Year: 1871

TeVlVeu n J0OuSd0u memories JnaJ ne nAO
been endeavoring to Danish. The garden
walks, and especially the apple trees, that
are the most Interchangeable of land marks,
revived the old passion with undiminished
power. He paced his room at night He
looked out at the new house of his rich
neighbor He chafed under the restraint
of his vow not to think again of Jennie
Morton. II was the old story of the
monk who thinks the world subdued, but
who finds it all at once about to assume
the mastery of him. do not know how
the struggle might have ended, but it was
all at once stopped from without.


"There reached him a rumor that Jen-
ME Morton was already the betrothed wife
of Colonel Pearson, who was her fathers
partner in business. And indeed Colonel
Pearson went in and out at Mr.. Morton's
gate every evening, and the father was
known to favor his suit


Jennie was not engaged to him, how
ever. Three times she had refused him.
The fourth time, in Difference TO her
fathers wishes, she had consented to
think about it for a week. In truth
Henry had been home ten days and had
not called upon her, and all the hope she
had cherished in that direction, and all the
weary waiting seemed in vain. When the
colonels week was nearly out she heard
that Henry was to leave in two days. In
a sort of desperation she determined to
accept Colonel Pearson without waiting
for the time appointed for her answer.
But that gentleman spoiled it all by his
own over-confidence.


" For wheI he called, after Jennie had
determined on this course, he found her so
full of kindness that he hardly. knew how
to behave with moderation. And so he
fell to hattering her, and flattering him
self at the same time that he knew all the
ins and outs of girls heart, he compli-
mented her on the many offers she had re-
ceived


go And 1 tell you what he proceeded,
there are plenty of others that would lay
their heads at your feet, if they were only
your equals. There's that young parson,
Gilbert | think they call him, that is
visiting his mother, in the unpainted and
threadbare-looking little house that stands
behind this one. I've actually seen that
fellow, in his rusty, musty coat, stop and
look after you on the street, and every
night, when l go home, he is sitting at the
window that looks over this way. The
poor fool IS in love with you. Only Thick
of it! And l chuckle to myself when
see him, and say, Don't you wish you
could reach so high" L declare it's
funny


I'm that one speech Colonel Pearson
dashed his chances to pieces. He could
not account for the sudden return of winter
in Jennie Morton's manner. and all his
sunshine was powerless to dispel it, or to
bring back the least approach of spring.


Poor Jennie! You can imagine, doc
tor, how she paced the floor all that night.
She began to understand something of the
courage of Henry Gilbert's heart, and
something of the manliness of his motives.
All night long she watched the light
burning in the room in the widows house
and all night she debated the matter until
her head ached. She could reach but one
conclusion: Henry was to leave the day
after tomorrow. If any communication
should ever be opened between them, she
must begin it. 1t was as if she had seen
him drifting away from her forever, and
must throw him rope. think even such
woman's- right man as yourself would
hardly justify her, however, in taking any
step of the kind +"


II certainly should" said the doctor.


"But she could not find way-she had
no rope to throw. Again the colonel
meaning to do anything else but that
opened the way. At the breakfast table
the next morning she received from him q
magnificent valentine, All at once she
saw her method. 1t was st. Valentines
day. The rope was in her hand. Excus-
ing herself from breakfast she fastened to
her room.


"To send valentine to the faithful
lover was the uppermost thought. But
how? She dare not write her name, for
after all, she might be mistaken in count
ing on his love, or she might offend
his prejudices or his pride by SC
direct an approach. She went fumbling in
a drawer for stationery. She drew out g
little pine boat that Henry had whitfield
for her many years before. He had
named it Hope, but the combined wisdom
of the little boy and girl could not sue
ceed in spelling the name correctly. AnG
here was the little old boat that he haC
given. saying often afterward that it was the
boat they two were going to sail in some
| day. The misspelt name had been the
subject of many laugh between them
| Now-but mustn't be sentimental.
1T did not take Jennie long to draw ar
exact likeness of the little craft AnC
that there might be no mistake about it
she spelled the name as it was on the sidC
of the boat:


wHoAP.'


"There was not another word in tn,
valentine Sealing it up, she hurried ou
with it, and dropped it in the posto office
| No merchant, sending all his fortune Il
sea in one frail bark ever watched the de
parture and trembled for the result of ven
ture as she did. Spain did not Fray hal
so fervently when the invincible Armadi
sailed. 1t was an unuttered prayer-an un
utterable prayer. For heart and hopt
were the lading of the little picture-boa
that sailed out that day, with no othe
wind but her wishes in its sails.


She sat down at her window until sh'
saw Henry Gilbert pass the next stree
on his morning walk to the post-office
! Three minutes after, he went home, evi
IDENTIFY in great state of excitement, will
her valentine open in his hand. After
while he went back again toward the post
office, and returned. Had he taken
reply'


were people all around with those hideou
things that they call comic valentines opel
in their hands And they actually seemed
to think them funny! She had reply
1t did not take her long to find her room
and to open it. There was another pic
ture of boat, but the name on its sid
read DESPAIR And these words wer
added; Your boat is the PIeGSaRtest, bl
understanding that there aods no Udcaat pldc
upon ID, IhaUe been obliged to take passage o,
this Slowly the meaning forced itsel
upon her. Henry had fears tina
she whom he thought engaged was co
quoting with him. i think, doctor, yol
will hardly justify her in proceeding fur
ther with the correspondence?


"Why not? Hasn't woman as mucl
right to make herself understood in sucl
u matter as a manY And when the socia
advantages are on her side, the burden o
making the advances often falls upon her
Many women do it, indirectly, and are no
censured."


"Well, you know, I'm conservative
doctor, but I'm glad you're consistent. Sh
did send another valentine. 4 anu afrait
she strained this figure of speech about tn
boat But when everythipgyiR, tho worl'
depends on one metaphor, II will not do Il


be fastidious. Jennie drew again tn
little boat with misspelt name. And thi
time she added five words; Tie master
place Is Dacdnt.


i "And quite late in the afternoon, tn