating as ever, and
as fond of admiration. I hear that you
are about to be married to the grocer at
your elbow, who 80 engrosses your atten-
tion that you do not care to look at the
passers-by. God help him, and God
bless you'll 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
mamma was taken suddenly i'll. They
could not have fancied 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 it be that i
didn't know, that something didn't tell
me, that 1 didn't feel he was near me


But didn't. went on talking to
the grocer about remarkable operation
for an ulcer that he had undergone,
when Jack must have been only few
rods awayl 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 on unchecked, dim fear gain
ing weight with me that Jack had not
unpacked his trunk, and was off to
China again within the hour. But when
1 reached his house, which was next
door to my own, I 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 quickly down
upon the porch when he saw me run in
at the gate. Thescigar 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" he began, scolding,
a minute after: but he kept tight hold
of me, and trembled fully as much with
happiness as did.


Nothing can persuade him that I am
not desperate flirt, as beautiful as an
angel, and irresistibly fascinating. 1
have not the least doubt that half the
village are laughing at Jacks ridiculous
devotion and jealousy; but the we'll
meant 'endeavors of his friends and fam
lily to convince him that 1 am pain,
faded, unattractive, and neglected old
maid he laughs to seorn as q conspiracy
of envy or jealousy. And how can /
wonder at his delusion2 Mamma says
Jack has terribly aged during these
years of loneliness and exile, and looks
older and not so comely as our neighbor
the grocer; but to me he is still the
handsome, alluring, in every way adora-
BILE Jack. He is walking up and down
the little balcony next door at this pres
ent moment, and hidden by our odorous
honeysuckle vine, 1 am listening to him
trill out the last words of his favorite
ballad:


$50 girls be true while your lovers away,
For cloudy morning, for cloudy m-o-orn-


ing


OFT proves pleasant day."


-Harper'S Weekly.