Year: 1871

| HSSu DS uHucA no dppESAeusiOHS.
Then, her face softening a little, she
added: "True I have no expecta-
tions, save for your love! You are
my only living relation, and you
surely will not deny me thatr'


81 shall remember you are my
cousin. But what Of Percy Rms
sell? Have you thought Of his
wishes in this matterg'


/ Margaret's eyes dropped; a soft
flush stole up to her forehead.


"He will desire me to do what is
right, Think. Ifnot, then We hall
be better apart"


Well, you have chosen and you
viii see. Have you spoken to him
about your absurd decision2"


81 have written to him"


"Will you let me see the replyY


"If you wish it. But, of course,
a right-minded man could have but
one opinion on the matter"


"You think so? Well, as 7 said,
we shall see."


And gathering up the mass of
her silken drapery from contact
with the costly carpet, Miss Flea
more Hastings left the room.
From the conversation we have
given the reader viii understand
the character of the spinster cousin
and the handsome and noble-mind-
ed Margaret; and there is no need
Of further explanation.


Percy Russelrs note to Margaret
cut the heart of the noble girl like
a knife; but after the frstpang was
over she felt very thankful that her
life had not been bound with that
of this sordid man. She gave him
back the freedom she knew he de
sired and then their paths separated.


The property left her by-Mr. Peck
was legally transferred to the chill
dren of Robert Peck-Rupert and
Edna-both of whom resided in q
different part of the country. The
business was all transacted by Mr..
Eden, Margaret's lawyer, and al
though Rupert Peck strongly op-
! posed the transfer, he was forced to
acquiesce. He urged her, through
her solicitor, to retain at least the
old mansion where his grandfather
had lived and died, but this she re
fused to do; and likewise did she
decline the yearly annuity he wish
ed so much to settle upon her; and
casting off all ties, Margaret left
her proud, mereenary- cousin, went
to a distance, hired little cottage
and settled down there. There,
too, for two years, she lived on with
out love; and what is harder than
that for a woman? She may be
poor, and humble, and unknown,
but if there be one true heart that
loves her, then life is a glory and a
blessing.


At the end ofthese two years of
seclusion she found her strength
failing. The physicians prescribed
sea air; and one sultry, July day
she beheld for the first time the
great ocean. Sycamore was quite a
resort for quiet people, who, dislik-
ing the noise and fashion of Sarato-
ga and Newport, preferred seclu-
sion and quietude.


The third evening after her arri-
val Margaret walked down on the
beach. How quiet and still was
everything. No sound but the cease
less break of the surf on the beach
"a sound old as creation itself
The sun was down, a breath Of
south wind swayed lazily the flag,
and before her, at her very feet, lay
stretched out the illimitable ocean.
The long reach of sand tempted her
to prolong her walk, and loiterirg
along, she reached the extremity ef
the beach. just beyond, across the
rocks, there was a patch of sand
even more beautiful than the last;
and with a light step she bounded
over the rocks and set foot upon the
treacherous waste, At the first few
steps her light weight hardly made
an impression on the sand, but as
she went onward she sunk ankle
deep, and with a slow horror steal
ing over her, she found that it re-
quired ali her strength to extrieate
her feet from the power which held
them. A voice from the rocks,
ringing clear through the distance,
cried out


@Not another step forward! Re
main where you arel You are in
the Sycamore quicksand!' -


She turned toward the voice and
saw, dimly defined through the
gloom, a tall man hurrying toward
her. 4 boat, wrecked and bleach
ed by the storms, was lying at lit
tie distance He tore out a piece
of plank and made a bridge for him
self. It brought him within a few
yards of where she stood, slowly
sinking. The cold, treaeherous
sand Was up to her waist now. He
stepped fearlessly upon it, and sue