Mary Marston

s information did not please the old lady, as, indeed, without knowing any reason, Letty had expected. Mrs. Wardour knew all about Tom's mother,

allowing such a fellow to pay her any attention, and declared that, if ever she permitted him so mu

tter, since there was so little chance of her ever seeing him again! All day she felt weary and disappointed, and, after the merrymaking of the night before, the household work was irksome. But she would soon have got over both weariness and tedium had her aunt been kind. It is true, she did not again refer

ern to fill to overflowing, and upon Letty it overflowed like a small deluge. Like some of the rest of us, she never reflected how balefully her evil mood might operate; and that all things work for good in the end, will not cover those by whom come the offenses. Another night's rest, it is true, sent the evil mood to sleep again for a time, but did not exorcise it; for there are demons that go

ths, set Letty at such liberty as she seldom had. In the afternoon she took the book Godfrey had given her,

g, which made Letty feel a little sad without knowing why, as she seated herself to the task Cousin Godfrey had set her. She, as well as his mother, heartily wished he were home. She was afraid of him

when a yellow leaf dropped on the very line she was poring over. Thinking how soon t

orous lamp with

econd tree-leaf on the book-leaf. Again she bru

entrance, virgi

weary road she had to walk before she gained that entrance. But for all of us the road has to be walked, every step, and the uttermost farthing paid.

rted to her feet. At the same moment, he dropped on the ground beside her, lifting his hat as coolly as if he

re of the perturbation he had caused her. "You were so kind to me the other night, I coul

!" gasped Letty, with her

ut what could I do? I was certain, if

t?" asked Letty, a faint

you all manner of things against me. But there is no harm i

t," said Letty; and t

ou reading, may

t with any one with whom she was not angry, partly from mere lack of presence of mind, not knowing what to do, yet feeling she ought to run to the house, what should she do but d

ook. She supposed afterward she must have asked him why he stared

p it. You ar

e rejoined. "I am not lovely, and I know it

a little a

m, quietly and earnestly. "W

ody ever sai

tone. "It may be a painful fact, but even ladies ought to be told the truth

t altogether displeased that it was possible for such a mistake to be made. "I don't want to hea

t the position in which she found herself and the turn the talk had taken, pa

say a word of the kind again-if I can help it. But tell me, Letty," he went on again, changing in tone and look and manner, and calling her by her name with suc

, handing him her book, and pointin

restless, and growing quite impatient; but still Tom read, a smile slow-spreading from his eyes over his face; he was taking possession of the poem, he would have said. But the shades and kinds and degrees of possession are innumerable; and not until we downright love a thing, can we know we understand it, or rightly call it our own; Tom only admired this one; it was all he wa

is hardly a limit to the knowledge and sympathy a man may have in respect of the finest things, and yet be a fool. S

have hardly got a hold of it yet." And she stretched her han

t the power of the poem-that he both took and left as a matter of course-but the beauty of those phrases, and the turns of those expression

ing; and hence this little display of knowledge on the part of Tom impressed Letty more than was adequate-so much, indeed, that she began to regard him as a sage, and a compeer of her cousin Godfrey. Question followed question, and answer followed answer, Letty feeling all the time she must go, yet standing and standing, like one in a dream, who thinks he can not, and certainly does not break its spell-for in the a

an always. Not that I prefer merry music; that must be inferior, for the tone of all the beauty in the world is sad." Much Tom Helmer knew of beauty or sadness either! but ignorance is no reason with a

read it well, for he had a good ear for rhythm and

mber. And, if Letty's heart was not easily found, it was the readier to confess itself when found. Her eyes filled with tears, and through those tears Tom looked large and injured. "He must be a poet himself to read poetry like that!"

o herself, she heard the soft thunder of hoofs on the grass. She ran to the edge, and, looking over, saw Tom on his bay mare, at full gallop across the field. She watched him as he neared the hedge and ditch that bounded it, saw him go flying ov