4
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I, THE NEW ORTHTVEST, TH UR31) AY,--J -lSSl .
MR. THOMPSON'S UMBRELLA
1
"Augusta, I wish you would practice Chopin
V march. Mr. Thompson U rery food of music, mud
that, I know, will plea him." ' ,
. Ob ! bow kick I u of hearing about Mr.
.Thompson ! My poor aunt! she meant it very
. kindly, of course, but the little knew bow she
mad m hate those tingle gentlemen whom ahe
o wished tarn to please. I tm aq orphan, and
. had forty pounds a year, and my aunt Annuity
' died with; ber; o I vuppose ber anxiety toe me
narried wa both commendable and natural, -but
to dm It vu dreadfuC" MoTeorerj perhap be
cause I vu a proud girl, and perhap,'tno, be
cause I nit fooIUh one, the mere fact of a ni,
-young or middle-agedfor only the old and .wed
ded were excluded coming to the bouse on my
, account, made him detectable in my eye. I
If that were not the mwob
i ' houkl not' wonder"
. why I pleased none. : ;
JZZmmm. uaasaid to be peUyI may. aoi
ay-
alas! it 1 to long ago ut plainer girls, with no
'greater advantage than I had, went off at a pre
mium in the marriage market, and I remained
AacuaU Rodfef. nncared and unsought for. I
did not rare, not I. I only lamented thjU-aattt
would worry both these unfortunate gentlemen
and me with Tain effort to make them admire
me, and make me like them. She wa my best
friend, however, and I loved her dearty.
So I now Ml down to the piano and played
Chopin's march, and practiced foe the benefit . of
the derated Mr. Thompson, who wa to come thU
reaiag. and who little knew, oor fellow, he had
been Invited to spend a week wtth u for the ex
pee purpose of falling In lore with hU aeeood
cousin s hW. I had not aeen him since I was a
child. Me was a young man then, tail, dark and
grave, and already on the road to prosperity. He
was a rich man at least, rich for soch a poor girl
M I was; but he was Mr. Thompson, and I hated
; beside, he most be old. qafte oM.
I thought all those things .Uiie I was play-j "r.trri. ikT -.L.'rT;, .m
lag, and then I forgot them, for the divine music
bore me away, and music was n passion to me
then.-- .- - -
We Heed In the country, end a email bat beau
tiful garden enclosed my aunfa cottage, ft was
a low one, with broad rooms, a little dark, per
jury. etfsinMrrlX-T they
aremeJ so to me. I dearly liked the. room In
which I now aat playing. It was our best room,
bat it was also' our sitting-room. . a central table
was strewn with books, some of which were dear
' eld friends, and other were new and pleasant ae
. cualnUnce. flower-stand, work-baskets, . and
delightful chair, chairs made-to read or dream
In, added to the attractions of this apartment. I
enjoyed it eren as I played ; but then, to be sure,
-the window were all open, and ererr one rare
m a glimpse of the green garden, with a patch of
bine sky abore Its nodding tree, and the sweet
cent of the mignonette came in with every breath
of air. . - ...... " .
Where are you now, pleasant room and green
garden? The ruthless band of man has laid yon
waste, and my eyes can see you no more. Is there
no home for lost place, no dreamland like the.
Indian's hanting-groand. where the thlar that
baT oner been may enjoy - ahadow existence T
Art yon really forerer gone and lost, aare n hen
you come back every time a woman, whose hair
U taming gray, hears that graml. mournful ma
ale to which your pleasant homeliness would
nremw little akin?
''My dear. Mr. Tlompson,w .aldmyaBOt"
Tolce, as I closed the Instrument.
1 tamed round and saw him ; tall. dark. graTe.
rery little altered, and not at all old. We had
expected him.for diaaer. and he had come for
luncheon ; I forget how the mistake aroaa. A he
evened the garden gate, be met my aunt.
They heard me playiar. and stood by one of the
window to listen. When I ceased, thet entered
the room, and It was then that, a I aad, I saw
ldid nvt know it-at the time, bat lkao3
later Hiked bias from that rery Baoment. I
not sure that erery girl would hare liked Mr.
Tbomfoon. He was decidedly good-looking, and
he was both shrewd and pleasant; but be had a
noalnt and abrupt mannerrwhich was a?4 to xmt
tie stranger. I liked It well, bowerer. I liked,
that eccentricity .which nerer took him too far,
and that slight waat of polish which gare amr
to ererything be saM or did. I Rked all, except--ing
his ambrella. That I detested. It was Urge,
olid, masaire, and dreadfully obtmsire. He bad
It In his hand on that bright, warm day, and long
a our acquaintance lasted, I nerer saw Mr.
