Year: 1876

"IIe viii be sure to come before the
summer is over, said little Kitty TO her
self.


She was always called little Kitty, al
though nineteen years old, but she was
round and soft and pretty and pettable,
and looked like a little kitten, so the
name and the adjective suited her per-
fectly. And she was very careful, in
spite of many a temptation TO the con-
trary, not TO wear her new white muslin
dress at the doctors wife's or the law
yer's wife's party, and none of her best
bows were seen at the church, though
on many Il Sunday the sun shone so
brightly il seemed to be almost insult
ing not TO wear them. She was keep
ing them all for the benefit of John
Laurence when next he came TO stay at
the LaurelS, which he was sure to do
soon, for he always turned up about
twice in the year


Old Mr.. Hughes was ycry.fond of his
big, handsome nephew, who had not
long attained the elevated position of a
lieutenant in the artillery, and having
no son of his own, and the estates being
entailed, it was perhaps only natural
that he should make him his heir.


There was another reason, too, why
old Hughes made much of Johnnie
wanted him TO marry his daughter; nay,
it had always been considered a settled
though undiscuSsed thing that he should
do so, and people said that they were
engaged. Kitty believed this gossip
was all nonsense, for Caroline Hughes
was tall and thin, with two large white
teeth sticking out in front of her mouth
(thOugh she was otherwise agreeable),
and, moreover, whenever John Lau-
renee came to CragfOrd he made love
TO Kitty. He always did it in half
clandestine fashion that annoyed Kitty
excessively, and never paid her marked
attentions before other people; still he
did not make love to her, that was GER
tain, and she did believe that he
cared for Caroline. Kitty did not often
go TO the Laurels. Kittv's father was
only retired solicitor, though well off,
and Mr.. and Mrs. and Miss Hughes
ranked among the big swells of Crag-
ford, and only invited the professional
men and their wives once or twice Il
year to dinner, and their daughters
once or twice a year to a ball or a GRO
quet party. 1t CALLED little Kitty to
think that this social difference in their
station at Cragford was perhaps the
reason why the love that John Laurence
made TO her was clandeStine. Poor
little Kitty! she had not a very nice
time of it at home.


al can't imagine why you do not give
Mr.. BaverStock more encouragement, "
Mrs. Horton was always saying to her.
" He will be snapped up soon, for there
are very few chances for girls in this
dead-alive place"


Mr.. BaverstOck was a young surgeon
who had settled down in Cragford about
q year previously. lie wore spectacles,
had thin legs and red hair, and was not
by any means charming object to be-
hold. lie was very devoted to Kitty, as
all Cragford knew, but Kitty always
snubbed him numerically.


sI deteSt him, mamma (kitty'S
papa had unexpectedly taken to him
self a second wife during a visit to Lon
don about two years since, and Kitty
called her mamma to please him, but
there was no love lost between them.)
"Why, he's as ugly as toad"


"He is getting a very good prac-
tice."


"I would sooner marry the man in
the MOON" and she settled restlessly
down to read "Lallah Rookh " for
about the twenty-seventh time that
year. 1t was Il beautifully bound edi-
ton, radiant in crimson and gold, and
illustrated with beautiful pictures pro-
tected by tissue paper. Somebody had
sent it anonymously to Kitty on her last
birthday. She declared she did not
know where it came from, and it was
quite true she didn't, but she could
have made an excellent guess if she had
tried.