Year: 1879




"Rest assured shall not cross your
path again, if can avoid it. will SO
out of my way at any time rather than
annoy you with sight of me; and the
only regret feel is that our paths ever
met"


The speaker, Annie Grey, had been
left an orphan at an early age. With
out properly, she was thrown on her
own resources for support. Through
the kindness of an uncle she managed
to keep soul and body together by
teaching.


For two years she had swayed the
"birchen sceptre" in the little, brown
school house at the end of the shadylane,
that formed the principal street of the
village of Weston. Here SHE met Ethel
Wynne, the pride and boast of the viii
lage circles. Thrown much in each
others society, and of congenial ma
lures, a warm friendship soon sprang
up between them, ripening on Annie's
part, into a strong attachment-which,
unhappily, was not reciprocated by
Ethel. When she first loved him, or
how long since, she knew not; some
times she thought it must be an inher-
ent passion existing always In her bOs-
ON for him, for she recollected the very
first time she ever beheld him how leal-
ously she had watched his attention to
lady acquaintance.


Ethel, perhaps, realized the true state
of her feelings sooner than she did her
self, and at the time of the opening of
our story he told her candidly that he
did not love her, and suggested that it
would be better if they were less to-
gether.


81 respect you" said he, every much,
and 1t affords me a great deal Of plea
sure to be in your society; but do not
love you as / think l should wife;
and | think it wrong to offer you my
hand without my heart in it. | have
always been your friend, but my bosom
never thrilled for you with warmer
feeling than that Of friendship"


For the first time Annie realized how
dear he was to her; each word pierced
her soul like dagger, while mortlfica-
tiOn and chagrin that her preference
was known to him elected the afore-
mentioned retort.


81 hope you are not crying 20 said
Ethel in reply.


ooh, no; you must not think that:
but you said we had better not meet so
often, and was merely assuring you
that our meetings in the future shall be
studlously avoided by me. | shall
neither thrust myself into any ones
way, nor solicit friendship not freely
given; as for love, my lite has not been
replete with 1t and can live without
it,"


"My friendship you shall have with
out solicitation"


"You said but just now that you had
been my friend, which means that
which has been shall be no more"


81 meant no such thing. You tor
ture my words into meaning never
Intended"


One evening shortly after the con-
versation referred to above Annie, as
was sometimes her wont, remained in
the school room after the children were
gone, for the purpose of writing let
ter. Being busily engaged, she did not
notice the approach of any one, until
she was startled by the opening of the
door, when, glancing up, the tail form
of Ethel Wynne met her eye.


"What has brought you here ~ in
voluntarily sprang to her lips as she
laid her pen aside and rose to her feet;
but she checked the exclamation, and
bidding him good evening, waited to be
informed of his errand,


For moment an embarrassing silence
ensued, which was broken by Ethel's
asking for few moments conversation
with her, which was granted.


Coming over to where she stood and
taking her hand, he drew her to seat,
saying, "It's strange place to come to
on such an errand, Annie, do you love
me ?"


"What right have you to ask me such
question ?" she inquired In an angry
tone,