THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
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“ Oil. perhaps we didn't propose any “ him ” 
aiiout It,” observed Roswell. “I predict that you 
"win he a milliner. 1 ' 
“ PSlmw! that's because l 'vc trimmed all your 
winter hats." she retorted contemptuously. 
" Really, sweet cake, I don't much believe you 
util ever marry,’ said I.ee, seriously. “You are 
always poking tun at love and such tilings.” 
“ Then I'm to subside into a milliner ? Does no 
eate people are quite, as likely to live as anybody.” 
“ You mean that, people who al‘e always going to 
die, never do die!” retorted Mary Walter, laugh¬ 
ingly. “ Well, T'm that sort, may be, but it I 
don't die, you may address rnc as Mary Walter, 
Spinster, the flrsluf January, is::, it i ever marry, 
it must he to a man who can withstand my sarcasm 
—and t he chap that, can do that will lie greater 
• linn a Cesar. He must have handsome hands and 
the best love of my heart—my life Itself: you say 
that?” 
“ Tt ls true. Kelly,"she replied; “and I am sorry. 
I shall never tike any one as I have liked you, and 
you will never really care about any other woman 
as you have cared for me—I know it; but It. cannot 
be helped.” 
lie held up his head with such dignity, such 
passion of despair, that she was silenced. The 
false light words, the false light, excuses, all 
withered Into nothing, and she know that she stood 
in the presence of a mighty sormw, a mighty pas¬ 
sion. All her little affectations, her miserable 
apologies, became as nothingbefore Felix’s heart¬ 
rending distress and hopelessness. 
“ violet,” he said, “ I can hardly believe that our 
meeting thus is real. I must be in a dream, from 
which I shall soon awake, and laugh lo think 
that I believed in what was happening. It cannot 
be that I, Felix Lonsdale, have had to steal under 
the cover of darkness to meet you, my promised 
wife, and that you who have loved me, who have 
kissed me, who have looked on me as your future 
husband, are here to tell me. that you are false to 
me. Stand still—so—and let. me look Into t he face 
wherein I thought all happiness lay. Now tell me 
—ls it true?” 
He held her before him; she felt that bis eyes 
were fixed on Iter—they seemed to burn to her very 
heart. 
“You put things so strangely.” site said. “ t 
hardly know what answer to make to you. Y ou 
I ha ve found that my engage- 
*N. Ts ! In the South,” observed Cornelia Jaynes, 
who was often.u' called “Lee" or “Jaynesey.” 
(“ N. T." was the Short for " nigger teacher,”—the 
epithet bestowed by the Southern whites upon the 
white men and women who taught In the schools 
for the colored people; and the girls, who were 
young, and for the most part pretty and gay, spoke 
of themselves as “X. Ts” with a wicked sort of 
delight.) 
“ l reckon we are the Maryest,” replied Molly 
fake, the younger and blacker of the “Cookies.” 
“ l am sure that we are the best looking.” and ris- 
lngto her feet, she surveyed herself In the 10x12 
looklng.giass t hat huug over the waahstand. “ Fair, 
fair with golden hair," and she patted her shining 
raven locks with mock dignity. “ If ever I again 
am where l can survey my full four feet and six 
Inches of maiden loveliness at one glance, I shall 
be enraptured, only to think or the delight of see¬ 
ing how my flounces hang, and 11 the length of 
my train is In proper keeping with the noble and 
philanthropic avocation in which I am now en¬ 
gaged. I suppose Mercy is wading through the 
Maine snowbanks about this time,” she added, and 
turning about , the merry girl resumed her old place 
on the floor. 
“ She was the right one to go North," said Mary 
Walter. “ She has a way of putting what she has 
to say, In a telling fashion. One sees at a glance 
there's no humbuggery about her. and If those 
Maine Yankees have any dollars to spare for any¬ 
thing, site will get them in her hands, for the 
‘ Normal.’” 
“There’S a great deal of character In Mercy," 
added Zethrea Raynor, thoughtfully. “ I shall not 
he surprised, If circumstances are favorable, to hoar 
of her in the future as u foreign missionary, or 
something of that sort.” 
“ Oh, I hope she'll be something better than that,” 
shouted Mary Walter. “Anything but poking off 
to India or Japan to try and ’Civilize a lot or peo¬ 
ple who are as happy as we are here, any day.” 