Thompson without it. Later, when or intimacy
SL m mm . m - m i
nao pctvgr . (axon mm wild uas.
- r"ea." he said, good-httmoredly, "I coaf rss
U my bothy. Mr earliest ambiUoa a n by
to posstiu an ambrella. and my greatest hap4
neas aa a man ia to go abont with one.
Of coarse, we did not speak about hi ambretla
. on this the first morning we spent tocetber. Mr.
it
Tbompsoa praised my masic, and, looking me fall
in tne tsee, tou me 1 pirel dirtnety., He said it
without rerambte. and 1 saw be aneaat it. Ur
' L - a a - a m m m m m.
aani waa,ocuguico. ana l xeil. Measoli imt, sot
bow or other. 1 also felt that Mr. Thorn reon
a m. ' M krt m . m m. & .
ireaiea sne uae n iitue gin ; ana. so be dfcl, not
merely then, bat erer afterward. Tiresome man !
I had thought hi a old before I saw him. anJ I
con id not make him think me old now that he
niece, only her late hubands and now she had
foresUIIed me In tb lore of the only man i nao
erer cared for.' Purely, she was not to blame in
that ; but oh ! how hard, how rery bard. It seemed
tome! . "' -u .(, - - r
v-The nlghtiagale sang In the tree obore us,
brilliant star burned In the sky, the garden was
full of fragrance, and Mr. Thompson went n
pouring Jessie praise In my ear. ' rhe was so
handsome, a bright, so genial, and so delight
fully Innocent! And what do you aappose he
told me all this for? Why, because be wanted me
to go and lire with them. My aunt' health had
been failing of late, and he was aware that I knew
the worst might soon come, so he wanted me to
be sure of a borne. - I borrt into tears.. '
"My dear, good child." he cried, warmly, tf I
were not going a war, I .would not hare grieved
roa so. You hare, I know, a true, warm heart.
Your dear aunt may lire for year ; only, if she
should not, Jessie aud i "
i'lYar don't ! I Interrupted.'
I could not bear it. -The more he praised me.
the kinder he was, the more I wept and felt mis
erable.' At length, at JW3T request, he left wr. I
grew calmer after a while, and went In.
-Do play Chopin march for us, my dear, said
mr annt.---" -- --J-
loor, dear aunt'! she wanted me to fascinate
hint to the U&. r4e little knew that Jesaie, whom
she disliked' so, had been beforehand with me
'''''-rr'i:-:-. - - " ' -
I played it again. It was the knell of all my
hopes. A gray twilight filled the room, and they
roa id not see the tear which flowed down mr
cheek. I played well, they said ; and I beliere I
did. Something from myself was in. the music
that eren i nr. and that something was rery sor
rowful.' Mr. Thompson came and sat by me when
1 had done. The servant brought in the lights
and a letter for my aunt. While she was reading
it. be said, softly:
-Yoa will thiak It orer ? " .
Pray don't n entreated.
But you do not know bow moch I like roa.
he Insisted ; and then roa will do my little, heed
les Jessie good poor, childish darting! Beside,
I hare set my heart on something
'ThU crowned alL I guessed his meaning; he
had a younger brother for wbom be meant me.
the rood In the world.'
could not bear it. -1 rose and went up to my
Tasked.
"What new, auntr T
News, indeed f she replied, amared.
-There's
nighlingale was singing again as on that d
evening when I had frit so heart-broken ; tears
rose to my ejeiiwhen 1 remembered it, and his
last kindness, and my foolish, withered hope;
the bitternes was gone from my sorrow.
. You must have a change," aid my aunt, again.
Ala ! the change came with the morning. My
aunt was late for breakfast. I went up to her
room, and found ber calmly sleeping. But ohi;
too' calm, too deep, were-those, slumber. The
kind ere which had rested on me in love were
dosed 'the Toiee which had erer spoken In praise
and endearment was silenced forerer.
I suppose It was not Jessie fault that ber h Ba
rn a my aunt s neir-at-iaw; ran iouhu
m - m , J I .A
rerr banl. l"oor, dear wwr?D uj.
mean to make a will In my favor, but she nerer
did: Mr. Noiris behaved very habilsomelr, I was
tthld. He gave me the pUno'which had been
boorht for me, a few other articles of no. great
value, and ail my aunt's wardrobe; He kept her
teweK which were flneaod the furnitpre, for
which, as he said truly enough, I had no ue.
