Year: 1876

"rRank you; but everything goes
wrong with me. ! don't suppose
you'll ever see me back again"


They shook hands again. Hcmadc
no attempt to dctain her, and she
walked away slowly and quietly, and
never wiped off the little tear that
would tricklo down her checks un'
til she was sure that Evan on the
bridge could not see her.


The next day Evan Ware had left
Farmingdalc for years, if not forever
He went mortified and unhappy; but
strange to say, as much in love as
ever. He was very young and very
modest, and Matte Burt's uncalled
for insult took upon itself after day
or two the form of plain speaking
"Of course it was piece of impcrti'
tincncc, and, of course, she couldn't
think of me" he said, | was crazy
to think of it. But some day-somc
day | will be rich, and have u name
of some kind"


Fortune making is very slow
Evan was prosperous, but at first
only moderately so; and months roll,
ed, and years, and he grew to be a
tall, broad-shouldcrcd man, with a
great brown beard, before he was halt
rich enough to go back to Farming.
dale.


The time came at last, however,
He knew his success had become
known in his native pIace; ne Know
also that Miss Burt had married and
was widow; and when he left Chi:
ma it was with the full intention OF
establishing himself as a merchant
in London, and marrying Matte il
she were to be won. Such an image
he carried with him, and over the
ocean, of guilclcss beauty and lowell,
ness no artists pencil ever painted
and he took it with him to Farming
dale.


There it vanished.


Before he had been in the place
three days he had seen Matte, now
Mrs. Fay, and talked with her. She
was very pretty still, but years had
brought her character into her face,
and she was decidedly coarse. He
saw now that she was ignorant and
vulgar, and that only his own youth
full ignorance had caused him to over
look the fact in those old times when
he had fancicd her perfection, and
the dream of so many years was
over.


Now that Evan Ware had return
ed rich and prosperous, he might
have consoled himself with the atfcc-
tions of any marriagcablc female in
Farmingdalc. He was the lion Of
the placc-courtcd, flattcrcd, and
smiled upon by budding misses, spin
stcrs, and widows. Every one but
Lizzie Gale smiled upon him. She,
mindful through all these long years
of the cold parting on the bridge,
vouchsafed him only the chilliest
recognition; and she annoyed him.
She had grown to be fine looking
woman; and he remembered what a
kind, pleasant girl she used to be,
and longcd to know more of her, he
longed in vain, She rcpulscd his
attentions, and kept him at u dis
tancc. Yet all the while she secret
ly admired him, and her greatest mo-
tive for the manner she adopted was
her fear lest Evan should fancy she
had been pining for him.


The widow Fay felt no such scru-
pies, Old Mr.. Burt, before he died,
had spcculatcd in some bubble and
ruined himself; and instead of being
the great heircss all her little world
had expected her to be, Matte found
it hard work to live and dress herself
in the fncry she loved on her small
income, A rich husband was her
object, and Evan Ware had been so
desperately in love with her that it
was hardly likely that he could be
quite indifferent now,


"Im sure I'm handsome enough
yet" thought Matte, as she looked
in the glass, land if he is rcsontful
about the way | answered him, I'll
manage that somehow, It's too rood
q chance to lose"


Therefore, from thNtmomcut, Evan