have seen a bewildering
blush cover the face of his companion. As it was, he guessed the truth,
and realized that the effect of his words was altogether gratifying to
Nellie's pride--it could hardly be anything more sentimental than pride.

But now they were at her home--all too soon as it seemed to Fred--and
her father and mother had heard them come up the steps; so the "good
night" must be brief.

Nellie extended her hand, with its graceful, tapering fingers, to him,
and thanked him very prettily for his attention during the evening, and
for escorting her safely home. In return, Fred gave her hand a slight
pressure from the impulse of his honest, manly heart, that meant a
thousand thanks for the pleasure she had given him, which would be a
gratifying recollection for weeks and months to come.

V.

While Fred was enjoying the latter part of his evening so thoroughly,
Matthew was miserable in his anger, as he and his confederate remained
crouched under the shadow of the bushes, chafing at our hero's failure
to appear.

Every minute seemed ten to him, there in the cold night wind, as he
meditated upon the events of the past few hours, and imagined his rival
enjoying the pleasure of escorting Nellie home. The more he thought upon
the matter the more vividly he pictured the situation, and the greater
the contrast seemed to be between his own position and that of the boy
he hated.

And as he dwelt upon this picture, and thought, and thought rightly,
that Fred was prolonging the time in reaching Dr. Dutton's house, his
anger became more bitter against his intended victim, for being kept
there so long in the frosty night.

It was indeed a galling situation for Matthew, and right well he
deserved to be placed in it. He was on a wicked errand--an errand for
which he should have suffered a severe punishment. Still the time went
on, and the cold grew more intense, until their teeth chattered, and
their fingers were benumbed; yet Fred did not appear.

Matthew was so bent on revenge that he hated to give up his evil
project; but he had waited so long, looked, listened, and hoped, and no
sound of footsteps could he hear, that now he broke out angrily:

"Worthington isn't coming, after all--the sneak!"

"Don't believe he is," shivered Tim, who was evidently very anxious to
get out of his contract.

"But he must come this way," continued Matthew.

"He might go to the other road and cut across the grove."

"Why