ed like the daintiest conical cake with pink icing as Cynthia surveyed the familiar view the next morning. There was the mountain, the pastures on the lowe

andscape would any longer be hers. Her life had grown up on it; but now her life had changed. Would the beauty be taken from it, too? Almost hungrily she g

vere wrench was come, and she had left him standing there alone in the cold, divining what was in his heart as though it were in her own. How worthless was this mighty power which he had gained, how hateful, when he could not bestow the smallest fragment of it upon one whom he loved? Someone has described hell as disqualification in the face of opportunity. Such was Jethro's torment that morning as he saw her drive away, the min

s his respect for his passengers would permit, and told the news of Brampton. Not the least of the news concerned the first citizen of that place. There was a certain railroad in the West which had got itself much into Congress, and much into the newspapers, and Isaac D. Worthington had got himself into that railroad: was gone West, it was said on that

d in Brampton. Just think of what Ezra Graves might have looked like, and you have him. He greeted Cynthia, too, with a warm welcome-for Ezra Graves,-and ushered them into a best parlor which was reserved for minis

committee had so far been unable to declare that any of them were completely qualified. (It was well named, that prudential committee?) Mr. Graves, furthermore, volunteered that he had expressed a wish to Colonel Prescott (Oh, Ephraim, you too have got a title with your new hon

xamination before Mr. Errol, the Brampton Superintendent of Schools. In short, owing to the pressing nature of the occasion, the judge would

erson who had opinions unless they were presented to him from certain sources, and then he had been known to cling to them tenaciously. It is sufficient to add that, when Cynthia Wetherell's name was mentioned to him, he remembered the girl to whom Bob Worthington had paid such marked attentions on the grand stand. He knew literally nothing else about Cynthia. Judge Graves, apparently, knew all about her; this was sufficient, at that time, for Mr. Dodd; he was sick and tired of the whole affair, and

m he had been obliged to send South at the beginning of the winter. There she had for a while improved, but had been taken ill again, and two days before Cynthi

best parlor. Miss Wetherell would, then, be prepared to take the school the following morning. Whe

eful to you," said Cynthia, when

, quite bewildered by the quick turn affairs had taken;

, and indeed had spoken to Cynthia that day about her mother. Mr. Graves had also read poor William Wetherell's contributions to the Newcastle Guardian, and he had not read that pape

Cynthia? We've got the good part of a day to arran

ning her head away; "if you would be good enough to te

ding perfectly. "I have thought that Miss Bruce might be glad to

ynthia, "would you mind

n Eph

ing which held the Brampton post-office, and right through the door of the partition into the sanctum of the postmaster himself, which some one had nicknamed the Brampton Club. On this occasion the postmaster w

amation he reserved for extraordina

le toward her, but

cy, I don't know as I'd have dared done that if I'd seed you first. What have you b'en doin' to

usin Eph," she answe

strong point. Now he shook his head. "You always was beyond me. Got a sort of air about you, and it grows on you, too. Wouldn't

ustn't talk nonsense. What have you done with your coat? Y

," he answered, "with nothin' to do but sort letters in a nice ho

ach. Mr. Satterlee has been with me to see Mr. Graves, and they've gi

ain, overpowered by the yews. "I want

ng," she replie

ess-teachin'. Your mother had it too. I'm kind of sorry for Jethro, though, so I

Miss Bruce to take m

phraim, indignantly. "I've got a little house

e share expense

so's you come. Don't you think she'd ought to c

is conversation, a life-size print of General Grant under

he liked a little joke, occasionally. He felt that one would not be, particularly out of place just n

s was his wont when twit

things l

n you be, Mr. Satterlee. But the

n. His jaw seemed squarer than ever to the citizens who met the train out of curiosity, and to Mr. Dodd, who was expecting a pump; and t

Bob," said he. "How be you?

et slip a chance to

ily of his cont

usiness? Filled with curiosity, Mr. Dodd forgot his pump, but Bob was already striding into Brampton Street, carrying his bag. If he had stopped for a few moments with the hardware dealer, or chatted with a

!" she e

rs. Holden

fortunately, to visit a bereaved relative; unfortunately

," he commanded, "and tell Silas to hit

reins, the cutter flew down Brampton Street (observed by many of the residents thereof) and turned into the Coniston road. Silas said nothing. Silas, as a matter of fact, never did sa

much more than half an hour after he had left Brampton Street, however, that he shot past the store, and by the time Rias Richardson in his carpet slippers re

th, and knocked at the door. It w

Jethro gave him such a scrutinizing look as he had given many a man whose business

in," h

wall,-the portrait of Cynthia Wetherell in crimson and seed pearls, so strangely set amidst such surroundings. His glance went to the portra

s she?"

