Year: 1878

there Is no doubt about that. The first
time she appears in church with crisp
mauve muslins floating about her and a
dainty mauve erection on her head
which presumably she calls bonnet, |
know at once how it will be. And of
course the other sex will range them
selves on her side to man that is also
beyond question, As she rises from her
knees and takes her little lavender
glOved hands from her face and looks
about her for moment, with a sweet sly
glance, she is simply bewitching and /
doubt if any male creature in our musty
little church pays proper attention to
the responses for ten minutes afterward.
A new face is q great rarity with US, and
such a new iace one might not see more
than once in a decade, SO let US hope we
may be forgiven.


As { gaze at the delicate profile before
me, the coils of golden hair, the complex
ion like the inside of q sea shell, the
slender milk-white throat and the long
dark eyelashes, which droop Inedestly
over the glorious gray eyes, shall I own
that [ steal a glance of disapproval at
Mary Anne-my Mary Anne, the partner
of my joys and sorrows for twenty years
and the mother of my six children
Mary Anne's figure is somewhat over
blown, her hair is tinged with gray,
and the complexion of her good hui
moIed face is slightly rubicund. But
she has been a good wife to me, and /
feel, with twinge of compunction, that
1 have no right to be critical, as l think
of a shining spot en- the top of my head,
and of a little box I received from the
dentist only month ago, carefully SCI
cured from observation. But as we
Oh Il Il
and try to look my best as we pass the
trailing native robes. Jack, one of our
six, stumbles over the train, which
gives me an opportunity of raising my
hat and apologiZing for the braFs awk>
wardness, and am rewarded with a
sweet smile and an upward glance out of
the great gray eyes which is simply in
toxicating.


''We must call on Mrs. Ogilvie at
once" / observe to Mary Anne as we
proceed across the fields on our home
ward walk. 6 It is my duty as her
landlord to find out ifshe is comfortable
She is lady-like person." [ continue,
automatically torbearing to allude to
the obvious beauty 6 and dare say,
my dear, you will find her an agreeable
neighbor."


Lady-likew cries my wife, with a
ring of indignation in her voice. {" 1
don't call it lady-like to come to quiet
country church dressed as if she were GO
ing to a fower-shOw. Besides, she is
painted. A color like that can't be
natural. But you men are all alike
always taken with little outside show
and glitter"


But, my dear" demonstrate, ssper
haps she did not know how very coun-
Il
/ really do think it will be very unneigh-
borly if we don't call. 1t must be very
dull for her to know no one." i ignore
the remark about the paint, but in my
heart I give the assertion an emphatic
contradiction.


Mrs. Ogilvie has rented small cot
tage which I own in the west country
village in which am the principal doc
tor. She is the wife of a naval officer
who is away in our Flying Squadron,
and has settled in our sleepy little hans
let to live quietly during his absence.
All her references have been quite un
exceptionable, and, indeed, she is slightly
known to our Squire. as is also her alb
sent husband. "A splendid fellow he
is, Mr.. billions tells me; Islands six
feet in his stockings, and is as handsome
as Apollo; indeed, dOn's believe that
for good looks you could find such an.
other couple in England


The following day Mary Anne, with
but little persuasion, agrees to accom-
pany me to the cottage to call on Mrs
Ogilvie. The door Is opened by a neat
maid servant. She is at home, and we
are Issued into the drawing-room. which
we almost fail to recognizes, SO changed
is it.


Presently Mrs. OgiIVie comes in, look
ing, if possible, even lovelier than she
did the day before. She is IN q simple
white dress, with here and there q knot
of blue ribbon about it and she has
bit of blue also in her golden hair Her
manner is as charming as her looks, and
as she thanks my wife with pleasant, cor
dial words for being the first of her
neighbors to take compassion on her
loneliness, can see that my Mary Anne,
whose heart is as large as her figure,
basely deserts the female faction and
goes over to the enemy. Mrs. Ogilvie is
very young, still quite girl, though
she has been married three years she tells
me.


ct is dreadful Frank should have to
go away" she says, snd the tears well
up in her large gray eyes; 'that is the
worst of the service. See; here Is his
photograph" lifting case from the
table and handing it to Mary Anne. is.
he not handsome %


"He is most undeniably 50, if the like
ness speaks true, and we both say 50 =
Mary Anne, with the privilege OF her
sex and age, adding word as to the
beauty of the pair


80, yes" replies Mrs. Ogilvie without
the smallest embarrassment; "we are
always called the handsome couple"


/ suppose something of my astonish-
ment expressed itself in my countenance,
for she smiles, and says: / am afraid