Year: 1873

would have been more cordial"


80, wiser again than Solomon !" |
said but [ saw his arms put out to
me at that moment, and / forgot what
o'clock it was until Hates opening
the hall door made me draw away
from ''my doctor"


Kate made a lively talk for a few
minutes, but had little response from
her audience.


my dear turtle doves" she said at
last; laying one hand on mine and
looking at my friend, 81 see how it is
with you. You have reached the
point where two are company and
three are a crowd"


"No, we have passed it" said the
doctor.


"And Esther is going to marry
you?'


"You have said it,


"Then | wish you joy with all my
heart. By the way, did you bring
the engagement ring with you?"


"Of course not.


"You need not look so irate Some
men are so certain Of their happiness
that they buy the ring beforehand.
Why don't you use this one that
came to Esther out Of the gatepost?'
said Kate drawing from her finger the
sapphire ring which she often wore.


st would be bad omen," | said
shrinking away from it; 'and suppose
some one should claim it after all p


| did not think of that, but you
could have another made like It,
Nothing could be prettier for an en-
gagement ring


'If DR.. Gilmore likes it, | am sure
l have no objection said at last,
for there was tingo Of romance in
giving the ring a happy ending after
being spurned by the first owner.


DR., Gilmore did like it, and put it
on my finger before Kate went off
with some good advice about not sit
ting up late, which met the fate Of
most good advice. l crept into her
bed in the wee sma' hours ayont the
twail,' and she woke instantly.


"This is a good example to set be-
fore young and innocent maiden,"
she remarked.


"Oh, Kate" | said in the usual
gushing fashion. Il am so happy l
can't believe it."


"Oh, well ! can. Nobody comes to
bed at this time Of night unless some
thing awful has happened"


II wonder he did not fall in love
with you, Kate"


so do |, but some men have no
taste, you know. They are to be pitt,
ed, not blamed. Besides as have
said before, he is too aged for me.
He'll be a centenarian when you are
in your prime


Kate refused to talk all night as |
would gladly have had her, and I did
catch an hour or two Of sleep, full of
happy dreams.


| was nearly alone in the world, and
there was no earthly reason for delay.
ing the marriage except for wedding
garments.


Dovecotes was wonderfully healthy
ct this time, but the Doctors carriage
he had discarded the old narrow
sulky and replaced it with buggy
might be seen going at full speed
along the avenue often enough for a
patient at the point Of death.


We were married and went into the
village to live in the very house in
which | had firsttaken possession of its
owner.


That former neighbor who had seen
me an old maid, in her prophetic soul
said, $50 you took the doctor after
all


If this were an ordinary and well
story it ought to end here;
but being true history, my life did
not come to an end. like that of most
heroines, with marriage.


| had been Mrs. Gilmore nearly
ten years, and had led very downy
life of it. My love, which had run so
smooth from the beginning kept up the
same habit


l mentally carried an umbrella all
those years, but it never ralned any
thing but good fortune.


Three little Gilmores made my life
a happy burden, and my old friend
Kate Purdy came constantly to the
house to help me bring them up. Kate
was nearly 40 years old, when her fate
was carried into her aunts house with
a sprained ankle, and come out her,
lover.


Many men had fallen in love with
Kate in these years, but they had been
without form or comeliness in her
eyes. The mild, colorless man whom
she loved at last with all her tender
heart, carried her away from Dove
cotes, and | did not see her again till
she brought the transcendent first
baby which was to cast in the shade
all Gilmore babies, past, present and
to come


One foggy twilight when our tyrants
were laid for the night, we walked to-
ward Dovecotes. The long gate OPEN
ing on the avenue was shut and we all
leaned on it to rest moment, before
turning homeward.


"By the way said l, ''it is just like
the night when l found this ring. /
wonder if the lovers ever made up
their quarrel, and married after all?