Year: 1876

up, and every night when she wa


fast asleep. would sit up and stud,


the lesson for the next day. In thi


way | was successful, and Isabel i'm


proved wonderfully.


Two years had passed; it was Isa


bells birthday, and in, honor of tn,


day, a grand masquerade WIS to b,


given in the large parlors of thi


magnificent house. A large numbei
/ OF invitations had been sent on


among the fashionable people of the
city, and grand preparations had beer


made for the great fete.


/ L had dressed Isabel and pro
nounced her complete, and taking my
French book. sat down to study a:
usual.


looked down upon the beautifully
illuminated lawn, and the long pro.
-cession OF carriages coming up the
avenue, and thought how grand. Oh
what pity that I cannot enjoy al
these pleasures, said 1. TO myself ]
! am yet young and fair--I-then look.
ed at myself in the glass, and won
dered if anything but this plain black
dress would look well on me.


[ ran to my closet and hauled out
the old trunk, which for so long had
not seen daylight With difficulty ]
opened it, and gazed with wonder at
the gay clothing had almost forgot
ten that possessed. 1 took out the
white slippers in which 1 had stood
at the alter Of marriage, and then the
beautiful rich silk with its rich trim
mings of lace, which had been party
dress Of my gay days.


spread these articles OF fancy up
on the bed and tore my hair from the
simple little knot in which had worn
it for so long, and dressed it in the
manner which had dressed Isabeps
but an hour before, and decorated it
with a string Of peals; I then arrayed
myself in the pink silk ard at last de-
clared myself to look prettier than
even Isabel, in her great profusion
OF elegance.


l was all ready now. but for a
masque, what should 1 do? Nothing
but manufacture one for myself, /
thought, and taking piece of mus
lin, cut it in the shape OF my face
and trimmed it with lace, and again /
was all ready. I opened my door
and went out; to my sur
prise a group of ladies were upon the
landing. saw that Isabel was not
among them, and felt perfectly safe
after my first sudden fright. Natu-
rally enough, as had come out of q
private chamber and closed the door
after me, they all thought / was Isa-
bel and addressed me i'm that name.
shook hands with each in turn and
said but little; we all descended the
stairs together and entered the large
parlor. The music had commenced,
and as many As conveniently could,
were swinging gracefully about in the
great circle.


Miss Florence said a voice behind
me, 'as we are friends even in dis
guise, l wish you would point out to
me. il you can, Miss Usher, as she
wolld not tell what her disguise
would be-


She silenced him and pointed to
me- A moment after the same gen
tleman asked me 70 dance with him;
| accepted la a manner as much like
IsabePs as possible: he seemed full
OF conversation, and as thought he
doubted me said but little, and
when the dancing was over 1 began
TO feel dizzy and faint He called
me Isabel, and said il L would ap-
point the hour, he would call upon
me the next evening. By this L knew
that he was the same person whom
Isabel had SO often entertained OF late
appointed the time an hour earlier
than the time I knew Isabel always
did. and at good time excused my
calf and baotana1 70 IN, 90 r~o,, Io.I~
ed the door, and throwing myself
upon the bed, hid my face in the
pillows and wept. Can it be posi-
BILE? Is this man my long lost hus-
band? Can it be that I heard his
voice so many times in the parlor be-
low and never knew it? On, Isabel,
poor girl, can it be true or is it a
dream? All these thoughts and
thousand more passed through my
brain. / arose, looked at my watch
and to my surprise found that an
hour had passed; / listened and
heard the hum of voices in the next
room, which warned me that the
guests were preparing for their de-
parture.


l hurried off with my gay clothes,
and in a few moments was prepared
to meet Isabel, my own quiet self, the
governess. 1 was startled by the
bell, and going to Isabeps room,
found her waiting for me, 1 could do
nothing for her, but listen to the
grand time they all had enjoyed, (my-
self included) but she seemed most
OF all pleased to think that her lover
had not known her, but that he had
told her mamma that he had danced
with her, and, to his regret he must
leave before the time Of unmasking
came; this she must tell Isabel, as
she could not wait to see her again.


But am sure he was mistaken
said she, for he did not speak to me
once, but l saw him dancing with
beautiful young lady whom every one
said was the belle. She was dressed
in lovely pink silk. OhI how won
der who she can be-


By this time had tucked her UP i'm
bed, and without a word hurried to
my own apartment.


l tried to sleep, but no. ! could not !;