Year: 1878

81 never was so surprised in my life,
never as when heard that your father had
given his consent" said Aunt Jane. with
one Of her proyokingly righteous signs: Il
wouldn't trust the happiness Of cat with
such a man."


''Well, they say reformed rakes make good
husbands, and so let us hope for the best, "
said Godpapa. dare say ne meant to be
kind, but be laid a stress upon the hope"
which took all the curl out of IT,


Emily Dodd, who gives herself airs be-
cause she Is six months younger than am
and was married last September, was per-
fectly hateful with her keep tight hand
over him, my dear" as. though she were a
grandmother, and her wretched little hus-
band had never boxed her ears He did box
her ears before their honeymoon was oTer,
as l happen to know.


Even dear gran had tears In her sweet old
ewes as she kissed me, and all she said was,
''God bless you both.'' with a sigh.


And / was so happy, so triumphant. had
had such long hard fight for my own way;
had won it. Had come out with ''see the
-conquering hero air all over me; and, in
stead of having congratulations and pretty
compliments showered at my feet, every
one of the family whips out his or her wet
blanket, and throws it over my head.


People / did not care for were civil
enough, but there was no heartiness about
what they said. Lots of the men were jeal-
Gus of him, and lots OF the girls of me, and /
dare say some of them grumbled behind
their gush at having to get me wedding
present and asked themselves what odd
thing they could furnish up for the occasion.
The only one who was really pice was Will
lie Diamond, and il was awfully hard lines
on Willie, that must admit Ii was he
who brought Gerald to the house and intro
duced him to me at our first party last
spring Poor Willel If it had not been for
hoT Y .iobf hou Tadv niamnnd lnD1
ago; for / liked him ever so much better
than any one else, till 1 saw my fate. /
shouldn't have had to fight for Willie Papa
was willing enough about him. and to spare
but wasn't going to be caught by the CLINT
of an empty title. L do think, that of all the
cheap things in the world, poor baronet is
the cheapest but one, and his wife is the very
cheapest of all. With my twelve thousand
pounds, we should have scraped together
about thousand year to begin Win, ana
have lived on the scrape. or in II, ever after
ward. Gerald and started with elgnt nun
dred, but see what he has made OF lti-aDout
q months income now, and lf-out this ism
telling you what Willie said.


He began in the ordinary way, and as he
went on his dear old face softened, and his
voice fell. Don't let them, any of them"
he said, "put their con-put their tongues
between you; and remember Mabel, that
Gerald was my friend, and is my friend, and
be sure, always, that | will be his friend if
ever he wants one, and will let me-" II
wasn't so much what he said as the way
which he said it, after oil their wet blanket
ing. L threw my arms round his neck and
kissed him, did and 1 told Gerald all
about ii, and he kissed me. or course, no
one told me one-tenth part of what was said
about u.s. but / heard enough to know this
the idea of Geralds being seriously in love
with any one was considered a good Joke
and the idea OF my marrying him bad one
And all because he was a little wild has
lovely eyes, aud a soft, slow voice, and looks
at you pleadingly. have noticed him my
sell looking up into women's faces with. that
worshiping expression, and seen them bend
down their ear to catch that thrilling voice
and oh! how il hurt-me. Buthe could not
help it. 1t was bis way. He didn't mean
anything beyond making himself agreeable.
When he did mean something, and really
wanted to make love, he was such stupid
/ really thought he would never get the
words out, and when they came they were
addressed to bow on my gown, not to me.


Well. he was forbidden the house, and
was sent into Yorkshire, though il was May,
ana had only worn one of three lovely ball
dresses had bought and paid for out Of my
very own money. Every one was set at me
to write bad Things of Gerald, his idleness
his extravagance, his fiirtations, and lots of
stuff which no girl ought to hear about from
any one; and was SO unhappy, you can not
think. Girls, it was the greatest mistake
they could have committed. They only