nd Jethro's answer was qui

rampton-gone

mean to say-? What is she

aid Jethro; "g-got M

ccount that which he might say to him. Bob had, indeed, thought of nothing but Cynthia, and of the blow that had fallen upon her. He had tried to realize the, multiple phases of the situation which confronted him. Here was the man who, by the conduct of his life, had caused the blow; he, too, was her benefactor; and again, this same man was engaged in the bitterest of conflicts with his father, Isaac D

t these things were running in his mind, and he felt the power of the man before him,

last, "did Cynthia ev

said J

ave told her so, and I hav

to him when he had seen the trotters, had been confirmed when the young man had stood befor

stion. He dreaded the answer, though none might have surmised this. He knew Cynthia. He knew that, when she had

not said so, but-" the words were very hard for him, yet he stuck manfully to the truth; "but she told me to write to my father and let him know what I had done, and not to come

im. There was no doubt a

Bob write to his father

ak, but by some intangib

o

ou this because my father is fighting you, and you know what he will say." (Jethro knew Dudley Worthington well enough to appreciate that this would make no particular difference in his opposition to the marriage ex

Bob imagined that he even pressed it-a l

-by,

s far as

ck to Har

d to, Mr

-Bo

es

your father-don't quar

he one to quar

u pretty young

xpectedly, "I am." Then he

't want to get marri

ob, "but I suppose

k to Harvard. W-wouldn't wri

think I'm ashamed of what I've

grown into life with his visit. Men and women an incredible distance away heard them in an incredible time: those in the village found an immediate pretext for leaving their legitimate occupation and going to the store, and a gathering was in session there when young Mr. Worthington drove past it on his way back. Bob thought little about the rumors,

length he put on his hat and hurried out, crossing the park-like enclosure in the middle of the street; bowed at by Mr. Dodd, who always seemed to be on hand, and others, and nodding absently in return. Concealment was not in Bob Worthington's nature. He reached the p

cott?" he said, as Ephra

the rheu

prise, hain't it?" Ephraim was getting used to surprises. "Well, it i

a little abashed, "I should have done so anyway, but th

s the only private place in the Brampton post-office. But the members of the Brampton Club could take a hint, and with one consent b

e?" he demanded, coming

nt in a bewildered fashion, and

on talking to cover that embarrassment. "It's made some difference, too, sence she come. House looks like a different place.

's were the approved methods in that section of the country, though Sam had overdone them

were the proprieties in these days? The other aspect of the affair, what Mr. Worthington would think of it when he returned, did not occur to

t was, an architect would have said that its proportions were nearly perfect. John Billings had it from his Grandfather Post, who built it, and though Brampton would have laughed at the statement, Isaac D. Worthing

time, however,-while you could count twenty,-because Cynthia had not the power to close it. For a while she could only look into his eyes, and he into hers. S

said, "mayn'

e entry, which was lighted only by the fan-light over the door, Cynthia with her back against the wall. He spoke her name again, his voice thick with the passion which had overtaken him like a flood at the sight of her-a passion to seize her in his arms, and

eyes, which for one exquisite moment had yielded to his own; and her breath came quickly, as

fused its functions, and she could think of nothing but the fact that he was there, beside her, ready to take her in his arms. How she longed to fly into them, none but herself knew-to fly into them as into a refuge se

here," s

ia stood in the entry fighting this second great battle which had come upon her while her forces were still spent with that other one. Woman in her very nature is created to be sheltered and protected; and the yearning in her, when her love is given, is intense as nature itself to seek sa

body are burning with desire for a woman. He knew that he would have to fight for her with herself. He knew now that she was too strong in her position to be carried by st

o Coniston, Cy

es

his trouble would come to you. I would have given my life to have saved you from it-from the least part of it. I would have given my life to have been able to say 'it shall not touch you.' I saw it fl

a voice so low that it was almos

f the words were written on all the ro

some things to you. They will be very ha

oggedly; "but they will no

on," she continued, in the same low voice, "when I have

in the tannery shed in Coniston. She knew now the life of Jethro Bass, but he was still "Uncle Jet

de me, I would go to the other side of the world to-morrow. You must know that. But

faltered a very little now, "you must

imed, interrupting her vehem

it had not been for-for your father, those things never would have been written. Th

marvelled that she had found

"yes, I know t

e things, I-I am not speaking of the truth that may be in them-I have learned from them what I should

depends upon you, and my life's welfare? I know that you are a good woman, and a true woman, that you will be the best wife

ures there. She believed in his love-believed in it now with all her might. (Who, indeed, would not?) She could not demean herself now by striving to belittle it or doubt its continuance, as

hat schism-any happiness for him. She would be depriving him of his birthright, and it may be that those who are born without birthrights often value them the most. Cynthia saw these things, and more, for those who sit at the feet of sorrow soon learn the world's ways. She saw herself pointed out as the woman whose designs had beggared and rui

ngs he will ask. I shall have to carve out my own life, and I feel that I am as well able to do it as he was. Percy Broke, a classmate of mine and my best friend, has a position for me in a locomotive works in which his father is largely interested. We are going in together, the day after we graduate; it is all arranged, and his father has agreed. I shall work very hard, and in a few years, Cynthia, we

e had felt herself lifted and borne off, breathless in his arms, to Elysium. Her breath was going now, her strength was going, and yet

said, "do y

peak, but she interrupted him with a wild passion that was new to her. As he sat in the train on his way back to Cambridge

the name of that love-for your, sake and my sake,

Vernon Street. He could but stop in the face of such an

ve me,-once," he cri

k me," she fa

ecause she had wished it. And yet she loved him! Incredible fact! Incredible conjury which made him doubt that his feet touched the snow of Brampton Street, which blotted, as with a golden glow, the faces and the houses of Brampton from his

ampton had