Year: 1877

taken down and the letters selected
, BY dint of strict attention. while | ap
!; peared to be looking for a shade o
crimson, l heard the girl say, 81. B
all right Miss; you can have then
to morrow, and then Lucy left with
out observing me.


81. B." that was just what | ex
pected that meant Leslie Brown
beyond doubt and oh! what would
his mother say? began to feel that
had duty to perform in this matter
for only the day before | had hearC
from friend Of my own, who knew
the Browns slightly, that Leslie was
supposed to be engaged to o young
lady who was at present in Europe
but who was soon expected to return
My duty began to look very plain, III
view Of this last fact, and | was not
long in coming to determination.


must notify Mrs Brown withou,
delay, but how? Should I seek an
interview or write letter? On the
whole, | inclined to the letter, and
before | retired to rest that night |
had dispatched the following:


"If Mrs Brown will take the advice
of sincere friend, and look about her
closely, she will find that her amiable
and unsnspecting son is in danger.
An unscrupulous family will use every
possible means to entrap him into a
mesalliance. Accept this warning
from one who shall be nameless."


That was certainly comprehensive
and explicit without being compro-
missing for me, ifmy agency in the
matter should leak out. ! posted my
note with my own hands, for Rosa,
my maid, although an excellent wo-
man, has an unfortunate curiosity
which sometimes prompts her to take
undue liberties with my letters, and |
knew the address on this one would
attract her attention at once.


The Lext morning was on the
watch for the effect Of my warning,
and, sure enough, the explosion came.
The postman delivered his budget at
the Browns, and Mrs Brown. leis-
urely shipping the dead leaves of her
geraniums at the parlor window, took
the letters and began reading them at
one she had read in her hand. and
vanished from the parlor. to le-appear,
in another moment, in her son room
above. My letter, beyond doubt.


Breathlessly watching, | saw her
seize the young man by the arm and
point to the just read page. He caught
it from her hand and studied it atten-
lively, and then they talked excltedly
together for some moments.


What would | not have gwen to
hear as we'll as see tor the next half
hour! but as that was impossible, l
vas forced to content myself with
double vigilance. Finally the confer
ence ended, Leslie taking his way
down town, while his mother returned
to her plants. How had it ended? |
felt sure that Mrs. Brown was indlg
nant, and the young man, OF course,
was wretched. In less than an hour
something new happened - Mrs.
Brown came out of her own house,
looked up and down the street, as if
hesitatlng over her course, and then
took her way into the Barretts'.


My excitement at this stage of the
little drama became painfully intense
evidently my warning had opened
her eyes, and that talk with her son
had made her aware of his infatuatlon.
How grateful she must be 10 her un'
known correspondent! and how cor
daily she would receive me some day,
when could avow my authorship.
and explain the seemingly unimpor-
tant circumstances which had pointed
ME to the truth.


remained at my post OF observa,
ton, of course, until the close OF the
interview, which was just fifty min
utes long. Nothing m yre happened;
Mrs. Brown returned to her own
house, and the day wore on quietly;
but that evening Leslie did not pay
his accustomed visit. | was sure of
this, for | waited and watched until
after 8 o'clock, and should not have
given up my surveillance even then
if had not seen the dim light in the
Barretts parlor cxtinguished, and the
outer door closed for the night.


A whole week passed, and not once
had the lovers met. Leslie kept away,
and Lucy looked almost broken-heart-
ed as she went and came daily in the
|