Moreover, he allowed me to remain in thecotu'ge
till Lady da j; though perhaps, as he could not
live In two bouse at a time, and must pay the
rent whether I sUyed there; or not, thU wa to
great favor, after alL .
lod forgive roe ! I fear I wa very sinful dar
ing the dark day that followed. 1 baxi some
i friends who did. or rather who said, their best; bu t
there was one who never came near me, who gave
me no token of his assistance, who had no kind
word-far me, who let me struggle through mr
hard trial, and who never offered a helping hand.
He might at least have written, have condoled
with roe In my sorrow, but be did not. And ret
he was ia the netrhborbood. He was often at Mr.
Morris house. Jessie herself told roc so. True,
he had business to transact with ber husband ; but
still, bow could he dolt ? -He did it, and he did
more. ' . ', ' ""
Mr. N orris wa thrown Off his horse one morn
ing, and brought home dead. Jeie became a
widow, and a poor one, said the world. Mr. Nor
ris wa not a rich man, after alL and lie left many
debt. I only went to see ber once. I found ber
cold, callous and defiant under her infliction ; , yet
I would have gone again if Mr. Thompson had not
tNfn-MrrXorTU-ecutor. He had businesa "to
settle with the widow, and I should only interfere;
besides, I could not bear to see them together. It
ws rery wrong and rery useless, but it wa so.
Mrs. tira-Tcame often to see roe: I cannot say
She gave: me a world of
Jessie going to marry myroQn.MrXoiTik
enough to be her fatheef I wonder what be will
do with the little flirt ??
There was a paue. Mr. Thompson came for
ward. I did not dare look at him
"What Jessie U that? be asked, "purely not
MtsaRodgerVcooain?
Yes ; the name. p yon know her ? '
I have seen ber at Mrs. Gray. .
He spoke rery-calmly. I auppose he -did not
beliere IU I pitied him; from my heart I pitied
him.' " : ' - ' :. -
"Perhaps It U not true, auntr t said. -
"Not true! why, she write to me herself
there her letter." -
I looked at him now. He wa pale a death, but
rery firm. Neither troubled look nor quivering
lip gare token of the. cruel atorta within. Some
thing now called my aant out of the room. .
"August, may I look at it ? he asked, glane
tftowartthe-fettrTt-whitbrroy aSnTbad glren
me to read. - ; ' '
" t could not refuse him. I rare bim the letter,
lie readmit through. with the same composure,
then looking for his umbrella, which he always
kept la a corner of the sitting-room, he said rery
calmly
tmi
"I thiak I shall go and Uke a walk.
And he went oat, and we saw bim aomore
the next morning, when he left a. - , '
. My aunt was disappointed to find that Mr.
Thompson had not proposed to me. after all. and.
I wssltaii Lo tlte heart's core be the coldness) of
hi adieu. My raise had tone down with my 1
cousin faith leasaess; mine
bat a reflected light. I was
cousin was lored.
had been at the best
liked because my
lyorris soon after this. $hj
lower tin I expected. Mrs. Norris has mfcr
fhinrlike a bundVed a year ' Tld. and a " wlewT
el constitute -the 'net profit .he derive frrm her
marriage. I nlucklly. these speculation, cannot
be repeated often, you see. Tho-eapltal of yomh
and beauty ha but a tlme-i brief one; it Uant
to wear out, and the first venture ought to be the
best. Mrs. Norris. not having found it ri:'U dis
appointed. I suppose it 1 natural : but you know
I cannot pity her rery much." t
I supposed not ; but how all that cold, hard Ulk
pained me. ,
. VI have a: fancy," be reeumed, nhat this kind
lady expected some other enJing to our accounts.
ThU Unot rery flattering to my ranity. unless.
Indeed, aa showing my marketable TalueT I. "it
now?" ' , ' ,.'.-'
I would not answer that question, ills tone
hi manner, vexed me. .Sudlenly he raided his
"eyes to mine.' -r - . .
"Did such anrulnor reach yoarj he akeL -'
I could not deny it; my fa-e was in a flame. I
beliere I stammered methinir. but I ' do rmr
jknowwhat.
