Dr. Rumsey's Patient

straggling street. The village inn was covered with ivy, wistaria, flowering jessamine, monthly roses, and many other creepers. The flowers twined

with a certain form of easy amusement. The two men who now stood in the porch were undergraduates from Balliol. There was nothing in the least remarkable about their appearance-th

erett, the younger of the students. "How can you stand

ere. "It is cool en

es. He seemed to be watching for some one. A girl appeared, walking slowly up the street. Frere's eye began to dance. Everett,

h looking at," he excla

say?" asked

nothing special. I say, d

ight to call

ave a low

" he answered-"she gave

der all his sunburn, and bit his lower lip.

the great heat is over. Let us go

y here where you are. It is my right," he added. "

ied Everett; he

her station. Her hat was covered with wild flowers which she had picked in her walk, and coquettishly placed there. She wore a pink dress covered with rosebuds-some wild flo

d her in a gruff tone. "What right had yo

he bright eyes, and a slight ex

o distribute my f

ing the little scene, came out to meet the pair. Hetty flushed crimson when she saw him; she raise

ad good sport," said the rusti

t," repli

great spray of the fragrant flower nearly touched the girl's charming face. She glanced again a

lf. "It would be fun to punish him. I like him

buttonhole?" she sai

be so kind,

his buttonhole; she looked again at Frere,-he would not go away, but neither would he bring himself to glance at her. She bent her head to search i

e glanced at Frere, and a feeling of compuncti

his sort of thing?" said Frer

Horace: I am still

re, Hetty, I'm in no humor to be trifled with; I can't and won't stand it. I'll make you the best husband a girl ever had, but listen to me, I

ke you; I-well, yes, I suppose I love you. I was thinking of you all the afternoon. See what I gathe

cleared as

reedily on the girl's beautiful face. "Forgive me for be

m. You don't deserve them for

Hetty; I promise nev

; it is your n

s to say what I

phatically, that the empty-headed girl by hi

do, Mr. Horace?" she a

flowers, and t

I'll give them to you then. There's aunt cal

keeper's wife, "did I hear you talki

ny, you did,"

le and I won't have it. Ju

ack her wealth

er eyes shining as she spoke. "He wants me

rely," said Mrs. Armitage

is, if I'll say 'Yes.' He says he has no one to c

are for h

I do or not, Aunt Fanny-

d dishes on a tray preparatory to taking the

ee after the parlor lodgers to-nigh

all and gazed earnestly at the reflection of her own charming face. Presently she put

ate drudgery. I want to have a fine time, with nothing to do but just to think of my dress and how I look. He has plenty of money, and he loves me-he says he'll make me his wife as soon as e

d on her blooming cheeks-she poked

the wife of any one else on earth. What a fool I am! Mr. Awdrey thinks nothing of me, but he is never out of my head, nor out of my heart. My heart aches for him-I'm nearly mad sometimes about it all. Perhaps I'll see him to-night if I go down to the brook. He's su

tood opposite to her

t enough-yes, I declare I would. But of course he wouldn't mind-not one bit; he has scarcely ever said two words to me-not since we were little 'uns together, and pelted each other with apples in uncle's orchard. Oh, Mr. Awdrey, I'd give all the world for one smile from you, but you think nothing at all of poor Hetty. Dear, beautiful Mr. Aw

of mind-and ran quickly down to a dancing rivulet which ran its merry course about a hundred yards back of the Inn. She sat by the bank, pulled a great bunch of forget-me-nots, laid them on the o

u do?" sai

, Mr. Robert,

ised for a quick moment, then as suddenly lowered. She made a beautiful picture. The young man who stood a few feet away from her, with the running water dividing them,

in?" he asked

obert, I'll go and i

all and beg of your uncle to come to the Court t

Mr. Ro

e. Hetty looked down at the

ning," he

ng, sir," s

wly up the narrow path w

tered Hetty to herself, "why doesn't he say it with his li

am here. The evening is a perfect one,

lm-tree a little further up the bank. A quick idea darted into her vain little soul. She would walk past the Squire without pretending

y by the stream; perhaps I'll give

which you have already pi

re's tim

ep, and laid his ha

you for my wife. I mean to marry you, come what may. I have plenty of money and you are the wife of all others for me. You

her dark eyes; the Squire

you-a little," she

me a kiss

on. Frere

ss-just one,"

she replied, i

u must-I

called out sharply, utte

ion he caught her suddenly in his arms,

?" shouted Awdrey's voice from

is that to you?"

d one or two steps in his astonishment. His face

liberties with Miss Armitage at your peril," he said. "What right have you

elight. For a moment Frere

at restraint upon himself, but speaking with irri

, whoever you are," said Frere,

l answer you in a way you don't like if you

I am not ashamed of my actions. I can justi

id Awdrey, looking at the

the Squire's face. "I don't want to have anything to do with him-he sh

ou home," s