Year: 1873

ing, that your sorrow springs more
from envy of your sisters happiness
than regret for her absence"


" Perhaps you are right" murmured
the newly created Miss Atherton. 'sI
suppose I shall have to NOPE here at
dismal old Eight Elms all the rest OF
my days. Why can't Auntie Wilkinson
invite ME to go and visit her in New
York, and at least run the chance OF
catching splendid husband, like
Florence? But, of course, she won't do
it; it isn't my luck that she should


Nor did she. And very dreary,
soc1ety-less year passed over the head
OF our despondent Letitia. At the end
of that time fearful blow was dealt
her in the shape of her mothers sudden
death.


"Auntie Wilkinson !" made up for
all past neglect, then, by offering the
poor, friendless orphan home in her
handsome Madison avenue mansion.
There the first month that followed
Letitia's bereavement was passed when
with the same suddenfess that had at
tended her first affection, she was
called upon to bear second.
! Victor Buchanan wrote to her from
Paris letter filled with the widest ex-
pressions of grief, and telling that his
beloved Florence was no more. She
had left little boy, but the infant had
survived his mothers death by not
longer than day.


Amid all her grief, Letitia could not
but feel consoled at the intelligence
which Victor's letter contained-of his
purposed immediate return to New
York. His face and character were
more familiar than those Of the COM
parative strangers by whom she was
now surrounded, and it would be an
lnexpressible pleasure to meet him
once more and hear from his lips the
details of poor Florence's dying mo-
ments.


Auntie Wilkinson, an elderly lady of
rather strict social ideas, stood by
when Victor and his young sister-in-
law at length met and it is safe to
say she felt immensely shocked at the
affectionate fervor with which Mr.. Bu-
chanan was embraced and kissed by
the beautiful young creature, who
seemed SO overwhelmed with Joy to
see him.


Victor, in spite of his recent widow
hood, was but man; and it was hard,
during the long interview that followed
between himself and Letitia Atherton,
to shut his eyes to the fact of how a
year had ripened her charmss into an
ensemble of such womanly loveliness
as her sombre costume could in no way
conceal. Perhaps it was because she
reminded him of the Florence whom
he had adored so passionately that he
now noted her with such depth of i'll
concealed admiration.


The interview, however, was of a
mournful character. He described to
Letitia the death bed of his wife, and
told how peacefully and resigned her
pure spirit had passed away. Her last
words had concerned the opal bracelet
given her on the day that their be-
trothal was sealed.


"Promise me, Victor" she had said,
"that you will guard it sacredly as
memory of our life together, whatever
changes the years may hereafter bring
to you. Promise me that no arm save
mine shall wear it, whatever new love
time may console you with"


And Victor had solemnly promised.
The young widower's visits were
quite frequent at Mrs. Wilkinson's
house during space of fully four
months, and the uninterrupted inter-
views between himself and Letitia very
frequently likewise.


To Mrs. Wilkinson nothing seemed
more natural than that such visits and
interviews should take place.


1t was almost like the bursting of
bombshell when Victor Buchanan an
nounced to her one evening that he had
asked for the hand of her neice, and
had received an affirmative answer.


Braving comments, they were mar
ried about three weeks later, and Le-
titia found herself the proud sharer of
Victor's name and fortune.


It was not till after marriage, per-
haps, that she confessed to herself the
real truth concerning how she had
loved Victor at a time when such love
seemed capable of resulting in nothing
except misery; nor was it till then,
either, that a full realization of how
perfectly her latent, though intense
ambition, had been gratitied made
itself clear to her.


Not long after their marriage, Mr..
and Mrs. Buchanan were installed in
a superb residence, and living at a rate
of expenditure that to say the least, of
it, harmonized perfectly with Mr.. B. IS
liberal income.


"Recent bereavement in the family"
as Letitia euphemistically y expressed it,
{" would prevent them from entertain
ing for at least a year to come; but at
the end OF that time they hope to do so
IN a manner consistent with their
wealth and social standing"


And at the end of the year Mrs. Bu
chanan SO far kept her word as to send
out cards for grand ball. For many
days before it was to happen this ball
formed the subject of countless on dts,
and was universally prophesied to be
the most important similar affair of the
season.


On the evening when Letitia Bu-
chanan, robed in dress whose rich
ness of lace and needlework seemed
wholly indispensable, swept through
the yet vacant but brilliantly lighted
drawing rooms of her splendid man.
sion, pride lent a richer color to the
complexion, for which many woman
would have spent thousands, and gave
perhaps more voluptuous swell to the
superb bust, whose whiteness cleaned
under sparkling diamonds and mist-like
point de Venace.


He loves me thoroughly" she
murmured in low, scarcely audible
tones. "He has forgotten Florence's
love as though it had been the merest
unsubstantial dream. [ possess him
utterly as my own. Then her lips
were silent for a second or two, grow
ing tirmer as she continued. "And
yet for all that [ am certain of his
entirely, [ still mean to test it. I shall
never rest until [ receive that proof" )"


She was knocking at the door of her
husbands dressing room; presently


May | come in, Victor2 You're
dreadful late


He opened the door and stood, dress
ed in full evening costume. before her.


81 am lost in admiration, Letitia, :"
he murmured. 6 No houri was ever
love fl on Won ara NOM