Year: 1873

men is so utterly-utterly-


"Don't hesitate for a word. | assure
you I can endure it. My manner is
so-"


'Unengaged, | would say, to put ii
very mildly


perhaps it is better that my condi-
ton should fit my manner"


"Perhaps-unless yon can change


that manner.


81 could no more do that than the
leopard could change his spots. | have
loved you well, but that is no reason
why we should marry, ! suppose"


rs it not?'


"Oh. none whatever | hear some
one coming. Here is the ring you
meant for n fetter. Goodnight and
good bye


a woman ran by me so closely that
her skirts brushed mine, and the fog
lifting a little at the same moment,
saw the outline of a man take his cl
bows from the long gate on which he
had been leaning, and STOPPING down
seemed to be looking for something on
the ground. Then he hurried away
toward the village, and, as Bunyan
says of his pilgrim, Il saw him no
more.





| felt like person blindtolded, who
has been tormented with other peo-
pies secrets against their will. Ileaned
my own arms on the gate until the fog
cleared away, and q soft, wavering
moonlight fell on the trees, which
seemed to whisper together about the
very secrets that | shared with them.


In a crack between post aud bar
something cleaned in the moonlight.
! picked out a ring, the ring which
one had thrown away in her angry
haste, and which the other had looked
for in vain, 1t was violet formed of
smal, sapphires, with diamond in the
centre.


| carried it home and tucked it into
the tnrthest corner Of my upper drawer,
and for a month | pondered it in my
heart | looked eagerly for all notices
under the head Of Lost and Found" !"
Vast hordes of dogs seemed to have
gone upon travels about that time {;
muhs and bonds and other small mat
ters were entered to return, and no
questions asked but no one had lost
4 ring composed with infinite pains
at least a dozen advertisements, which
should delicataly convey to that out
line OF man that his ring might be
if he desired it. / said no
word to my aunt with whom | shared
the cottage and all other worldly goods)
Of my adventure in the avenue. If
she ever had any nonsense about her,
it had entirely worn off before my
time. She would have sought for the
owner OF the ring in the same straight
forward and exhaustive way as if it
had been stray hoe found in our gar
den. Those two lovers would have
been forced to stand and deliver their
names and their secret within week.


Aunt Hester had brought me up in
the same way that she did everything
else; she never forgot to wind her
clock on the seventh day, and she
never failed to give me good measure
Of home comfort, but it was not press
ed down nor running over. | gave
her honest liking and respect without
any love, and she never missed it,
Nevertheless it gave me terrible
shock when her vigorous life was sud
denly arrested by stroke of paralysis.
Our only servant in her fright was
helpless as her mistress, but Miss Pur-
dy, who lived next door, came in to
stay withmy patient while Iran through
the midnight darkness down the aven-
ue and the long village street for a
doctor, DR.. Gilmore was the name on
the first door that had Il light behind
it. AT the first pull Of the bell the
handle came oft in my hand, and I
opened the door and found myself in
the office The doctor lay OH a lounge,
sleeping heavily, as if he had just
thrown himself down after a hard days
work, | called to him in vain, and
finally laid violent hands on him. He
must have been dreaming some fearful
thing, for he seized my wrists in a wise
and roared, "Now have you!' before
he opened bis eyes.


"You are mistaken, doctor; it is l
who have you," | said laughing. He
released my wrists and sat up with
eyes very wide open.


"And what are you going to do with
me-" he asked.


"Oh, you must come to my Aunt at
Dovecotes this very moment" and |
oeSal 10 cry more heartily than had
laughed.


He took me up as easily as if | had
been baby and laid me on the lounge
''Now lie there perfectly still until my
carriage is ready" he said, as one hav.
ing authority. In a few moments he
brought me some innocent-looking
stuff in glass, which / drank without
word, and my nerves grew steady
again. | climbed into the little old.
fashioned sulky, in which there was
but spare room for its owner, carriage
that must have been invented by some
misanthropic doctor who did not mean
to drive his own patients. | contract
ed myself into about the substance of
a paper of pins, and held my breath,
but that sulky was very tight fit in
deed!