Year: 1873

raised her eyes gravely to the old lady's
face saying


81 cannot CO."


"Now, Lola, listen to me. You are
only connection of this family. / have
always treated you as if you were my
grandchild, and if l could have done
more for you l should have been glad,
but | am too poor"


"I should not have accepted more"
said Lola.


"Don't be pert, miss, with your should
nots and cannots. have some questions
to ask of you. Arthur Gray has gone to
London. Do you know what his busi-
ness is?"


mo-" said Lola.


els it possible that he has asked you
to marry himT'


"But he has done just the same, and
you expect that he will ask you when he
comes back?"


Yes," said Lola.


And you won't go away to earn your
bread because you are waiting to be
are resolved to wreck completely all the
hopes he had cherished before he met
your"


A dreadful look had come into the
young girls eyes; she put her hand diz-
zily to her head.


"You silly child, don't you see that he
is a poor man; no one could be poorer ex-
cept yourself If he were an ordinary
man this ought to deter you, for he would
have to toll in a way you know little
about to give you bread to eat. Heis not
common man, but with great career
before him, that is if you, a chit of girl,
do not step in to spoil it. He is too gen.
erous to tell you this, perhaps, but have
no scruple in hurting you when it ought
to be DONE"


"Tell me about his career" said Lola.


"The great person who introduced me
to him in London" continued Granny,
''said to me, This will be distinguish
ed man in few years hence, if he only
regains his health, and keeps himself free
of encumbrances. I shall keep al eye
on his career, and push him onward if l
can.' Gray talked to me about it during
our journey down here; told me all his
hopes while was petting and taking care
of him. I said, You must beware of
foolish marriage The worst thing that
could happen to me- was his answer. 4
hope you have nothing dangerous down
in your country?' I remembered only
my grand daughters, and that they were
a great deal too sensible to take any in
terest in him. I never thought of you at
all, child; yet here you are doing the
mischief, being neither wise for your
own interests, nor generous in looking
to his. You have ruined him so COM
pletely that he is gone to refuse an offer
which would have given him fame and
fortune had you not been in the way"


"What is thatsoffer?" asked Lola.


"An expedition is sailing next week to
the North Pole, or somewhere there
abouts. What they are going to do am
not sure about; but they are scientific
men, and they have invited Arthur Gray
to be of their party. A few short weeks
ago he would have looked upon any one
who had prevented his accepting this as
an enemy. Now he goes to London to
refuse il in order that he may pin him
self to drudgery and obscurity for life;
that he may live in repining over what
you have selfshly forced upon him, he
being far too generous to disappoint
you"


with her face turned away, looking into
the forest; then slowly turned away and
began walking like sleep-walker towards
an opening in the trees. Granny looked
after her angrily, too full of Arthur's
wrongs to have any pity for the girl
whom she counted his enemy. can OBJ.
stinate monkey" she said to herself,
wrathfully, and muttered her way back
to the house, while Lola spent two long
hours alone in the forest. Only the trees,
and the river, and the singing grass saw
her struggle; when she came back to
Granny her face looked gray and old. 81
will join the gentleman tonight" she
said, "and go to Paris with him."


Now that Granny was triumphant, a
new feeling of pity came into her heart.
But she knew she had done her duty, and
that Lola was behaving well. She patted
home to pack up her things, and made
vague promises in her own mind that
something good must certainly be done
for Lola.


When Gray came back from London,
there was no Lola in the forest country,
and Granny explained to him how pru-
IDENTIFY the girl had acted.


"You could not expect of her that she
would not seize good offer when it pre-
sented ITSELF" she said. "It is very well
for men when women are found with
little common sense. She will have ad-
vantages IN Paris, and will make a good
marriage. Lola is wise girl, and as for
you, you will get over it.


Oertdluly, Sdlu AtuuI, Ut WOuiu
not interfere with any woman's pros
pects."


And then he also went alone into the
forest, and complained that the world had
never seen faithful woman. The grass
sighed again, and smile curled the
edges of the leaves of the trees. but not
thing limited to him of Lola's sacrifice.
That night he was again in London, and
the next day he sailed with the expedi-
ton. AS he looked over the ships side,
ambitious hopes rose in his heart, and
subdued the pain that would have lin
gered still. The sea-foam gathered over
the past of few months. The sun of
the old world set brilliantly upon what
lay behind him; a summer dream, blue
mists, dancing trees, sunny idleness, chill
dren's voices, and woman's face framed
in the purple shadow among leaves. ALL
the Year Round.