Year: 1867

ing me remain is destined to disappointment,
l too am going into The service"


"Impossibe you do not mean il Y was the
response to this announcement and her bril-
liant eyes sought his as if there to read
contradiction Of his words, but she saw in
them only their confirmation.


eyes am going, I have been offered a
in the 10th, and have accepted il;
I shall be mustered in tomorrow, and as the
regiment is full we will leave this week.
why do you not congratulate me?' then
noticing that their conversation w.s becom>
ing too exclusive, he bowed himself away
and left her to those who hung upon her
words as though each was pearl Of infinite
value.


That the fact of his going away caussd her
regret, she left him no chance to doubt; and,
he was at loss to account for her feeling n
interest in his affairs, had she not rejected
his love? and, yet what reason would there
be for her TO dislike his leaving unless she
loved him?


A woman's heart, who shall furnish key
to its mys,eries2 Less than two years pre-
vious this evening she had spnrnel the love


oaerd BY tic same person, the announcement
Of whose departure for scenes of danger and
perhaps Of death caused the blood to leave her
heart, the color in her cfeck to come and 60,
as it seldom does unless more than common
friendship is entertained for the person in
question. She had asked herself the question
since he had left her side. .do love him?'
and the answer had been ''no" until this
evening, butnow as she heard the tones OF
his voice. and saw him look upon others,
as in the past he had looked at none save
herself, she felt in her soul that he Was more
to her than all the worll. that, although she
had denied the fact when he had pleaded for
her acceptance of his love, she loved him as
she could never love any one else on earth,
ani there came into her heart that wail--sit
might have been" which hers was not the
first nor will be the last voice to utter


ut might have been. Yes, the treasure you
SOW value so highly was once within your
grasp, placed there by hand that thought it
but a poor thing to givcin exchange for your
a love tia, was to him the Alpha and Omega
of happiness this exchange she had declined
to make, and had s,riven to fad in the society
of others a love that would be to her what s,!e
thought his could never be, and to night there
came to her the consciousness that she had
given unsought to this maa whom she had
once rejected the very thing hc had once SO
ardently desired.


"Nill he love me now she asked Lersclfs
and she blushel as the thought that unless
she gave him some sign .. her love he would
not humble himself to ask for it. and that
even if he knew il he might no. give her any
return save Of scorn, and she was torn b. an
agony Of doubt aud fears.


Captain Hlaekst ne had the advantage of
a knowledge Of military matters, and on the
departure of his regiment was ordered to re-
main at the scamp OF Instruction as SIN
struc.or of Infantry Tactics" His proximity
to the city permitted him to indulge in the
CAVITY OF Boston 10 the fullest extent


Among the ladies he met at one OF the So
ciabes to which he was invited, was Miss
Parker, and 10 her he became very devoted, a
fair spirisuel creature, she was likely to
attract him, for her very marked contrast in
every respect. to the black-eyed, bodily brill
liant woman to whom lie had been such
slave at the time our acquaintance with him
and she won him more by this
very difference than she might otherwise have
done, at all events his attention was received
by her, aud It soon became an understood
thing that it would result in an engagement.


To meet him as she was obliged to, was
torture to Miss Tresho.m, and to hear Miss
Parkers name combined with that of Cap.
Fred. as his intima,es called him, was test
which tod upon her love, and made her more
Of the error she had committed in
refusing the love lie had bestowed upon her,
it decided her moreover 10 make at least one
effort 10 regain her sway over him, even at
the sacrifice Of her pride.


Meeting the Captain on the street one day
she said:


s.You are not at all kind Mr., Blackstone
have been expecting to see YOU for the past
two weeks, aud you have not called on me
once since your return


.You seem to forget what caused my alb
seuce, Miss Tresholm, and cannot think that
would intrudo where l am,evidently but a
tolerated acquaintance, and have had SO
many engagements that my time has not been
nv own, even if circumstances were other
than they are


II was foolish girl then, when you went
away captain,' said she, "and don't want
you to punish ME for the past BY staying away |
from me now that am wiser" and she blnsh- |
I'd and looked down as though she had said |
more than she wished to say.


"You will come to see me to>night2 say |
hat you will, and will try to be ever 50
good and make you forget the past


As he looked into her eyes and saw the |
,arnestness in them, he thought how much he |
would have given for such look two years
before, and realized that the prise he then |
ought was within his grasp, once he would |
ave perillcd his fife to gain it, and new there !
,tood between them the face and form Of one |
whom he knew was dearer than she had ever |
,een, and who gave him love pure as twas
leep.


"Yes, l will come this evening, want to
ay gocd-bye as shall leave day after to>
morrow to join my regiment at the front


Upon her toilet that evening Florence be-
towed moro than nsual care, and for an !