At this the girls glanced shyly at Mary Roswell, 
and Leo observed, with dow ncast eyes: 
“ I always expect something dreadful when YVal- 
ter opens her mouth, she fairly keeps me in a 
tremble at the dinner-table, she speaks out so dis¬ 
tinctly and free. 1 believe site's the only one ot us 
who Isn't afraid ol the Hawleys.” 
“ The Hawleys" were the family with whom the 
girls boarded, the man Hawley being a capable 
man, but beset with a weakness for retailing scan¬ 
dal ; the woman Hawley had a sharp tongue and 
was an excellent Illustration ot a dowdy, both In 
general and In particular, so that between the pair, 
the “girls" had a rtery time. But they found con¬ 
solation In forming a ring around their respective 
stoves In turn, every evening at twilight, and giv¬ 
ing the Hawleys “ particular fits.” 
“I am never afraid <>l people I despise,” replied 
Mary Walter, tossing back her profusion of brown 
mD 
are not fair to me. I have found that my engage¬ 
ment to marry you is not wise for either of us. arid 
I tell you so. l see no heinous crime In that.” 
" You promised to love me, and me alone, until 
death—do you mean to keep that promise / No 
prevarication—speak truthfully—* Yes ’ or * No’; do 
you mean to keep that promise ? Speak, Violet.” 
But he had to bend low to hear her answer; it 
w as a whispered “ No.” 
“Y'ou promised to marry me. to be my wile, to 
spend your life wit h me and brighten mine; do you 
mean to keep that promise, ? speak—* Yes’ or 
‘No.’” 
“ No,” she whispered again. 
“ Will you tell me why you refuse, Violet." 
Again she took courage at the seeming indiffer¬ 
ence of his tone. 
“I cannot, Felix,” she said; “you will find many 
another more suited to be your wife than I am.” 
“1 do not want any one but you who have 
promised. What Is there In the life I offer you that 
you dislike *;” 
“All of it, except—that I should like to be with 
you. I dislike the poverty, the obscurity, the want 
of rank and position. I am not so noble as you have 
always thought me, Felix. I love wealth and lux¬ 
ury, I love magnificence. I should never be eou- 
tent in the little home that you would give me - 
there would not, be enough to till my lire, l felt 
that, when I stood in It. I asked myself how r 
should live through the long years there. J should 
be miserable and you would be miserable too." 
He looked at her in amazement. 
“ Would not love content you?” he asked. 
The golden head drooped before him. She was 
ashamed of the words she had to speak. 
“No, It would not content me.” she replied 
“ You deem me better, wiser, and nobler than 1 
am. There are hundreds of good and noble women 
in the world, who ask only for love and are content 
with it, seek one or those, Felix—they tire worthier 
than I.” 
" Hush I” lie cried again. •• Do not say such 
words; many a man has taken the life of the wo¬ 
man he loved for less than that.’’ 
Kite shrank back from him with a pale seared 
face; he smiled one of the saddest and bitterest 
snules she had ever seen on a human face. 
“Have no fear. Violet ; I spoke without reflec¬ 
tion. You eaunot think t meant to threaten you— 
you, every hair of whose head ls dearer to me than 
my own Life. Love would not content you, Vio¬ 
let?” 
“ No. I may as well tell you the truth. I was 
Ignorant of many things when 1 promised to marry 
you. I did not know what riches meant—what 
luxury or magnificence was—what luxury or pleas¬ 
ure comprised." 
“ And you know’ now ? ” he said w hen she paused. 
“Yes, I know now—and 1 cannot do without 
them. I would rather have had love with them; 
as I cannot have both, I choose thorn. You cannot 
call It a great sin, FelLx, to change my mind when 
I did not know what my mind was.” 
“ Violet,” he said gravely, “ do you know what 
even the world says of a woman w ho deliberately 
Jilts her lover?” 
“No," she replied. 
“ It says some hard things. 1 1 says that the wo¬ 
man who could he lalse to her plighted lover would 
be false to her husband and lo Heaven; it. says 
that such a woman brands herself • liar ’ before t he 
whole world—that she loses the claim to rank with 
women of honor. That ls what Hie world says. 
Do you know w'liat a higher power t ban the world 
says?" 
