Year: 1875

agitation, and even began to soothe me.


1 did not know what L had done, and
perhaps that was what frightened me
most; but soon drew from her speech
that 1 had reused some sad and long
buried memory, and, in spite of myself,
my curiosity got the best of me, and l
said: "Oh, auntie then there is story
about the shoes?"


eyes, darling" she said; "and you
have been SO good, and I frightened you
so, that l think you ought to hear it.


1 felt some compunctions then, and
murmured something about being
"afraid it would make her feel bad. "
But she had quite recovered herself
now, and insisted; so L, not very re-
luctantly, seated myself comfortably on
the stool, and prepared to listen.


Aunt Amanda sat wiping her specta-
cles with her pocket handkerchief, while
I was euriously turning over the old satin
shoes. They were very small-much
smaller than could wear, though L was
rather proud of my foot, too. While I
was looking at them, my attention was
attracted by some writing on the inside
of one of them, and on examining it
closely, read: "Laura, August 9th,
1884," @ >... VI. s.,


"Who was Laura, auntie2" said I,
eagerly, looking up.


"She was your Aunt Laura, Stella,
and your mothers youngest sister,"


"Oh auntie, SO she was, and she
died years before 1 was born; I've heard
mother tell about her, and how hand
some she was. Was she so very beanti-
full, auntie %


"She was very beautiful, both in per-
son and character. She was not unlike
you in appearance, but taller, and her
figure was like sylph-buoyant, elastic
and agile as fawn. ...


"She was sixteen when she died-just
about your age-and at the period [
speak of had been to school in the coun-
try for four years, and during that time
we had seen very little of her. So she
had grown up, as it were, unconsciously,
from an overgrown and rather awkward
girl, to be woman-graceful and charm
ing in every sense Of the word.


"Your mother was married, and your
eldest brother Fred was baby; and I
had been visiting at your fathers house
at Sandwich for about six months. When
1 went there, only intended to remain
few weeks, but for some reason-well,
L must tell you the whole story, I sup
pose-the truth was that 7 staid longer
than [ intended-on account of Ralph
! Hartley. He was lieutenant i'll the
navy, had been sick, and was home on
leave of absence. All the girls were in
love with him, and as for Newell, l was
as foolish as the rest; and indeed, now ]
think of it, there was nothing strange
about the matter, for never before OF
since did l see young man so designed
to make all the world love him.


"But, after all, there is so much sci
fshness in young love, that I suppose
the real reason why I grew to care SC
much for him was that he made so evi
dent his strong preference for me. Yes
strange as it may seem to you, lookingat
your old auntie now, he chose me out
from among all the beautiful and accom-
plished girls of his acquaintance, and We
were generally understood to be be
trothed, long before [ thought of such {
thing. But the time came when his re
gard for me became SO marked that
also looked upon the tie that bound IL
together as one that death alone coult
break, and so naturally and easily didw'
both fall into this opinion, that tn
words which are usually considered
necessary in such cases were neve
spoken by him, though [ truly believ
that was simply an oversight or forget
fulness on lis part, as it was certainl,
considered unnecessary by me. And 81
matters stood with us when your Aun
Laura came home at the summer holi
days, having graduated with honor, anC
feeling as one no longer subject to rule
but free to think and act just as sh
pleased. Radiant and beautiful as som
rare tropical bird, changeable in he
moods as the chameleon in its colors
she was never seemingly the same lon,
enough to recognize q leading featur
in her character, and yet was never un
loveable in whatever phase she Nigh
appear.


cat first, Ralph did not seem to tax
to her apparent frivolity and carelessnes
of manner, but [ was determined h
should like her, and sought by ever
means to draw out her most amiabl
traits before him. I left them often tc
gether, praised her to him constantly
and at last with result which I Nigh
have anticipated, had I not been s
f blindly sure of my influence over him.
, "He learned to love her. I sa
, learned, being willing to give all tn


credit to my own efforts to make him d
SO; but it may be that he knew bette
+ than | the danger, and that his know
edge of what otherwise mast happen Wa
I the cause of his avoidance and apparer
I dislike of her at first. AS for her-wel


it was the first time she had ever been S
t fattered, and what wonder if it turne


her head


Q "Soon it became evident, in til