Year: 1875

time I had begun to call at Miss Fyler's at least as often as once a week. That worthy lady received me ordinarily with the amenity cross cat extends to big dog. do not know what withheld her from openly flying in my face and forbid ding me the house. I think she would have done so but for the fact that she knew her niece's high spirit, and did not want to be left by her to the loneliness of her bitter old age. But she did not at- tempt to conceal her hatred of me, and lived to thank her for it, since believe nothing else would have made the Widow Case show me any favor. But the blessed little woman had her own share of that perversity which makes her sex at once 50 tormenting and so delightful The worse Miss Fyler treated me, the kinder she grew. I was allowed to come home with her from prayer-meetings, when l hung about the door sometimes full twen- ty minutes for her sake. I took her twice sleighing-a species of devotion which I consider the supremest possible to offer; for how one must be absorbed in woman when he can drive two hours in a winter night, with the thermometer below zero, nose, eyes, and mouth stifening in the keen breezes, simply to give that woman pleasure? But did it. I had rather have done almost anything else for her. Miss Fyler grew worse and worse. When 1 went there could hear her using vehe- ment and unpleasant language about me l in the next room while waited; but I could hear Lora defend me, and that re- paid me for her aunt's dislike.

 Yet it was spring-coy, shy, inexpressi- bly sweet New England spring-before I dared ask the Widow Case to marry me; and T don't know to this day how | did it. We were out with party after arbbtus; the day was soft and inspiring; the odor of those tender pink blossoms stole up- ward from their hidden beds and filled the tranquil air. I had strayed away from the rest after Lora. How lovely she looked in her black shady hat and dark gray dress with black ribbons and white ruff1esi ''Mitigateo afliction," am told they call it in the shops. I never did think she was unmitigatedly afflicted by Tom Cases death; but it was proper to wear black, of course, though she looked lovely in everything. However it was, I did ask her that day, and she almost said yes, and half said no, and at last promised to think about it. went half mad with joy dared not show, for fear she would take offense at it and give me my congo on the spot; but all day and all night the old French saw ran in my head, "Ch0teau Qui 0arle ct femme qua scoute tous deur Vont SC refdre," and in fortnight Lora wore on her left hand great sapphire set in little diamonds that led her to SUD- pose was once my great-grandmother's 1 don't know that it was. l don't know but 1t was. Not being G. Washington, as II u1101 d. e.z zkz in cases of necessity, or even draw on my known had bought that big sapphire at shamed and put to flight, and she would have handed it back to me with calmness and contempt. She has said as much as that since. But how Miss Fyler ragged! Lorana should never marry beggarly fellow like that-never! She would leave all her money to Rabzemon Fyler, so she would. That enraged Lora. She told her aunt to do as she pleased in that respect; she was glad Uncle Rabzemon would have the money; he and his ten children needed it far more than we did; and as to allowing Aunt Fyler or Aunt Anybody to choose her husband for her, that was simply impossible. Now Miss Fyler hated her brother Rabzemon worse than she did me, but flesh and blood could not bear Lora's impotence she said 1-Q thought She was sponge and whale bone before). At any rate, Lora's home was made unpleasant enough for her; but it all drew her nearer to me, and defeated its own end, for she consented to marry me in June.

 Now arose many councils as to the ways and means. We could not be married at Miss Fyler's, and she had become so openly outrageous that she declared she would lock Lora up if she had the least idea would try to marry her; but she knew l wouldn't; was only fortune hunting scamp, and now I knew that Squire Coe had made her will, and all her money would go to foreign missions, folks would see how soon would be missing It was in vain I tried to convince Lora that all this wild talking would amount to nothing. She had heard so much of it that her ears and nerves tingled with the long dissonance. She was afraid to be married openly in Canaan church, and at length Gas still enrage her by saying)she all but asked me to elope with her! Of course was delighted with the idea; that was what the Lord of Burleigh did with his village love, before he brought her to the castle. I began to feel little uplift- ed, as the Scotch say, but suddenly Lora made one of her surprising revolutions, and declared she wouldn't marry me at all, 1t was such fuss; she had no proper home; she would live an old maid to the end of her days, so she would.

 "Just like Aunt Fyler," I acquiesed. Then she had to laugh, but it was almost week before could coax and reason her back into her first assent to my plans. So we settled that she should go to Great Harrington in the May vacation, and spend :. week there with an intimate friend, and have a little dress-making done; that would throw Aunt Fyler off her guard. Further, to do this, I was to stay in Ca- naan, and meet her on certain day at Great Harrington, where she was to get on to a train should come in, and we would proceed to Pittsfeld, where an old college friend of mine was settled. He was to marry us, and then we would take brief tour to H-, where told her I was to have position in a lawyers office, and thousand dollars year; all of which was true, and we all know it is not always necessary to tell the whole truth. Inever have believed myself that G. Washington did that, whatever other exploits in the line of veracity he is traditionally credit ed with.

 By this timo Uncle James CD had sent Lora soft, thick, gray silk from New York, and a pretty little hat, or bonnet, or something, to wear on her head: that was gray too, with punches of purple vel vet pansies on it. There was no letter, ,al- l though Lora had written to tell him of her engagement, and thanked him for the jet trinkets. She found out afterwards that Uncle James never got her letter. don't see how he should, for she gave it to me to mail, and thought best to for get it. had dear old-maid cousin in New York who knew great deal better than either Lora or what she needed. So told her she must be married in that dress and bonnet, they were so pretty; and after much skirmishing she consented, and went of, leaving me in Canaan to get through the intervening week.

 1 At last the day came, snd took the ex- press train for Pittsfeld that went through | Canaar, ahout P NJ IL seemed to be