“ No,” she answered him again 
“That lying lips are an abomination, .Where 
will you get this coveted wealth, Violet, even if you 
persist. In refusing to keep your word to me?” 
But she did not answer him; there were limits to 
what she dare do, and she dared not tell him that 
she was going to marry Sir Ow’en. 
“ You are very hard on me. Felix," she said. 
“Nay, I am but telling you the truth—the solemn 
unvarnished truth, if you do give me up and mar¬ 
ry even a title, never dream that, you wfil have the 
respect or the esteem of your follow-creatures; you 
would always be spoken of as the woman who Jill ed 
her true lover to marry a w ealthier man.” 
But, in the pride oi her youth and her beauty, in 
the pride or the future that seemed so brilliant to 
her, she would not believe that; she did not believe 
it, although she did not say so to him. 
“Listen again, Violet," lie continued In the same 
grave dispassionate voice. Y'ou promised me, and 
I have lived on your promise; what Is to become of 
me if you change your mind?” 
“ You Mill forget me soon, Felix,” she said gently. 
one else venture a propfiecj ? Does that, one-arm¬ 
ed captain who casts sheep's eyes me.ward signir.v 
nothing? Don't, discourage nie, girls, for I've al¬ 
ways dreamed, of a white satin dress and orange 
blossoms—black and white make such a lovely con- 
trast!" aud she concluded by holding her handker¬ 
chief up lo her olive cheek, 
“I don't think onr predictions need annoy you 
much,” observed Zethrea, In a tone ot assurance. 
“ I think you will all tie married before I am. 1 
never had a beau in my life.” 
“ That’s no sign,” ejaculated Mary Walter. “ I've 
had twenty or more, though heaven alone knows 
wily.” 
“ I Shouldn't think a man would ever dare to ask 
you to many him,” said Lee, “unless he knew 
that you loved him with the real heaven-born mar¬ 
riage love 1” 
“ Heaven-bora marriage love: : r repeated Molly, 
sotto voce. " Let's have another hymn : 
* The one she’s been saving, 
The one she'9 been saving, 
The. one she's been savintt. 
To make a feather bed.’ " 
In this all the girls hut Jaynesey and Roswell 
Joined, concluding with a round or laughter. 
Roswell seemed to have been taken with an 
“ idea.” 
“ What do you say, girls,’’ she said, as ilie laugh¬ 
ter subsided, “ to a plan I have in mind, it ls that, 
at the end or ten years, we each write the history 
of our ten years in the form ot a letter aud pass the 
letters around from one to the other. \Ve wfU then 
see how many of our predictions came true."' 
“Nobody predicted on you, Roswell,” said Mar¬ 
tha. “You'll many a missionary, I predict, aud 
go back to the Sandwich islands where you were 
born.” 
“ I’ll make a guess on Mary Walter, said Lee.” 
“ Be ver J careful, Cornelia, lor I might open my 
mouth,” said Mary gra vely. 
“ She will become a famous authoress,” said Lee. 
“ Leave off the • ess.’ please. It ls like being 
addressed as a * female.' retorted Walter a little 
cars, anti tin- hack of his neck lie white and not red. 
He must never make love to me, uor yield to me an 
Inch of his dignity—for then I should make game or 
him, like ail the others—the simpletons that they 
are!” 
“Oh, ii ever you do fall In love, Walter," said 
Roswell, “ I hope you’ll have the disease had. II 
would do you good, to fall in love, once.” 
“Then Roswell ought lo be awful good,” ejacu¬ 
lated Cookie, Jr., “for she's fallen into that pond 
enough times to lie thoroughly soaked.” 
The t ea-bell below stairs broke up the circle, and 
the girls arose. Roswell adding like a benediction, 
“ Then we shall exchange autobiographies ten 
years hence?” and they all responded “Amen.” 
—[To be continued. 
WEAKER THAN A WOMAN, 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
The girl Jennie delivered her message, and Violet 
. p,,, ***••' *«’ mi ui i tuuooagUf u 
T quickly appeared at the gate of the Limes. 
Before Felix had spoken to her, before lie bad 
touched her band, the nidmenl he had looked into 
her tali-drooping race he knew that she was guilty. 
