Year: 1871

adopt Why had Mr.. Bligh gone away,
leaving them the prey of this mischievous
opportunity.


Yes for Heavens sake don't speak to
me in that way, or you'll drive me mad p
and then be got up and went to the win
dow; and poor Madge saw that his face
had grown very pale, and that an express
sion of hopelessness had settled upon it..
She could not bear it. He had been SO
thoughtful for her always-so gentle, and
devoted, and sympathetic--that she felt as
if she must comfort him, let what might
come of it.


"Theo." she said again, with that same
pathetic cadence in her voice, "you have
been so kind to me always; can't bear to
see you so. Can't make you happier.
Theo p


He turned round quickly and caught
her hands as she was standing near to
him. 'Madge: do you love my uncle p
i Half frightened, she drew back from
him, land I am engaged to him." she
jstammered.


''Yes, but you have made me love you;
you knew your chance, and you have used
it, If you love him, let me 60 without
another of those appeals that you know
how to make so maddening; if not Madge,
Madge?"


He had taken her hands again, and was
looking down into her face with CLEAN
of intense pleading affection that for mo-
meut he was all the world to her.


''If had known you first" she sobbed.
''but I didn't. you see; and We Dundees
never break our word. And-oh +! you
had better 60 after all;' but it was very
hard te do it. Had she not spoken his
name with all her heart in voice only a
minute ago, leading him on by the tone
she used to tell his secret to her in the
hope that she would be brave, and avert
eventful misery from them all !! And now
she was telling him that if she had known
him first she would have loved him best,
and that she could not for her names sake
break her word to his uncle.


1t was ghastly state of affairs. and as
soon as he could, Theo Bligh made an
end Of going away. The two men had no
verbal explanation on leave-taking, but
they parted as comrades who had been
wounded in the same fight might part
And then Theo found that. though exis-
stence was not EN- mtittered to him, the SAVIOR
had gone from the old pleasures.


It was decidedly not worth while now,
he felt, to try and do anything good or de-
finite, for he could never find woman to
share his glory or smile upon his success,
who could put Bonnie Dundee out of his
mind; after her, other women did and
would always appear to be wanting in
something. She had the trick of making
others appear tame and pale, and INSULT
cient, and-well, the man who has been
shone upon by star, never feels that
there is much warmth in taper.


He banished himself so efectually that
he heard no tidiEgs from the Chase for six
months, and then he vcntured to send his
address to his banker. and to have letters
forwarded to him; but before these letters
are read, retrospective glance at the Bon
ME Dundee must be given.


She bore his departure very bravely.-
Remember how many other interests we're
claiming her attention at the time. and
remember the ardent, impressionable,
changeable nature of the girl There was
a good deal of the woman. She had the
faculty Of feeling intensely for the time.
and of getting over things. Is not this
characteristic the secret of many women
keeping right, and many others going
wrong?


It brushed the bloom of the peach rough
ly when he went away, for that vailed idol
airy of his had been very pleasant to her;
nevertheless she bore it bravely, and made
the best of that which remained to her.
Il am sorry, for was So fond of him, "
she said to her lover, with that disarmiug
trankness which woman of her callbre
know so we'll how to use. And Mr.. Bligh
hearing her, did not wonder that bis ne
phew had been scorched by the fiery ordeal
through which he had been passed. There
was this about it, too, that it was such
clean fire that even her own sex could not
despise, and condemn and prophecy evil
things concerning Miss Duudee's warmth.
Just as she loved light and dancing, and
flowers, and sweet sounds, so did Sue love
to be loved and though it made her dan
gerous, it never made her despicable. And
somehow men understood this, and so fos-
tered her other foibles. because of their
glaiuess that she was from greater ones.
It was only about week before the
day fixed for their marriage, that Mr..
Bligh ventured to speak decisively to her.
Very earnestly and gently he spoke. be-
seeched her to open all her heart to him,
and to tell him if any other image had
ever dspleced his. And Madge listened
to him thoughtfully, and analysed her
own emotions, and finally answered him !:
IF he had come first, l should have loved
Theo desperately; as it was l didn't dare
let myself. You're not afraid, are your


"Only for your happiness. my poor
child" !" he said, mot for my own honor. "


Il like you SO much, you know" she
said energetically-''it does seem so hard
that one can't express all ones little gra-
dations Of feelings in words-I like you
SO much-but it's dark to me now with
lout him." she added, With sudden pas