7 r t I. . n V i i i. , , '' t . . . " '
Ju e tieanj lie , saia, looking
scarcelr pleased; 'the world Is rery kind. And
vou believe it, too! I had hoje you knew me
better." . ;- "'. '
He seemed quite hurt, but I offered no lutifW.
j tlon. -Then he rather formally asked trie tobe al- "
So it was busine! --I sforned rovself for my
folly, which. was not dead yet, and I bade him -speak.
-' ' .
Wa-1 asleep or dreaming?. Mr. Thompson
spoke of my aunt, her love for me, my .forlorn
litton, and expressed the strongest whb to uke
care of me. -j . .
"But," he added, with some hesitation, "I can :
do so but in one fashion as your husbanL Will
you overlook all those peculiaritie in my temper,
which used to annoy youI fear, and Uke what
there is of true and good In ine? Can you, will
you, do this, Augusta ?
He looked at me In doubt. Ah ! this wa one of
my bitterest moment. lie cared so little for me,,
that he bad nerer een, never suspected how
much I loved him. And be expected me to take
him so ! I cjaped my hand and twisted them
nervously; I could not speak at once. i
aki you, Mr. Thompson," i said, at last; "and
avK ssWsJakfrksTI TTLmm iwalTas-K'
wearisome advice, and told me much that I would piieu, ana ne looKe. at me a be smiled.
that accounts keit
Jeie? They were both free; and If he chose to
forriTe ber and marry her. and if she chose tor
marry ooce more for money I say It again-rwhat
was it to roe ? '
And ret I suroose it was something, after all:
for when Mrs. Gray left me one afternoon In Feb- I
ruarr, i ten toe loneliest wior on tne wioe carta.
She had harped again on that hateful strinr that
Mr., Thompson seemeil quite smitten
Norrt. - -
MAnd what do you think, my dear T she added.
"He thought you . were gone. He seemed quite
surprised when I said I had seen you on Sunday.
""What, is she not goner he asked 'gone to
looooO .
"No, Indeed ! ' What ihould she go to London
for r ' " "7T v ,
file did -not answer that, but, from something
he said. 1 saw he thought you were engaged to be
married. , : " . " -- "':.r"-
"I wish she were, poor dear ! I replied. 'It 1
a hard case to be so young and so lonely.' -
"I have no doubt be think so, too ; and so It is
to prevent Mrs. Norris from being' lonely that be
lim tA Kv mn nfln ? : '.
you
- 'Ye."
Canyon do it T' ' , :
Why, surely, else I had never proposed iL"
He half smiled at the doubt my ouestion im
Both
beard. What wasit tono- now-Uk amile exasperated roe
Pt bim so often and so late with f . "Mr. Thompson," I said, excitedly, 'I hai
ve not.
-j j i . , .. -
uerveu mia. ario, come nere. '
My poor shaggy Carlo came forward, wagging
hi tail. He laid bis head on my knee and looked
up at me wistfully and fondly, a only dog can .
look when tbey vainly seek to read the meanings
of a human facev.
"He was an outcast," I aaid, looking at Mr.
Thompson: "he was sUrrinsr: he came to this
with Mrs. tJortr I fed him, and he would not leave it I
iook pity on mm t gave mm a mat to lie on and
" crust- to eaU He love me for.lt ; but Mr.
Thompson, I am not quite so low a to be broueh
to thl poor beast' level I can Uke care of mr
elf." . ,
Mr. Thompson threw himself back In.hU chair
ana uttered a dismayed , whistle a I roaie tbi
free commentary upon hi proposal. '
."WeII. well," he aidLrTeriiiglawly,'4ica
understand that you should not care for me. but I
oid not expect you would Uke It an.
Thn she rattled on. tubbing mewith erery
word, titt at length she left me to my misery.- 1
sat looking at the fire; it was bright and warm,
but my looelinea wa heavy upon me ; besides, it
had been snowing, and the gray sky and white
garden and silent air had something both lone
and chill in them.
Yet I was not quite alone. Early in the Winter
I had uken in a poor. half-starTed stray dog,
and, althouch he was but a shaggr, half-bred cur.
I had made a pet of "fTTli' If ''' W
ls tnarried tmn snv majtfTlmirtJwZiT wiilingly
Mr. Norris. m bo vas related to ber. and who sleeping on the rug at my feet. Poor Carlo fhe
Mr. Thompson did not stay a ujeek with n, bat
month. Oh ! that happy moath, with loeig rotdew
day and deliciow evening, with music ana sweet
coarerse ! Shall I erer forget It? If the waken
ing was bitter, let me remember that-tbe dream
was rerr sweet.
