Year: 1874

what Y'


"Have you laid no plans as to your
course of life hereafter ?'


Again that musical laugh rippled out
upon the moonlight air.


"Whats the use of my laying plans,
I'd like to know E? Who's going to come
along to fulfill them?"


'YOurself."


"And how shall I fulfill them, pray 4?
Wifehoodis considered woman's natural
sphere, and I'm not the least bit domes-
tic. wish were a man ~


"You wrong yourself when making
such wish, Miss Armstrong. You
have within you all the crude possibili-
ties of glorious woman. You are
already passing beautiful. have tray
eled the wide world over and-T do
no! mean to flatter you'll have never
seen your physical peer among women.
You are tall, well-deyeloped, graceful,
witty, shrewd, sensible, original, naive
and charming. L am plain man of the
world. 1 am possessed of a moderate in
come and want a wife. And while I
see so much in you to admire, and
must acknowledge that you have fascin-
ated me almost beyond my power to
break the spell, yet your confessed alb
horrence of domestic duties make me
hesitate"


ITO make a certain matrimonial
proposition to which, with man-like
self-complacency, you imagine that l
am only waiting to aecede and thank
you in the bargain. Oh, the unassuming
simplicity of the genus masculine ~
and Matte Armstrong, though sorely
wounded at heart, contrived to impress
her obtuse admirer with the belief that
matrimony had been her last and least
considered thought in relation to him.
self.


Now let her motive have been what il
might, her manner possessed a witchery
that drove the staid philosopher almost
distracted.


Seizing her hand, which, up to this
moment had nestled within his arm, he
kissed it passionately, muttering some
word Of tenderness, that
threw strange thrill OF delight over
the astonished girl and caused her to
shake from head to foot with strange



20, my queen :" he murmured in a
tone of passionate entreaty, "if you only
were all in reality that you seem to be
as now see you, would lay down my
life for youY


The girl conquered herself by a strong
effort.


II am not what you wish me to be %
she answered haughtily. 'I am the
daughter of Isaac Armstrong, the farmer
and herdsman. My mission is to milk
cows, wash dishes and raise babies for
my paternal relative, who has already
destroyed one wife and is making sure,
though uncomfortably slow work of the
same kind with another. Your mission
calls you among the cultivated men
and women Of the land who can quote
from the classics, affect mythology, re-
peat history, talk nonsense and employ
servants. Our lines have fallen to us
IN different places and our road of life
must henceforth diverge to intersect
each other nevermore.u


"Do you indeed care for me, Just a lit
tie, then| andAmos Harding suddenly
threw his strong arm around her and
held her for a second in a close embrace.


"Hou forget YOURSELF" said Matte,
turning suddenly from him. "It can
not concern you, no matter who or what
L may care for. Remember that abhor
the usual routine of domestic duties.
These, you confess, are what you desire
in wife, and 1 would suggest a China
man as being less expensive and much
more tractable."


They were nearing the "barracks -
now. The moon was soaring high in
the heavens, dimming the pale glory OF
the evening stars and casting shadows
of relief over the old rough building, OBJ
scuring much Of its rude, bare appear
ance and lighting up the many paned
windows with a silver radiance.


"How beautiful ~ exclaimed Matte
excitedly, land yet this loveliness is,
like every other attractive thing, an
Illusion only. Morning will come after
a while, and the glare of MONDAY will
dispel this flood of radiance, bringing
out these deep-hued shadows with a
painful vividness."


"You are bitter, tonight, Miss Arm
strong. see that my visit has been an
unsatisfactory one. Sometime, in the
course of human events, hope that you
may find perfect happiness" and after
catching her for moment in passion
ate embrace and kissing her fervently,
Amos Harding turned away, disap-
peared in the shadows of the rambling
dwelling and was gone.


Matte Armstrong listened for mo-
ment to the rattling hoofs of his horse
as the obedient animal bounded over the
fiinty road. The whole interview had
been so like a painful and yet blissful
dream that she found it difficult to real.
iZe it.


The bevy of dogs, aroused by the de-
parture Of the horse and rider, began q
concerted and furious yelping that
speedily brought the dazed maiden to
her senses.


Entering the house as noislessly as
possible with her footballs striking the
unexpected floor with a hollow sound,