After All.

how he should act , but be trusted to circumstances for the safe delivery of his letter . Nearer and nearer he approached with a beating heart , but without being any nearer to solving the problem of delivery . Ob , joy \ Carlo , the large retriever dog , Olivia ' s pet , ran to meet him . It recognized him , and frisked about delighted . He patted the dog affectionatelyfor it reminded him of its mistressand he

, , was fond of animals . Suddenly an idea flashed across his mind—he would give the letter to Carlo , ancl let it take it to Miss Phane , ancl run the risk of anyone else getting it . But he felt certain it would deliver it to no one else , as he had noticed its singular attachment to her above all others . Taking the important missive out , he put it between the dog ' s white teeth , and telling it to go at once to its mistress . With a seeming intelligence , the dog scampered off a short

distance , ancl then began to tear the letter . Arthur rushed after it to save the destruction of his carefully penned epistle , but the dog scampered off again . This time towards Mr . Phane ' s house , and in at the open back door . What would it do with the letter ? He had not long to wait , for scarcely had the dog got inside than he heard the welcome sound of Miss Phane ' s voice calling-Carlo to her . " Carlo , Carlo ! What have you got there , you naughty fellow P Come , 1

give it to me now , there ' s a good dog . Why , where did yon get this , Carlo r " Arthur Humberton , although he was burning to enter the half-open door , and acknowledge the ownership of the letter , yet with a great effort restrained himself , and satisfied that his love-letter had fallen into the right hands at last , he tore himself away from the fascinating neighbourhood of his charmer without waiting- to hear more . He thought it would be better to wait the result of bis written communication ancl confession without another personal interview , much as he desired it .

While he is slowly and meditatively walking homeward , hardly knowing whether to be happy or not ( for he was so anxious to know how she would receive his correspondence ) , let us for a short time take a peep at the lovely Miss Phane . Had the last night left no impression upon her ? It had . We , as authors , being privileged to look behind the scenes , and survey both sides of the question uninterrupted , can divulge the fact that , in this case , it had really been a mutual attachment . Olivia had thought of little else but Humberton ;

he was uppermost in her thoughts , ay , even to the exclusion of the colour , shape , and fashions of her friends' dresses of the evening before . She was lamentabl y forgetful of these , and could not recall any fanciful pattern or useful shape from which she might take a hint ; nor did she wish to , that was the extraordinary part of it . Not so , when we know the cause , though . We who know the secrets will not attempt to gull the reader into believing that this

was her first love , or that she had never played at sweethearts before . But she was young and beautiful , ancl to her own heart she confessed that Arthur Humberton had strangely taken her fancy ; indeed , she believed in time that she coulcl love him as she had never loved before . She went about her duties in her usual quiet way , but it seemed unusually monotonous and wearying , ancl she would stop every now ancl then to sigh ,

which sigh was intimately connected with Arthur Humberton . She considered his attentions of the previous evening very nice and flattering , but too sudden , and ( not that she wished to wrong his ardent nature ) she feared that his was but a passing fancy . " But he was so earnest , " she muttered ; " and he has promised to write to me , and I ' m sure he ' s truthful ; " but still something seemed to whisper to her that this too rapidly formed attachment was not destined to continue as happily as it had begun .

In some things she was inclined to be superstitious , or to affect superstition , for many young people pay attention to little omens , and half believe them , when , if they were to give the subject a little serious thought , they would laugh at their foolish notions . Still , we have a strange love of the mysterious