Year: 1873

myself, or, as quaint old Herbert
expresses ii,


to tumble up and down ny chest


And see what my soul doth wear.


1t was the avenue which made
me take the house; nObody's avenue
in particular, yet il seemed TO be-
long to each one Of the small group
of cottages to which it led from the
high road. 1t had existed as a sort
of 3 lane before the cottages were
thought of, and great trees had had
time to grew up in leisnrely way
and meet overhead.


A long gate closed It in at night
from the snares of the outer world,
and gave greater sense OF security
to the lonely spinsters and timid
widows who lived in the cottages.


On this night q thick mist enfold-
ed the trees and me as with q SOM
Of our old neighbors when she
heard our destination came back to
nae like a bird Of ill-omen: |Going
to Dovecotesl Then you win live
and die an old maid. No one ever
goes there but the doctor to make
them sick, and the lawyer TO write
their wills. It is too far from the
village to walk, and teo near to
make it worth while to ride"


The hour was not very late, but
the fog made a darkness that might
be felt. Suddenly / heard voices
near me, but whether in front or
following it was impossible to tell,
as distinguished no footsteps.


81 fear we have made a mistake"
said a womdn's voice, trembling in
spite of hard tone in it. elf you
cannot bear with me while we are
lovers, what will become of me by
and by?"


at is only when we are alone that
l should ever suspect that we were
lovers" rejoined masculine voice.


"YOu were willing that our en-
gagement should be a secret"


Yes, because you besought me
so anxiously, but your manner to
other men is so utteriy-utteriy-"


"Don't hesitate for a word. / ss-
sure you can endure il. My man
ner is sop


'FUnengaged, l would say, to put
it very mildly"


Perhaps il is better that my con-
dition should fit my manner"


"Perhaps-unless you can change
that manner"


81 could no more do that than the
leopard could change his spots. !
have loved you well, but that is no
reason why we should marry, sup
pose"


''Is it not?''


ooh! none whatever. hear some
one coming. Here is the ring that
you meant for letter. Goodnight
and good-by." -...


A woman ran by lne 30 closely
that her skirts brushed mine, and
the fog lifting a little at the same
saw the outline OF q man
take his elbows from the long gate,
on which he had been leaning, and
STOPPING down seem 10 look fer
on the ground. Then he
hurried away toward the village,
and, as Bunyau saws of his pilgrim,
'.I saw him no more"


In crack between post and bar
something gleaRed in the noon
light. | picked out a ring which
one had thrown away in her angry
haste, and which the other had
looked for on the ground IN vain
1t was 3 violet formed of small sap
phires, with a diamond i'm the CEN
ter.


1 carried it home and tucked il
into the furthest cerner eff nv up-
per drawer, and for a month L pom
dered it in my heart. / looked ca
gerly for all notices under the head
4.
of dogs seemed to have gone upou
their travels about that time: muffs
and bonds and other small matters
were entreated to return, and no
questions asked; but no one had
lost a ring. l composed with infin-
ite pains at least dozen advertise
ments, which should delicatelv con-
vey to that outlined of q man that his
ring might be recovered if he de-
sired il. l said no words to nv
aunt with whom shared the cot
tage and all other world goods) of
my little adventure in the avenue.
If she had any nonsense about her.
it had entirely worn off before nv
time. She would have sought for
the owner of the ring in the same
and exhaustive way
as if it had been a stray hoe found
in the garden. Those two lovers
would have been forced to stand and
deliver theis names and their secret
within q week.


Aunt Esther had brought me up
in the same way that she did eyerT-
thing else; she never forgot to wind
her clock on every seventh dav, and
she never tailed to give me GOOD
measure of home comfort. b9t n
was not pressed down nor running
over. l gave her honest liking and
respect without any love, and She
never missed it. Nevertheless II
gave ME a terrible shock when her
vigorous life was suddenly arrested
by q stroke of paralysis. Our onIv
servant in her fright was helpless as