Mr. Thompson wa to leave c, next nsomlrr.
ftnd we were in the garden together. I knew be
thU time how. I felt toward him; and. kind
though be was I doubted If he cared much for
- mew And when he said, "Aarasta, I hare otne-
thing to v to roa," my bean began to beat. He
to
disliked Mrs. Gray. "That buyUiy. he called
her, and I art afraid she wa a busy tody. Jessie
was rery brirht. and seemed rerr happy. She
teased neOBmerctfHv about Mr. Thompson.
She was sarr. she said. W had made lore to me,
and she looked at me with creel sigaificance' as
she spnke. - Bat I betrayed neither his secret nor
mine: and tbouxh she vexed me when she Quitted
him to. M r Norris, especially bou l his ambrella, 1
ISM KiepNttSL
"I am sure be will be married with his ambrella
atwirr his arm," she aaid, the erenin before her
a wedding. "Don't you think aor -
l.lJnot answer ber; I went oat Into the gar
den, and woo lered bow she had charmed him.
Alas ! I might have wondered how, without seek
ing IL. be bad charmed.
Jesie' marriage was a Mow to my aant. She
had always thought I should go off first, She was
alsacrweily disappoiated by Mr. Thompson's In
difference, and perhaps she guessed the" meaning
of my altered looks. I beTter I got pale and thia
1 immm -ttrntm S.4 Vf'lMV.'-V1n,-TrJ'l,t
marcn.
"My dear. aa&d my aant to
"is not that rery mournful r
"I like it. aunt, I replied; but I resolved to
;4ar It no more.
"Mr. Thompson liked It, she said, with a sigh.
"I wonder be did not propose to you," she added,
abruptly.
- I was mate.' '
"I wish I bad nerer asked bim here, she re
sumed; "I cannot help thinking . ,
-IWt. pray don't r I laterrupted.
She did not insist, bat she made me go and sit
Bsed to cafTtueAugua twnai tlrtvtorf trrhle-a)hot
knowa me a a child ; but nerer had he aaid It so
kindly as this evening.
Ah, well ! I suppose many women bare to go
throw rh the bitternes which came to me then.
Mr. Thompson bad met my cousin Jessie at Mrs.
Gray, proposed to her, and been accepted Prom
the instant he mentioned Jessic'e name, I knew
my fate. Without seeking it. I suppose, sh had
erer stood between me and erery good. She had
f keu thefrissxbhipof my-4frieedVtheltktrig
jei my nearest relative--I wa pot reallr ray aotay
me one erening.
by ber.
Lttle
She caressed me. she coaxed me. and
ttle by little she drew my secret from me.
"Mr poor" darting. she said, when I had coo-
fisej aat. oe may raine you yeC
Va tD.I k. immrn K-it Tin
pray-Hdo not
wiiL
I spok resolutely, and mr aant praised me.
ou have always been the best of girls," she
said, tenderly,, "and I am glad you hare had con
fidence In me.- I did . not mean to leave- bom
this year; but now I will take you to the sea
side. Yui mast hare a change, my poor dar-line.-
- v
She kissed me. and I remember bow calm and
happy I fett tn that gray room, aittlcg l-y mj dear
enough and he now.lay
heeded not the morrow, and thotjeht not of . the
future. Yet how long could I keep him? and if
I cast him away? He had neither youth sor
beauty to recommend, him nothing but his old
booest heart, and who would care for that ? 'Poor
Carlo ! poor old Carlo !' I thought ; and, perhaps
because my heart was rather full Just then, tears
ros to my eye as I thought of the fate that lay
before him. . ': M .
J believe I thought of so met hi n? else, too. I
remember-a. vision I saw in the burning coals;
bow It came there. Heaven knows. I saw them
both, ae no doubt-tbey- often were, I -ending over
accouhU which they read together, then looking
up and exchanging gUnce and smile which no
one could mistake. I wonder why I came back
to image which tortured me but'it was so. .
I do not know how long Mrs. Orar had been
gone, when Carlo gave a short bark ; the gate bell
rang; I saw a tall, dark form pass the window ;
and my little maid opened the door, saying :
"Mr.Tbomjsonrnaani." ,...'
