Year: 1878

0uShy ulSak Dub lJ IS lOt UetIh lO lOI 411Ch is by my side.

 s1 hope you will like my sister, Pansie," says he, as we turn into long avenue densely dark with the shade of Overhanging trees.

 His arm is round me; and my hand nestles in his so am in frame of mind to promise to like anybody and everybody. ''She is much older than am, and was sort of mother to me when l was quite 8 little fellow She is woman of many sterling qualities, and great common sense, but if her manner is little cold at first, you mustn't mind It's Harriet's way to be reserved at first"

 Thus says Dick as we traverse that funereal avenue our carriage-lanps shining like enor- nous glOWWerms in the darkness.

 Have 1 ever yet come across a person of ''sterling qualities ?" l wonder to myself, as l slowly twirl the ring upon Dicks little fin ger But there is no time to wonder any more; the hall door is open; ]; Dick is handing me from the carriage and there, at the top of the steps stands tall stately woman, while peeping over her shoulder is a little sandy haired man, a head shorter than herself-Mrs. Colquhouns and her husband. ., ..s

 <ssa fs4alsss. CHAPTER II. s8s ls

 I have been ten days at Merlewood Never in my life have seen such scenery as that which greets my eyes every morning, as l pull up the blind of my window and look forth in- to the dawn of a new day. Merlewood lies at the head of a bay, formed by deep and mar row chasm in the rugged Cornish coast At the entrance of this bay on either hand, stands a sentinel rock, and between and beyond these lies broad surface of scintillating sea purple when the clouds cast changeful shadows on it's breast blue when the sky is clear above. Cloud and sky are now and again the background for some white-winged gull, whose graceful flight and still more. graceful swoop to touch the shimmering water, l am never tired of watch ing. When I come think of it, it is strange that I visitor in the house where Dick is also guest, should spend so much time looking through that window, and watching the cloud-shadows play hide-a -and-seek with each other in the rocky dells. The fact is, the atmosphere doesn't suit me. To put it plain iy, I find that don't like people who possess ''many sterling qualities" in other words, don't like Dicks sister.

 There seems sort of disloyalty in admit ting that l don't like any one belonging to Dick, even to myself. And then it is SO diff1- cut to analyze what 1 mean and feel about Mrs. Colquhoun. If person is simply per feet as to appearance manner, and dress faultless as hostess in all the refnements of hospitality, and yet you feel miserable in her presence, and catch yourself wishing that you had never seen her, and that she had never seen you, the position is difficult one to de- fine. ....

 Every hour since I came to Merlewood, every day that Dick and 1 have been together in the society of Horriet-Mrs. Colquhoun-I have felt as if an awful intangible something was drifting Dick from me and as if 1 were some poor, helpless child, standing on the bank of dark river whose current bears away the sweetest blossom that my hands have ger gathered.

 |. Nothing can be kinder than my hostess, noth- ing more considerate, and yet feel ashamed of even happy, loving glance flashing from Dicks gray eyes, and finding response in mine and as he holds my hands in a lingering clasp when bid him goodnight. Imeet Mrs. Colquhoun's cold, calm, all-seeing, all-com- pretending eyes, and feel as if our tenderness for each other were something contraband. feel that I am growing foolishly timid and ab- surdy shy in my manner to Dick but cannot help it and I have suspicion that Dick feels the same strange power gathering about him, struggles against it as do, and equally vainly. Mrs Celquhoun must always have been utter ly above all such tender follies as happy glances and lingering hand-clasps; she must have been the same from the ginning-cold, calm, passionless, faultless Even in undiscip- lined youth she can never have got into a pas sion like Nell does when Chubby

 As the thought of those dear, faulty, tire some children comes over me, oh what flood of longing rises in my soul l! A longing just for one of the good old twilight romps in the long, narrow schooLroom; a regular scramble, with baby Maud in the middle, and Chubby making believe to be the fiercest of wolves, whose den is behind the bookcase

 Only once in all these ten long days have 1 got Dick to myself. We were out in the beech woods, and it was late in the evening. The leaves, now falling fast, rustled under our feet Here and there faint white mist lay close, | and above all, the harvest moon sailed in a glorious sky, whose purple depths set off the brightness of her beauty to the almost. When we started for this after dinner stroll ! we were partt c0rree-Mrs. Colquhoun and her husband, Dick, and 1. We had fallen in- | to the usual procession these expeditions re- solve themselves into: Dick and his sister leading the way, with the dimnutive owner of Merlewood and myself bringing up the rear; when all at once some One-upon whose path way in life may all blessings rest .-required | the presence of our hostess, and with an un- willingness that not all her tact could conceal she left us Hardly had the stately figure. of | his wife vanished from our sight when Mr. 1 Colquhouns little green.gray eyes gave me a meaning and sympathetic look, and, presto !! he too, moved quickly off among the golden brown beech trees that surrounded Us on all 

 | for his considerate departure, 1 caught fast | hold of Dicks arm with both my hands and ! tried to put into words the content felt. ''Oh Dick-darling-I am so glad!". | He gave comprehensive glance .round and seeing no indication of our solitude being dis turbed drew me to his side, and stood on | tip-toe to meet the kiss that dropped upon my | happy mouth. 1 dare say it was very undigni- fled to show my gladness, my love, in such op- 1 en fashion: but it seemed as natural to me to 1 let Dick read my inmost heart as it is to a 1 flower to unfold its blossom when the sun 1 shines upon it. .-....s ... .. | All through those ten days of restraint 1 had been garnering up things to say to. Dick when 1 should get the chance; and now that the chance had come-behold, I was dumb!- For the greater number of the questions l had | meant to ask had reference to his sister Har- riet, and tomething warned me that they would sound unwelcomely in his eers. I had gradu- ally come to realize the fact that some subtle strength of influence about her character had been life-leng power over Dick, and that ev- en while at times he winced under 1t, he could not shake it off, So l was silent; happy, too, for the time being, with the moonlight shim- mering down upon us, and here and there a l glimpse of the curling sea showing through the gaps in the massed branch of the trees l We paced slowly on, Dicks curly head bent low, his eyes full of a restful tender light, his hands on mine # Is it nothing, think you, to be perfectly happy just once? To have one day-one evening-One hour-to look back upon and say: ''It had no flaw"

 Sometimes Tn the dreams wander in that wood again, and hear the sea moaning in the hollow rocks, and the breeze whispering among the leaves, crisp with Autumn; hear the l voice, that none can ever equal for sweetness | fhn

 ''Heart's-ease, my little Pansie-'

 We are going to party to night. It is the first bit of dissipation that has offered itself since my arrival at Merlewood, and 1 am an-

 xfous to make creditable appearance. l feel I that if my toilet is unbecoming, Mrs. Colqu-

 houn's deliberately critical inspection will

 make me shrivel up, and feel as if I ought to | apologize for offending her sense ofthe beauti- 1 full My resources are limited, very much SO, I in fact; but we Merivales, though often almost reduced to penury as regards our wardrobes,

 are not deficient in good taste; and slender