Year: 1877

''I have told you there is secret in my life I can share with no one. Let me go my way and you yours, for we could never be happy with cloud of mystery between us.''

 "In other words, you refuse me?"

 There was quick resentment in AL fred Graves tone, for the refusal of the woman he loved to be his wife was a blow at once to his heart and his vanity. He was not 8 conceited man, but when he offered his hand to his sisters gover- ness he certainly did not expect re- fusal. There had been many meetings before he spoke, and in some of them he had thought Hester Stretton's face be- trayed her love for him in spite of the cold manner that was habitual to her.

 Scarcely man to measure his own merits by the length of his purse, All fred Graves could not quite forget that he was the owner of a fine estate in the country. several houses in town, and five thousand a year, while Hester Stretton was his sisters governess. She had come to Mrs. Evans from a female seminary, with letters of introduction; ; had proved herself trustworthy with the children; and no one had any desire to pry into her private affairs during the whole of the first two years.

 Mrs. Evans considered her a treasure, and the children were much attached to her and progressed rapidly.

 Then Alfred came back from abroad, and his sister, offering him the hospital ity of her house at Guilford, suddenly made several discoveries. First. she found out that although the family had thought and spoken of her brother as an old bachelor, after all at forty he looked younger than some men under thirty. Next that Hester Stretton, though she was reserved, was wonder fully fair, and could converse with AL fred long after the topics were quite beyond the elder lady's comprehension. The old, old story progressed day af- ter day, and she could find no good req son for sending Hester away, and surely Alfred was not to be turned from her house. Mrs. Evans was constantly de- vising schemes for shutting Hester in the school room, for sending her long errands, and employing her time in use- full needlework. But if Alfred would lounge into the school room, and insist upon hearing his nephews and nieces recite long poems, while he made sketches of Hester's profile; if he would join her just as she started on the long errands, and was seized with desire to read in the very room where the nee- dlework was in progress, what could a prudent sister do more?

 It was some comfort that the ssinfatu- ation," as Mrs. Evans mentally termed it, was all on one side; that the pale face flushed not at his coming, or the soft dark orbs wooed him to her side. But Mrs. Evans could not believe it possible for Alfred to offer his hand and fortune to any woman and be rejected. So she fretted secretly, while Alfred wooed pa tiently, till on the summer morning when he found Hester Tn the garden, for awonder, free from the attendance of 8 juvenile Evans, and made his declara- tion in explicit terms.

 And without one flush on her white cheeks-if possible even paler thar usual, Miss Stretton had told him there was a secret in her life that kept hel outside the ranks of happy married wo men. Still he pleaded till she owned i was no crime or fault of her own tha separated them, and again he urged hi suit, only to meet the repetition of hel declaration.

 ''In other words, you refuse!'' h. said, with angry emphasis.

 The color flushed then over Hester face, for there was keen pain as well a resentment in Alfred's tone. For the frs time she touched his arm, lifting he soft, dark orbs to his own. There wa thrill in her voice as she said, steadily but in low tones: Excuse me, Alfred If 1 had no affection for you I woul put my hand in yours and share you wealth, for my life of drudgery is weary burden to me. But 1 love you and I bid you go from me, and seek t forget me in happier smile."

 Something in her manner and fac awed her lover from any demonstratio of displeasure at her frank confession He prisoned the little white hand sh had placed upon his arm, and said:

 "Confide in me, then. Tell me you secret, or, if you will, keep it, and ref assured I will never try to surprise it..

 "I cannot. Nothing but death ca free me, and your life is too useful, to noble to be spent in waiting for m' Forget me, Alfred"

 She was gone before he could say mol and he knew her decision was fina Mrs. Evans delight at her brothers e' cape was certainly tempered by indis nation that Hester had dared to refu; him.

 "Whom on earth did she expect marry?" the matron thought.

 But Hester, pondering over it all, a cepted the pain as one more sorrow i her shadowed life, and made no moa1 looked for no sympathy.

 It was hard to see the face that hs ever been full of sympathy and ten'le ness turned coldly away; hard to he' the children wonder 'Fwhy uncle Afr, never came to see them any more," b

 the routine of duty filled each day, ar