e gentleman and the obvious
situation. But how could she guess that she was merely witnessing an
accentuated variety of the pleasure with which any good brother looks
forward to meeting his future sister-in-law at the end of a cold
journey?

"Yon's her noo," said a porter to whom the young officer addressed a
question for the fourteenth time.

The north line runs for a long way very straight just there, and Frank
could see the two round glows far off in the darkness grow larger and
larger, brighter and brighter, with the furnace-lit smoke streaming ever
more brilliantly above, till the shape of a great engine started out,
thundering close upon him. And then the observant female was gratified
by a glimpse of a slender girl, rather tall, smiling very kindly as the
interesting unknown handed her down from her carriage and placed the
flowers in her small gray glove. Her hair was dark; she wore handsome
furs; she left the entire charge of her luggage to her escort, like a
lady accustomed to be waited on; she moved down the platform with a
graceful air of distinction, and as she passed close by, the observant
female's heart was won by the sweet and innocent expression on her face.
She thought them one of the nicest-looking couples she had ever seen.

Meanwhile, the man whose virtues had earned this charming girl, and
whose high position could command the services of a Highland subaltern
to do his station work for him, was dictating a letter to his
typewriter.

But when Andrew sat down to dinner beside the lady of his choice, and
felt that at last he could conscientiously lay aside the serious
business of life for a little dalliance with the fruits of his industry,
it was pleasant to see with what happy mingling of pride and calm he
accepted his good fortune. He conveyed that suggestion of having put the
lady in his pocket from the moment she whispered "Yes," and kept her
there among his keys as a valued, yet not foolishly over-valued,
possession, which is so virile a characteristic of the thoroughly
successful man. Now he was taking her out to have a look at her, and
incidentally--as it were, unconsciously--exhibit his trophy to the
company. As for Ellen Berstoun, she looked so kind, so delicately
radiant, so gently bred, and so anxious to give pleasure, that she made
just the contrast to her dominating betrothed that sensible people
believe in. Here, they would tell you, was a match made in a more
practicable place than