Year: 1878

OF course WIS u signal to Lizzie to Isavs


the room. AS she sung on, forgetful Of


me and of everything but the poetry


awakipg in her. and as / studied the


pose Of her slight figure and helf bent


head. and the now dreamy happiness In


her face. and listened for the first time
after many years to the true translation


Of language that / loved, O vague per
eeption dnwned in me that there was
some latsnt Fellowship bet ween u.s. And


then / felt that Fate had indeed been


hard.


The silence Of the room was presently


brought into strong relief by deep
snors from Don, wbereupon she sud


denly rose from the piano and saw that


we were virtually alone. Good night,


Mr.. Gardiner" she said promptly, hold
ing out somewhat reluctant hand, and
stiffsning back into her unnatural state
liness.


took it and held It, and looked into


her face. and tried to tell her. as we'll
as plain good night" would do it. that


! knew what had happened. and wanted


her to forgive me. think she guessed


what my look meant. by The sudden
crimson ftame In her face. but she


walked out Of the room with as much
dignity as she had first walked into it,


without another word.


The early days of December were
cold and wet. and the sbearing was II
protraoted and troublesome affair. Don


lowered about restlessly, whether in or
out OF the house, always bothered and
anxious. and paying frequent visits to
the. barometer. The ladies clung to
their firesids as il they had been in
apron string with an abiset alacrity
that puzzled and charmed her. NY op.
portunities for improving the occasion"


we're many, but somehow ] could never
turn them to account. The pride OF
that little maiden was quite beyond my
management. Lizzie threw us together /,
she left us alone, she did oil that Ia her
lay to further my desires for recon.
ciliation and an understanding but the
implacable resentment OF the last Of
the Lindsays towards me for that
wretched slip OF the tongue WAS stone
wall could not climb over. The worst
Of 1t was. she did and said nothing tan
gibly offensive: and / was preeluded by
all sorts OF considerations from men
tioning the subject we were both land
that We both knew we weTe) thinking
oe 80 matters went Gil day ttfter dHy.
And before O great many days were
past | was over head and ears in love
/ may as well say it and have done with
it-and began to feel desperate and dan
gerous. She walked about the house
with her grand air. my Queen Marie
AntoiDette, my little tyrant that could
almost have demolished with finger
and thumb. and /. standing six feet
three in my stockings, had to acknowl-
edge that she was invincible rs well as
unmerciful. Unregsnerate savage rs /
was, had faint longings now and then
to take her by those slender shoulders
and shake her.


her sweet self, and could not help 1t
though she tried and these times were
born OF music. She and l both loved
music with that special love that nature
permits 10 o few people; but TO no one
else in the house did the "heaven- born
maid" present attractions. Don. hard
at work oil day, could 20 to sleep after
dinner in his arm chair: and Lizzie.
after her manner, could go out OF the
room in the middle Of the most charm
ing song. Then, when We were singing
together, or when she was gentle and
gracious with tho spirit Of melody in
her. then was the oil thrown upon
troubled waters. Attimes such as these
OF il.


At length on one Of these occasions
made dash at her guarded citadel.
will not say in what words. but with the
foolishness that | suppose
all implied aspirations,
albeit with sufficient plainness to leave
no chance Of being misunderstood and
then had indeed to bite the dust for
once in my life. She had been singing
Ruth" with the most touching pathos
and abandOnment~~"Wh there thou goest
I will go. and there will be buried"-
md could not stand it. Don was in
The room. but snoring In that comfort
able undertone which denotes sound
md quiet slumber. She stood with her
back to the piano, and the sheet Of
music trembling and rustling in her
hands, watching his nodding head in
The distance. and turning her delicate
profile to my view.


mo, will not" she half whispered,
with naughty rapidity. "You should
have known I would not. ] do not par
ticularly want to marry anybody" she
added, flashing round upon me with her
crimson face; "bnt / will never marry
you. ! made up my mind to that long
ago"


Everybody knows how, in the su-
premely solemn moments OF one's life,
)ne is apt to be assailed with most in.

Df my bitter modification at her reply,
IN absurd rhyme that j had heard
somewhere, flashed into my head:


do not be like Nancy Baxter.


Who refused n man before hs AID her"


] believe she saw the ghost Of smile
hat might have hovered around my
eyes when ! begged to know why she
nad made up her mind never to marry
ne and that made her savage.


Because you think / came here to
be made love to- she retorted, with all
,he concentrated contempt that her
sweet face and voice could hold. "You
think Lizzie and / have been plotting to
catch you-you think we wanted to in
veigle you into marrying me! ! know
Ind seized her hands to stop her but
It is not the truth. / heard you"-lift-
ing her angry eyes, now wet with un-
she'd tears, to mine-"I heard you, with
my own ears, tell Don to warn LIZZIE
~, ha, hat NJ f/,h hnl