Year: 1870




By-and-by her host returned. Heconl5
not restrain smile as helooked at her :


How are you feeling?" he asked


lng? she asked, archly.
Il would tell you that ANYTHING would
4 be becoming to you, if it did notsavortoo
much of fashionable talk. Now You shall
lie down on the mattress, and | will nnt
these SKINS over you, and then l viii 90
you Sleep"


"YOu are very kind but I cannot de-
prlYe you OF your bed. I shall do yery
well in that chair before the fire"


You must sleep You are not used to
such drenchings as this You have taken ken 10.
night. Lie down. You are as safe AS Won.
would be at Crofton Hall"
| Sit down by the fire, then" she said
frankly; 81 am not afraid of you"
| A gleam OF satisfaction lit the genial
dark eyes under the rough cap.
Thank you for your confidence I shall
remember that. And now sleep peace
fully Tiger and 1 will keep guard"
AND JOSIE lay down, feeling a strange.
new sense OF security and happiness, and
slept as sweeJly as she had ever done in
| the shadows OF the rose-colored silk cur
talns of her own couch at home.
1t was morning when she awoke. The
sun was shining, and breakfast was snoly-
ing on the table-coffee, fried bacon. corn
bread, honey and roast venison.


JOSIE rose and went outside the cabin.
Her host was smoking a cigar on the
bench by the shed.


He threw it away at her approach and
inquired how she slept


"Sweetly; and you? Did you sleepYo


81? Oh, no I was looking at a pic


"a picture?' she asked, wonderingly,
"a picture in this place ?"


"Yec' the most beautiful picture l
have ever seenl" h is deed eyes were on
her face, and the slow crimson was mount
ing to his forehead, "and that picture was
yourself"


She blushed, almost angrily, he thought.


Forgive me" he hattened to say 'and
mvce IN to breakfast After that, / will
show you the way to the Hail."


May | not learn the name of my en-
tertainerP


Certainly, 1 had forgotten the ceremony
OF introduction. l am August Melbourne.
And you?'


my name is Josephine Harker."


The breakfast was done ample Justice
to by the fair city belle, and afterward
Melbourne and Tiger escorted her to tbe
edge of the forest


In the morning light Josie had a good
view of the face of her host. She was
surprised at the refinement of feature pos
sessed by this rude woodman. HIS bean
ty was OF type vastly superior to the
etfemlnate delicacy of Edward Fitzherbert.
the torhead, white as a girls, was shaded
by clustering ringIets of bright chestnut
halr; the eyes were large, bark and Won
d9rtully expressive, and the brown beard,
which completely coeered the lower part
OF his face, looked soft as floss silk.


What a pity, }" she thought, chat this
man should be only q wood-chopper."


At the edge of the forest he stopped.


81 will go no further, Miss Harker.-
Goodbye"


He held out his hand she laid hers
within it. He looked into her eyes, and
she was utterly powerles to turn hers away.
Some irresistible influence seemed to be
drawing her towards him. He put out his
other hand-stole it around her waist
and she was prisoned held close to his
breast Only for one little moment, and
then he let her go, turned abruptly away
and was lost to view in the forest


She hurried away across the fields, her
brain in whirl, her cheek crimson at his
presumption. She knew that she ought
to be angry with him, but she was not.





How she ever replied coherently to her
aunt's eager questions she could not have
told.


She did not notice that Lucia was men
ding Edwards gloves, while he bent over
her and admired the deft white hands;
and she forgot to laugh at him for being
by woman's cry for help.


After that it was passing strange how
often Josie and Mr.. Melbourne met He a
crossed her path continually. 1t always
as if accident brought it about.
but the girl did not know how much skill
ful manouvering was brought into reaui-
sltlon on the part Of Melbourne


Their acquaintance ripened into sweet
and tender intimacy but still no word had
been spoken. He had never taken her
hand or looked into her eyes as he had
done once before, and sometimes Josie fan
cied that one passionate embrace must
have been a dream.


The time for her return to the city was
drawing near. The night before she was
to go, MIR Melbourne came to the Hall.
but he did not ask for Josie, as usual. He
asked for her aunt, and they were closeted
together a long time. When he came
forth he sought the parlor, where Josie
was alone. The others had all gone riding.
He went straight up to where she was- sit
eing and put his arms around her


81 love your he said. Josie, 1 love
you"


She struggled little to free herself but
his influence over her was too strong and
at last remained passive.


"Ieli me what know and feel is the
truth. You love me, Josie ?"


dido not know" she answered


Josephine, you do love me: Tell me
so y His manner forced the words from
her


81 do love you. Let me go or'


"No. l shall not let you go. You are
mine. Your aunt has promised you to
me. You are to be the wife of a poor
wood chopper Are your"


Eyes, if you are the wood chopper" she
answered, blushing scarlet, to think what
she was saying.


You are proud, and have had very lof-
sent to take me?
"Because-O August why oblige me
to say 1T because l love you so p


Well, the people of Crofton wondered
greatly and people talked, as people the
world over are in the habit of doing.


Josie was married early in December.
and not until after her marriage did the
bride discover the deception her husband
had praeticed. He had never been a wood
chopper; lie was lawyer OF repute in
one Of the western cities, and had been
employed to come to Crofton to settle
some dispute in regard to the ownership
II the woodland where he had first met
)osle. A love of adventure had induced
him to take up his abode in the hut of
Did Peter a wood cutter. On the ocea-
'ion of Josie's forced visit, Peter and his
wife were gone to town for a supply of
And Melbourne, anxious to be
owed for himself alone, had suffered her
% believe him day laborer. He confess
,ed 1t all to her, and asked her forgiveness.
She had him, so, of course, she pardoned
lin.