Year: 1872

felt IN the evident, persistent and per-
haps slightly patronizing admiration Of
herself by Burt Lloyd was never shown
by word or look. She neither sought
nor avoided him. If he found heI
at leisure in the parlor and asked fol
some music, she sat down to the piano
with the ready obedience of an obliging
child, and at the close of each song
looked up Mt him with frank eyes, as il
expecting the appreciative smile he was
always ready to bestOw. If, on the other


hand, he had haunted in vain all day
the house and garden in search of her,
and on her appearance in the evening
told her so, she made no apologies and
looked no surprise at his infatuation.
Nor if, after one of those long silences
so frequent with her, he sometimes
raised his eyes from book or paper to
meet hers, so unfathomable in their
dark depths, fixed upon his face as in
study of him, did she change color or
exhibit any trace of discompOsure.


Her calmness piqued, tOrmented, en-
barrassed him, and yet he found himself
day by day more and more in love with
her. Still / doubt if he would have
dared his fate so soon as he did but for
an accident which occurred just as he
was about to bring his visit to a close.
He accompanied her one morning on a
horseback ride. They were returning
[ aanI homo xr-h.r, T.;
sudden fright at something, reared,
plunged and threw him. When next
he awoke TO consciousness Amy Harte
was kneeling by his side, bathing his
face and hands in cool water, her face
very pale, but the mouth firm and
quiet.


care you much hurt, do you think?"
she asked.


He tried for answer to rise, but found
himself helpless, his arm broken and
his foot sprained. He groaned with
pain.


"Don't STIR" she said quickly, 81 will
manage for you"


Fortunately, she had thrown a
shawl over her side saddle that morn
ing. Her horse stood quietly by, his
was a mile or two away. She folded
the shawl into pillow for his head, and
then ran down the road few steps to
where she remembered turn in the
road hid some laborers from view.
These she called, and then returned to
his side and washed Off with her hand
kerchief in roadside brook the blood
and dust from his face. In few mo-
ments the men were there. She showed
them how to make a litter, and then in
structed them how to lift him on it with
least pain to him, after which she
mounted her horse and rode away for
surgeon. Suffering as he did, Burt yet
found time to note the celebrity, the deft-
ness, the clear-headed way i'm which all
this was done, and she seemed in his
eyes more perfect than ever. During
the week of illness that followed he saw
very little of her, but dainty messes of
her manufacture, and vases of flowers
whose coloring, arrangement and per-
fume refreshed his fastidious taste, kept
her in daily remembrance.


He was down in the parlor again in a
few weeks, but he had set the time for
his return to the city ere he found time
and place to declare his passion and
plead his suit. 1t was one afternoon
when they had the house to themselves
that he did so. Mr.. and Mrs. New
come had gone to make some calls, and
there was no fear of interruption. He
was half surprised at the ardor and inn
petus with which he made the declara-
ton. Once she held up her hands warn
ingly and begged him to stop, but he
paid no heed until the confession of his
hopes-fears he had none-was made.
Then, as he looked into her face, he
grew suddenly fearful. For the first
time in his life his self conceit failed
him. Could it be possible! He had
dreamed that his "perfect' woman was
to lift up TO him, after such confession
as this, face full of blushing, blissful
happiness, was to nestle close into his
open arms and murmur a rapturous
eyes" But this woman was looking
at him with quiet, studying eyes, and
her smile puzzled him as she said:


"Believe me, Mr.. Lloyd, this is alto
gether unexpected. am sorry if any
thing have done has led you into this
| indiscretion. Perhaps / might have
been n little more reserved in my man
ner toward you but for Aliens repeated
declarations of your confirmed celibacy
his declaration that until you found
that impossibility, perfect woman,
YOU would never marry"


"But Amy-let me call you SOL hare
found my perfect woman. Even the
little 1 have seen of you convinces me
that you are all, nay more than l
dreamed Of in my ideal"


"And admitting that" she inter-
, rupted. with q smile so mischievious


that he began to think she was relent-
ing, "what then have you to offer me
in return for the perfections with which
your fancy has invested me? How
about my ideal, which you must admit
: L have as good a right to hope for as
, yourself? have seen very little of you
, since | have been here. From Allen
learn that you are of good family, oeeu-
py respectable position in society, that
you are wealthy, and never disgraced
| by any public act yourself or YOU
| friends Observation has shown nf