Year: 1878




one of those persons who like to remove


the pressure of disaCTeeable, impend


ing duty by instantly performing it


called on Blanche to get through the


task his folly had imposed on him. Be


side, he shrewdly imagined that by


making his offer saddenly, without any


preliminary advances, he greatly increas


ed his chances Of a refusal,


As for poor IssRche she had passed 3


sleepless niglIt. She>had been harassed
by distressing thoughts. Surely hers
was trial of a peculiar kind. She fell


that she loved ~Frank-aud felt as plain.


ly that he had never even given her =


thought; yet, by a strange chance, she


saw him about to put himself in her
! power. She had but to accept his offer


and honor would bind him to her. AT


terward-so the tempter whispered-sht


could win bis heart-she would thel


have an opportunity which was now de-


MED her and if, after all, she found


this hope vain, she could then release


him, and be no worse off than she was
now. But opposed to this special plead


ing came her woman's pride-her WON.


ans delicacy, which forbade her to &c.


oept feigned suit, or to force herself


on any man.


After such disturbed night, during
which every distressing thought visited
her with exaggerated horrors, it was
some relief to her to find that by broad
daylight she could scarcely regard the
agreement of the night before ar any
thing but Jest. Notwithstanding this
/ conviction, however, she dressed herself
with particular care [fOr plain woman
is more regardfBl of such things than q
pretty one), and the silly child could
not help thinking Of possibilities.
Therefore, when Frank was announced,
as he was shortly, she went down to the
drawing-room, perfectly aware oE his er-
rand, and perfectly aware, too, Of her
answer.


Frank, the elegant and perhaps too
confident man of the world, was eYident-
ly not himself on this occasion. He was
mRnifestly confused and embarrassed
He spoke hurriedly> Of n thousand
things, passing abruptly from one SUI
ject to another. The CompOsure of his
companion gradually restored his tran
guilty, in q measure but this agitation
returned rs often as he thought of Of
Tending her dignity by the blow he
meditated. There was something, too,
of sensibility and tenderness in her face,
which made him shrink from wOuudint
her feelings. He procrastinatcd, and
the longer he delayed, the more impos-
sible seemed his TASK for the more hr
conversed with Blanche, the higher h,
was obliged to estimate her character
More than once, charmed 10y the bril-
GRnCy Of her conversation AMI the grace
of her manner, he half determined t,
defer his offer till he knew her belt T.
feeling that it miglS p-ssi5ly, one day
be made in very different spirit.


The morning was already far spent ere
he called up resolution to say, Mist
Blanche, have called here to-day on
most tiisagreeable-I mean-most agree
able, thOugh-axtraor,li or,linarv-o~rauI-


A warm blush rushed to Blanche's
face; she trembled vi5ibIy and Frank
went on with forced bravery. Miss
Blanche" he said, "I am here to offer
you my hand" Hestopped, abruptly,
at loss how to round his periods.


Poor Blanche's heart palpitated SO
fast that she could not speak. During
the silence which followed. Frank re-
covered from his embarrassment enough
to notice and wonder at hers but
Blanche soon composed herself.


"Mr. Treverton, she said, in low,
distinct voice, ST shall not ask yoU
what has impelIed you to make this
strange offer. It is enough for me to be
sure that you do not love me, and, poo2
and plain though am, I cannot forego
affection IN q husband. 1 feel, too, that
it was not kind IN you to"


She could go no further. The coming
food of tears threatened to wash away
all her dignity. She made hastily for
the door.


Frank, well-nigh melted to tears him
self at sight of her impassiOned sorrow,
followed her, and caught her hand al
the door to detain her. There was
something in the hand he seized which
she left within his, Us she escaped from
him, Just managing to say, with q con
Yulsive smile:


&c A keepsakeW


Frank clenched his hand upon the
tri6e, without thinking to look at it till
after he had taken two or three turns up
and down the during which he
heartily rated himself for his folly and
unkindness, and'as heartily piLiod poor
Blanche. When he uno;osed his hand,
he saw something carefully wrapped in
silver paper. He U1fOlded It, and found
"a champagne cOrst


1t would be difficult matter to de-
scribe Franks feelings as he left the
house and walked homoward. He had
made his escape, mo5 with the refusal
he hoped for yet he did not seem the
fellow one might have ex-
pected. In fact, Blanche's intelligence,
gentleness and refinement Of manners,
still more her dignifed rejection of his
suit, had made a deep impression on
him. Perhaps, too, with mans ready
intuition on such points, he OWNED the
state of her feelings toward him, for men
are vain creatures, and quick enough to
see, or, if necessary, to imagine what
datters them.


At all events, her keepsake proved
that she was cOgnizant of the motives
which induced him TO make his unlucky
offer, and her feelings under such sin
gUlar circumstances offered a curious
subject for his speculations, especially If
his surmise as to her state Of mind was
correct. He therefore felt himself call
ed upon, If only as q matter of mere cur
iosity, to investigate the latter point.


PhilOsophic investigations, however
well intended, are dangerous under GER
tain circumstances. This truth Frank
long before his course of
study was complete. He fell so deeply
in love as even to satisfy the require
ment5 of o plain woman on that point.


Some superficial observers may think
that this is not saying much. Z tell
them it is saying a great deal-since, in
addition TO the love which would satisfy
a handsome woman, plain one demands
as much more as shall quiet her doubts
Of her own powers of attraction.


But, as I have said, poor Franks in
fatuatiOn was complete. He was even
heard to say that the happiest moment
Of his life was that in which Blanche
confessed to him that, though che did
not choose that her fate for life should
be decided by the popping Of q chuTo-
pagne cork, she had loved him then and
ever since.


"A few days ago, while boy named
Gantz was hunting for rabbits on the
mountain near Dauphin, Pa, he found
package Of paper under rock, which,
upon being opened, proved to contain a
number of United States Treasury notes
u mutilated condition, which had owl
IDENTIFY been deposited there for several
years. The lad carried his prize to the