Year: 1866

looked at Hetty. Her eyes were bri ght,
and her cheeks dimpled with merriment
In his admiration he forgot the subject of
conversation, and from Miss Spice turned
to other subjects Hetty on these grew
eloquent She talked we'll, and had the
sweetest voice ever heard she told the
city stranger of the pretty country places
close at hand, of the brook where the trout
were found, and the soft green grass and
purple flags beside it's margin of the high
hill whence such view could be had of
the stone church ninety years old where
they went every sunday and of her own
great love for all these things And as
John Morton listened he thought "ThIs
girl is above the sphere of busters and
brooms and scrubbing brushes. She is as
much lady as any in the land" Then he
tried her ON other things, and found she had
read a good deal, and that the books she
had chosen were not trash and without in-
tending to do so, expressed his surprise


The girl looked down demurely


You see | read Miss Spices books, she
replied, " and have picked up a good deal
that way"


And then, lunch being over, she left him
to pass the time as he chose, and to go with
Martin to the stables and admire the gard
en-. But at mealtime she acted the part of
hostess and after tea sat demurely at her
work on the porch for an hour or two.


That night the gentleman who came to
WOO Miss Spice, the heiress, dreamt of Het-
ty, who made herself useful, for her
board and clothes"


| Mr.. Spice and family would not return
for several days--so said Hetty--even if
the relative whose illness called them away
grew quickly better And in that time
there was nothing for John Morton to do
but to idle about the grounds, saunter into
the stables, and get up Irritation with
Hetty


| Demure and shy she seemed at times at
others merry and self-possessed. She was
a puzzle to him and, becoming interested
in her, he tried to "make her out" The
result was another puzzle more difficult
than the first, but one fine morning j ohm
Morton awoke to the knowledge that he
was in love. How it began he could not
tell. The girl was comely and pleasant to
look at, but not beautiful. Ho was proud
and this half.menial position would have
seemed an insurmountable barrier between
himself and any woman. But the fact re-
mained the same He loved her One
bright hair of her head was worth all 9TH
er women put together to him The thought
of parting from her was intolerable He
could not, would not, turn away and say,
This love Of mine is too humble for me-"
Yet what a position. He was there as an
aspirant for the hand of the mistress, and,
ere she came, he had given his heart to the
maid


For few hours he had mighty strug-
gle with himself Then he conquered and
he sought Hetty. She was in the garden
amongst the flowers


Surely nothing, not even those sweet
roses, could be fairer or sweeter than the
girl. Her eyes were cast down. Her ta-
per fingers busy with some frail plant beat
en- down by the summers shower. AS he
came she looked up with smile.


"My poor cypress vine is almost dead"
she said land this rain has done more
harm than good to the garden Pm sorry,
for the family will be home tonight We
received telegraph dispatch this morning
to that effect"


Home tonight. John Morton had known
of course that they would come. He could
not have been wild enough to fancy that
Mr. Spice had deserted the villa for mis-
sake, and left his free to idle there and
make love to Hetty forever. Yet the revel-
alton was a shock.


Home And Miss Spice, that lll-temper-
ed, ugly heiress would be there, and Hetty's
place be in the background. Stay-woo
and win the lady and forget the girl Not
he. He would transact his business with
Mr. Spice and ride away at once But
something must be done before even this
could be accomplished. Something in
which Hetty was interested He stopped
down and touched her shoulder with his
hand


"Hetty," he said, "leave those flowers a
while and come and walk by the brook with
me. | have something to say to you Don't
re fuse me- 1t is something serious, Hetty"


Hetty arose, tied on her garden hat, and
looked down at her flowers still She would
not lift her eyes and he saw on their lashes
two tears. Those, and a smile about her
mouth, made perfect Aprips day of her
face.


{" You will walk with me, Hetty?" he
asked.


And for an answer she turned and took
her place beside him. So they sauntered
on down to the brook side where the pur-
pie flags grew amidst green sedge, and
deep in the clear water you could catch
glimpse of shining trout. For while boil
kept silent then John Morton spoke sud-
denly:


Hetty, do you know l love you"


Hetty stood still her hand trembled in
his-her bosom rose and fell. In moment
she began to sob.


Then John Morton's arm crept around
her waist


"My darling" he said, look at me
speak to me. Tell me that you return my
feeling-tell me that you will one day be
my wife 2"


At that she pulled her hand away from
him.


"You came here to be Miss Spices suit
or" she said " know it heard it talk
ed over when | could not help listening
Say those words to her-hot to me-"


"To her " hate her very name," said
John. "I love you, Hetty."


4" A poor girl, almost servant 2"


"Why should l care? / love you, oh,
Hetty, love you better than love my life.
Hetty. answer me--will you be my wife ?
1t needs but one little yes"


An odd conyulsion. between laughter and