Year: 1878

heart give wild leap as she heard his step, and she looked up with slightly flushed face to meet his earnest gaze.

 "Ah, Ethel," he said, and his voice was very fascinating though slightly tinged with reserve. "So you are at your labors again, but must admonish you to be careful and not overwork yourself. I should not care to spend @ week again to grasp you from the grave. You are not as strong as you should be"

 "Dr. Earlscourt, why did you not let me die?" she cried, yielding at once to the feeling that possessed her. " I did not want to live. What right had you to step ill between death and me?"

 "Child, saved you for myself, I saved you because you are not prepared to die. You have been leading an un- happy life. have read your very soul, child, in your published pages. All its griefs and yearnings were disclosed therein as freely as though you had opened your heart to me. Ethel, you love me, deny it not"

 "I do deny it, sir" she cried, coming to the battle shock with all her old spirit. "You are nothing to me. know not as have heart. If I have it is ice, all ice"

 "Ethel, it is your pride, your stubborn pride, that keeps you from acknowledging the truth. Listen to the dictates of your conscience. Your life, all that you are, you owe to me. Remember the debt is no small one, yet you can easily hquidate it."

 His condescending air, the vaunting in his tone, incensed her more than she could have wished.

 "Why are you so unjust The last time we met you upbraided me with in- gratitude, and you have not yet forgotten to taunt and sheer. All you have done was done voluntarily, and have paid a fair remuneration for all services"

 Ethel, I ask more," and his whole face lighted up and the fine mouth trembled. "I have loved you for long dreary months. Child, why will you not give me your heart?

 "Because I should be miserable as your wife. Our marriage would be a mockery. You know not what love is You miss my presence and am lonely, but that is not love. You pity my help lessness and deem that I need a masculine arm for support. I thank you for your care, but shall not marry for gratitude. I respect you as protector. You are my dearest friend. l never can forget what you have done, but your wife will never be.

 A shadow crept upon his face. The lips curved with smile of contempt.

 You are chasing shadow. Ethel I read your proud heart You will not bend to me because you deem think myself @ greater. Your ambitious soul aspires to lottier heights. But I am done, Ethel, l see that you will never bow your heart to mine. I leave you and shall never trouble you more. I had hoped that you would forget the past, but I was mistaken. Pride and ambition are sorry victuals to hungry soul you will find one of these days, but 1t will be too late. Even I cannot save you then"

 ooh, my guardian" she cried, when he was gone, "you have wronged me, bitterly wronged me. He knows not that l love him, that he is all I have and now he has left me never to trouble me more. An will he never come to 

 see me again Iwould give my life for that mans smile. Oh, what do hear ?''

 There was sharp cry, loud tumult in the street, and Ethel, looking forth, saw wrecked carriage and horse fran tically careering and struggling in the hands of half dozen men. And that was not all she saw. Whose was that limp, senseless form, blood-stained and dirt-covered, that they were bearing into her very door? Where was the beauty, the stateliness that had once been the pride of Carl Earlscourt Could it have ever been possessed by that mangled, death-like form?

 Shrieking, "It is Carl he is dead, he is dead p Ethel darted madly down the stairs. She learned the story in a few words. His horse had been fright ened by the crack of torpedo, and dashing wildly down the street, crushed the carriage against a side post. The doctor was thrown out by the shock, and had been picked up for dead,

 But Carl Earlscourt was not destined to die that time, though it was weeks before he walked the streets again. Ethel was his nurse through it all, and scarcely left his side. Her presence had been greeted by the doctor with look of surprise, but he said nothing, and gladly submitted himself to her care. But one day, when he was able to hob ble about with crutch, he spoke.

 Ethel" he said, taking a sum of money from his purse and placing it in her hand, here is your compensation for your care and toll during my con- : tinement. l am under obligations to you for all your kindness, but can dis , pense with your services now. I have sent servant for carriage, and | will , leave your house as soon as it arrives. ,

 Ethel gazed at him moment, and , then, with low cry, sprung forward and grasped his hand. } "Forg1ve me, Carl oh, forgive me } and let me go with you if you must go ) for love you"

 l She could say no more, for her voice t failed her, and the hot tears filled hel 5 eyes.

 3 A great wave of happiness swept ovel