Year: 1873

times. | believe I'll wait while be-
fore [ settle down."


"Perhaps there's somebody else?"
ventured Ben.


"No, l can't say that there is; though
[ don't mind telling you that I didn't
come home single for want of chance.
He had a house too, in the suburbs,
and housekeeper, and he said I never
should bring the water to wash my
hands,"


"And why didn't you marry him ?"
asked Ben, frigidly. =


ooh, he didn't exactly suit me; he'd
lost his front teeth and his hearing.
There's as good fsh'in the sea as ever
yet were caught" she sang, gayly.


SWELL" said Ben, rising, and look
ing blue lightnings, con the whole,
Pm glad that you won't marry me, for
you've got no more heart than an ad-
der" And then he could have bitten
his tongue out for saying what wasn't
true, when his heart was almost break
ing for love Of her; and if she had
showed that she was wounded, by word
or look, he was ready to abase himself
beneath her feet, and take it all back.


"You're amazing polite, Mr.. Thur
man, | must say" she returned. "I'm
sorry you asked for what you didn't
wan't, because it would have been awk-
ward if hadn'trefused. Idon't know
that this was the way folks made love
calling names, when I've always
treated you we'll"


s'Treated me well with a vengeance!"
cried Ben, his face white as star, and
his eyes like thunder-bolts. 'Do you
call it handsome treatment to let me
go on loving you year after year, while
it strengthened with my strength,
without hint that you couldn't re-
turn measure for measure? And then
go back upon fellow, and throw him
over because he doesn't live like a ma
bob, though he loved the ground you
walked on, and thought nothing too
hard to do for you! If that's what
you call treating me well, good-by-I
don't want ever to see you again"
/ Louisa had been looking at MIN with
sparkling eyes. She rather liked to
see him angry; it was vastly becoming.
And then he loved her so desperately.
She felt strange, delightful thrill at
her heart, as if it responded secretly.
She had half mind to 60 to him and
hold out her arms and be clasped to
his beating heart, and forget ambition
and luxury and choose rather a heaven
on earth; and while she hesitated he
said, "Good-by-I don't want ever to
see you again-good-by."


EI return the sentiment" said she,
instead. Il believe I can live without
you. Good-by." And when he was
safely out of sight she took revenge IN
a good cry.


But now that he was gone she began
to find how much she had depended
upon him, how much more his mere
presence was to her than any dream of
worldly prosperity, however golden.
Perhaps but for this breach she might
never have known how dear he was to
her, nor how little she valued the su-
perfuities of life in comparison. Well,
one of the three was to return before
the winters season of logging began in
order to lay in provisions for the camp
as they had only taken up enough for
a week or ten days-and perhaps Ben
would be the one to come; in which
case he could hardly avoid bringing
her some word of her father and uncle.
And then who could predict but he
might think it worth his while to re-
iterate his love in his eloquent style :?
And then Louisa laughed wickedly at
the prospect, and decided that if he
was enough in love to do thus and
thus, it would be safe for her beyond a
peradventure to take her own time a.
bout making up, to show a supreme
Indifference to his regard. No more
heart than an adder indeed! What
was it, then, that ached so day after
day, as the dull, cold November wind
sighed about the house and touched
the neighboring pines into Kolian
harps and swept up the dead leaves
only to scatter them again? Why was
she always straining her eyes down the
frost-whitened country road? And
what was it that trembled in her bosom
whenever a speck appeared against the
frosty sky? But Louisa had reckoned
J without her host. Ben was not the
man who was fond Of reiterating love
that had been received so coldly. He
, didn't mean to leave the woods till
March, if he could hold out so long.