Something had gone from It that he was never to see 
again; something was there which was never more 
to leave it. She gazed at him and gave a little low 
cry; then, standing before him, she buried her face 
in her hands. He went up to her slowly; he took 
her hand from lew face aud raised it to his own. 
Then the lovely eyes closed; they could not meet 
his. He dropped her hands. 
“Y'ou are gu llty, Violet. Great Heaven, you ha ve 
betrayed me! Y ou meant wiiat you wrote to-day.” 
There was something so quiet In his despair that 
Violet imagined Ids tone to be one almost nr indif¬ 
ference. and the thought gave her courage; it he 
had shown any sign of grea t, pain, she would have 
been frightened. 
“1 could not help it,” she replied. “Do not be 
angry with me, Felix. I know it ls the poorest of 
No. 5. 
curling hair. “ But 1 meant to cast no reflection on 
Mary Roswell, by my fling at foreign missionaries. 
Mary ls a born missionary, whether at home or 
abroad. But, Mercy’s forte is not that., 1 think. She 
ought lo fill a niche somewhere, where accuracy 
and executive power are needed. But 1 can’t pre¬ 
dict what her lot will be.” 
“Can you tell what mine will be?” asked Lee, 
with a blush a nd laugh. 
“ I’ll prophecy tint,” chimed In Ylartha, the fair 
••Cookie." “Lee will marry that Presbyterian 
parson she corresponds with, and—*’ 
“ Oh, Ylartha !’’ cried Lee, “ what a dreadful 
thing you are’” and her lacc blushed red and more 
red. 
“Dreadful, perfectly dreadful,” echoed Roswell. 
“ Just see how Lee blushes!” And all the girls 
looked at “Jaynesey" and laughed In concert—a 
combined giggle that led her to cover her face with 
her hands. 
“Oh my I what, a, sensitive plant!” said Mary 
Walter in a whisper. “ 1 don’t dare open my mouth 
now, for fear Lee will totally go off! Let’s sing a 
hymn to revive her: 
‘ Go tell Aunt Sally, 
Go tell Aunt Sally, 
Go tell Aunt Sally. 
That her old gray goose ts dead,’ ” 
The girls, led by Molly Cake, sang the refrain 
with great effect 
“ Now that we are all more cheerful in spirit,’’ 
said Ylartha," perhaps we can bear a prediction a.s 
to our own destinies. To begin with, I’d like to 
know what I am lor-to-be.” 
“I can tell that!" cried her sister. “Martha is 
cut out for a widower—a Methodist preacher with 
five children, she has a knack for living on noth¬ 
ing and making both ends of the year meet. Then 
she’d be first-rate In class-meeting—has such a 
pious face.” 
The sweet face of Martha was suffused wirh an 
amused expression, and she smilingly retorted: 
“ I shouldn’t be at all surprised, girls, if that 
happened; Pveliud some stunning offers In that 
line. When a man with live motherless children, 
and a salary of live hundred dollars a year, with 
parsonage thrown In, makes you an offer ot hts 
heart, Ills hands,” (-Twelve of’em!” put In Mary 
Walter,) •* and his fortune, why It sots one to think¬ 
ing.” 
“ 1 don’t doubt It: ’ laughed Zethrea. “ Now let’s 
have a prediction as to the fate of Cookie junior.” 
“ Let him be fair, with sandy hair,” 
sang out. the saucy brunette, 
sharply. “ But you needn't predict about me, girls. 
You’ll not knowhow to address a lett er that will 
reach me ten years from now, unless * the spirits’ 
Shall have astabhshed a mode of communication 
between this and the unknown, that we have not 
heard of.” 
“ Oli Mary Walter, you are so dreadful,” Iterated 
Lee, greatly shocked at Walter’s irreverent tone, as 
it seemed to her. “ 1 know you all think I’m silly 
and sentimental and ot not much account,” (Lee 
was greatly given to self-depreciation,) “ but delt- 
excuses—bur it, is true; i cannt 
no use going on In the same di 
have come to an end sometime. 
“Let me quite understand, 
make uo mistake this time. 
” he said; “ let me 
YVhat have you done, 
violet?” 
“ l have not done anything; but it seems better 
that we should part. No good can come of our en¬ 
gagement; It was a mistake.” 
He looked sadly at her. 
“ You say so, my darling; to whom I have given 