I toe" He came In with hi umFrella, as usual,
and Carlo went up to him and wagged a friendly
welcome. I could not sar one word. I wa dread
fully agitated. I felt quite sure he had come to
tell me that he meant to marry Jessie, and to ask
me to go and sUr with them, or something of the
kind. Nothing eNe could have brought him. On
perhaps, a Jessie had. no doubt, told him that I
was gone, he had. on leaminr the truth, felt
ashamed of hi long coldness, and had come to
"Oh, I am not I1L roa know." I reiJled. ilitU
carelessly. "1 trust you are well, Mr. Thompson r
He said he wa very well, ami he looked at the'
fins., ror a while we were both silent My .re
mark wa scarcely a-gracious one 7
rwrttzTfgnrruiTe so rawft-cnrWd-thst-t
.. . . - -
scarcely expected to see touVI saidj
I was vexed with myself a soort as I had aaid
IL He might think I wa annored at hi long
absence, and, surely, I wa nt ? But he took my
I in plied reproach very well.-He answemi that he
bal, indeed. leen much engaged, but that erery
thtng was over now. Mr. Norris, he addol, had
ie mis mommg. .My neart gave a throb: but I
fnnr '
rfttlcgly mj tt!?ti i WvryhT?hTern1ooVI, 1 beliere."
.Jftarxj kjJ-jn.Lh rrwiimLiaT WsjKeia her favor was iow-
"And bow could I take It r I cricl. 'You give - '
me pity I acorn pity ! Ah, Mr. Thompson, if I
were not the poor, forlorn girl I am, would you
feel or speak so? Do you think I do not know
how rich girl are wooed and won ? If-yoa -eared
an atom for-me, would you dare to come to me
with such language r
What language r N - ' , '
"What did you mean by Uking care of mtT .
. "What I aaid. Yes, Augusta, I wish to take
care of you true, fond, loving care; nothing shall
make roe onay It."
He spoke warmly, and a manly glow rose to hi1 -face;
but I would not give in, and I said angrily
that I did not want to be Uken care of.
;,7, VJk let us-drop-these uulutky a oidg."he-en-
treated; "and do tell me whether rou wilj marry
roe ye or no. " Let It be7 If yotf like, that I want
you to take care of rue. I am much older thanj
you are, you know." - - s .
I don t know what possessed me. I said "NO : ' ,
Oh! how I would have liked to recall the word I
but it wa spoken, and he rose with a clouded and
disappointed face. He lingered a little, and asked
to know why it was no and not ye. I said we
could not be happy together. He bowed gravely L
and left roe. I suppose, he was hurt, for he did
not add a word. Assurance of friendship, f good,
will, no hope that I would relent or change rof
mind, passed his lips. The door closed upon him.
I beard the garden rate fall to, and I felt in a sort
of stupor.- It was all over between o. .,:
What madness had made me banish him?'
Every step, took him away farther from me
never nerer again would we meet- Perhap he
would not bare left me then, If I could hare
spoken the truth. -Ah!-. If I couM bare said tor
him, "I cannot be happy with you because M0
and you do not ; because mr lore and mr prW.
would suffer all day long if were your wife ; be
cause It I easier" to tlo without you than to hare"
you on these terms." , -
If I could hare said ail this, would our meeting
hare ended thus? It was too late to think of that
now, but It wa not too Ute to suffer. I buried
my face fo the pillow of the couch on which I was
sitting, and cried and sobbed a if my heart would
break. . . '
Poor Carlo' cold nose, thrust In the hand which
hung down bv mrslde in the fold- of my drev
make some sort of excuse. He had none: but ruti melJ Jooked op and saw Mr. Thompson,
asked me bow I was, took a clIr,looVed"rat7er He was rery red, ami seemed flurried. .
hard at me and. without waiting for my answer "I hare forgetfen my umbreir," he raid, a lit
feare.1 J was not rery I1L tie nervonidv . y
Yea, there It was In the corner, that horrid noi-
brelln of hi 1 But, Instead of going to tooa ir .h
he suddenly came and sat down on the couch vj
me.I do not know how I looked, but I felt ready
to die with shame. He took my hand and kissed Ij.
"why shwildr behawvlrether? I cannot
bear to give you un indeed I cannot !'r
I lookH at him in doubt. - " ...
Then do you really like me r I askei r
Io I really like you ? Why, what else have i
been saying all along r
,You said you wanted to take care of me.
Oh, If we are to go back to that w b beganr
resignedly. . ... . wk
liut nMfiLi hA. a kav A aKoi m'w trenl
lowwl tonothinx,-fnr a tnUerable xiri uddenly becam:.
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