NO. ST.
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uuHNIfu SoAS' II Is all L UaYc-l1ke 1t,
woman"


fThe crown Of hundred sous passed from your
hand to mine, continued the lady; s.and, as you
walked along, supporting my steps, I then through
nay veil, distinctly saw your face and figure"-


''My figure - said Frederic, in amazement.


ayes, my friend, your figure, returned his
wife; cit was to that you gave aims on that
night 1t was my life--my honor, perhaps-that
you then saved %


sYou mendicant-you so young, SO beautiful,
and now rich ~ cried Frederic.


ayes, my dearest husband replied the LADY,
81 have in my life received alms-once only-and
from yoa; and those aims have decided my fate
for life. On the day following that miserable
night, an old woman, in whom | had inspired
some sentiments of pity, enabled me to enter as
sempstress into a respectable house. Cheerful
ness returned to me with labor. l had the good
fortune to become a favorite with .he mistress
whom | served, and indeed did my best, BY un-
weared diligence and care, to merit her favor
She was often visited by people in high life. One
day, Sir James Melton, an English gentleman of
great property, came to the establishment along
with party of ladies. He noticed me. He re-
turned again He spoke with my mistress, and
learnt that was of good family-n short, learnt
my whole history. The result was, that he sat
down by my side one day and asked me plainly
if | would marry him.


"Marry you - cried in surprise


'sSir james Melton was man of sixty, TALL
pale, and feeble-looking. In answer to my excla.
nation of astonshment, he said, eyes, ask if
you will be my wife? l rich, but have no
comfort-no happiness My relatives seem to
yearn to me in the grave | have ailments
which require degree Of kindly care that is not
to be bought from servants l have heard your
story, and believe you to be one who will sup
port prosperity well as you have done adversely.
I made my proposal sincerely, and hope that you
will agree to it,"


cat that time, Frederic continued the lady,
81 loved you. had seen you but once, but that
occasion was too memorable for me ever to forget
it, and something always insinuated to me that
we were destined to pass through life together.
At the bottom of my soul, l believed this. Yet
every one around me pressed me to accept the
offer made to me, and the thought struck me that
| might one day make you wealthy. At length
my main objection to Sir James Melton's proposal
lay in disinclination to make myself the instru-
ment of vengence in Sir James hands against
relatives whom he might dislike without good
grounds. The objection when stated, only in
creased his anxiety for my consent, and finally,
under the impression that it would be, after all,
carrying romance, the length folly reject the
advantageous settlement offered to me, l con-
sented to Sir James proposal.


''Ihis part of my story, Frederic, is really like
fairy tale |, poor Orphan penniless and
friendless, became the wife of one of the richest
baronets of England. Dressed in silks, and
sparkling with jewels, | could now pass in my
carriage through the streets where, a few months
before, had stood in the rain and darkness
mendicant p


"Happy Sir James, cried NJ. de la Tour, at
this part of the story "he could prove his love
by enrlchng you"


'He aoas happy" resumed the lady. .Our
marriage, so strangely assorted, proved much more
conducive, it is probable, to his comfort, than if
he had welded one with whom all the parade of
settlements and pin-money would have been
necessary. Never, believe, did he for an in
slant repent of our union. /, my part, con-
ceived myself bound to do my best for the solace
of his declining years and he, on his part,
thought it incumbent on him to provide for my
future welfare. He died, leaving me large part
of his substance-as much, indeed, as l could
prevail upon myself to accept


81 was now widow, and from the hour in
which became so, vowed never again to give
my hand to man, excepting to him who had sue
coured me in my hour of distress, and whose
remembrance had ever been preserved in tho
recesses of my heart. But how to discover that
man ?-Ah, unconscious migrate to make no
endeavor to come in the way of one who sought
to love, to enrich you. l knew not your name.
In vain looked for you at ball, assemblies, and
theatres. You went not there. All, how long
ed to meet you - AS the lady spoke, she took
from her neck riband, to which was attached a
piece of a hundred sous. at is the same-the
very same which you gave me, slid she, persent-
ing it to Frederic; by pledging it, got credit for
little bread from neighbor, and earned
enough afterwards in time to permit me 10 recover
i. vowed never to part with it. s.T


"Ah, how happy was Frederic, when saw
YOU in the street The excuse which made for
stopping you was the FIRST that rose to my mind
But what tremors felt, even afterwards, lest YOU
should have been already married. In that case,
you would never have heard aught Of thia GARY