Year: 1879

There was mistletoe everywhere at
Harrington Hall it had even found its
way into the cloak room, where the
gaselier was full of it.


1t was Christmas Eve, so of course
the mistletoe had right to be there,
but don't think 1t ever hung over
anything more fierce looking that
night than the face of Colonel YER
schoyle, great tall soldier like,
brown-bearded, brown-faced hero from
Abyssinia.


Colonel Vivian Verschoyle, c. b.
and V. c., had done his country good
service, and laurels had been amply
heaped upon him.


His handsome face was bronzed as it
ell could be, but all the mischief the
frican sun had done his complexion,
al not spoilt the beauty of those dark
deep eyes or the perfect symetry of
those noble features.


All the girls about Harrington had
fallen down before his throne and wOr-
SHIPPED but their alteration was short
.ived; it died away with faint strug-
gle when they heard the gallant Colo
mel was engaged to be married. 1t
was all up with our hero then! Abys-
sinla was no longer an interesting top
ic of conversation, and l don't think
the Colonel was considered so
handsome as he had once been.


There was grand entertainment at
Harrington Hall on Christmas Eve,
and Colonel Verschoyle and his tiancee
were at it.


The evening was more than half over
and the Colonel was in the cloak room
standing under the mistletOe, looking G
with great dark angry eyes into the
glowing fire.


Let me tell, you this brave warrior
was very much put out just then, and
about as angry as he could be; you
could see he had hot temper, and that
something had occurred to render it
hotter than ever.


The Colonel was man who would
not stand being tritled with in the most
shameful manner; he was there to
learn the cause. and he was waiting for
Enid Vavasor to come and render an
explanation.


"Meet me in the cloak room in a
oc M bonn ~ ha oaiI tn hnr N
a low, determined. hard voice, GS she
was whirled away in a waltz, by a tall
dashing Young officer, whose name the
Colonel did not know, and whose un-
commonly handsome face he had not
seen until just few minutes before,
when he had caught sight of it in the
conservatory, amid orange trees and
camelias, in very close proximity to
the lovely laughing lips of Enid Vava-
sor.


The storming of Magdala was moth
ing to the fierce war in the heart of
Vivian VerschOyle as he witnessed
that kiss.


This great, strong, noble-hearted
man had given all his pure true love to
that girl, and she had made fool of
him.


She was long in coming. He pulled
furlously at his great tawny beard in
his restless impatience, and yet he had
not made mp his mind what he was to
say to her, though he felt that a girl
who could act as Enid had acted that
night, was no fit wife for him.


He was bitterly disappointed in her,
for he believed her to be all that was
pure and womanly, having lively
aversion to the fast, free "eirl of the
period"


They had been engaged about a
month, and her fathers estate joined
Harrington, whore Colonel Verschoyle
was now staying on a visit to Lord
Marlborough.


Enid Vavasor was the only girl in a
family of nine sons, most of whom
were in the army, and she was the very
idol of her doting parents.


Hal she comes now-and VIVIAN
Verschoyle turned his naughty face to-
wards her as she passed through the
door of the cloak-room.


A little mischIevous smile parted hel
coral lips. For moment she looked
about to laugh outright, but she con-
trolled herself, and looking up with a
dancing light in her blue eyes, she
asked;


"What is the matterp"


Now onr Abyssinia hero did not ex-
pect this eifrontery, so he came to the
point at once with soldier-like brevity


ENID vavasor, you are coquette-
and-I wont stand It.! Twill not be
triHed with !"


OF course he meant to say much more
and make longer speech, only eul
pretty face looked so mocklng that he
stopped short In abrupt attempt.


She came step nearer, and for some