of his surroundings, that when a great fish
rushing up from the green depths leaped into the air directly beneath
him, he uttered a startled cry, made a sudden move, and took a header
into the very waters that were closing above the fish.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

OAKLEIGH.

BY ELLEN DOUGLAS DELAND.

CHAPTER XVI.

But Neal would not "give in." Cynthia's renewed entreaties were of no
more avail than they had been before.

"I will not come," he repeated again and again, and at last Cynthia gave
up asking.

He got out of the canoe just below the Oakleigh landing, and where he
was hidden from the house.

"I hope you won't be ill, Cynthia," he said. "I am sorry I made you come
out such a day; it will be my fault if you take cold. One more bad thing
I have done. My life isn't a bit of good, anyhow; I've a good mind to go
and drown myself-- I'm half drowned now."

He laughed somewhat bitterly, as he looked down at his drenched clothes.

"Cynthia, I'm a brute. Hurry in and change your things. I'm off to
Pelham; I'll take a train there for Boston. I'll let you know where I
go; and I say, Cynth, won't you write to a fellow now and then? I don't
deserve it, I know, but I'd like to hear from you, and I'll want to know
how Edith gets along."

"Yes, if you will let me know your address. Good-by, Neal," she said,
sadly.

"Good-by."

He stood and watched her. She rounded the curve where the boat-house
was, and waved her hand as she disappeared. She was only a few yards
away, and yet he could no longer see her. He could easily imagine how it
would all be.

A man would come down from the barn and help her with the canoe. She
would go up the hill and follow the path to the side door behind the
conservatory. There would be exclamations of dismay when she came in,
all dripping wet. Hester and the servants would hurry to help her, and
she would be thoroughly dried and warmed; his sister would see to
that--his sister, who thought him no better than a common thief!

And then Cynthia would tell how she had met him, and that he would not
come home. How astonished Hester would be to hear that he was so near!
He turned abruptly when he thought of this, and sprang up the bank to
the road that lay between Brenton and Pelham. He crossed the bridge, and
with one more look at the dark river, struck out at a good pace for
Pelham, the nearest railway station.

He glanced back once at the chimneys and white walls of Oakleigh when