h an elusive person that I
spend all my time in wooing her, and can never lay flattering unction to
my soul that she is really won.

But after aunt Celia had looked up my family record and given a
provisional consent, and papa Schuyler had cabled a reluctant blessing, I
did not feel capable of any further self-restraint.

It was twilight here in Canterbury, and we were sitting on the
vine-shaded veranda of aunt Celia's lodging. Kitty's head was on my
shoulder. There is something very queer about that; when Kitty's head is
on my shoulder, I am not capable of any consecutive train of thought.
When she puts it there I see stars, then myriads of stars, then, oh! I
can't begin to enumerate the steps by which ecstasy mounts to delirium;
but at all events, any operation which demands exclusive use of the
intellect is beyond me at these times. Still I gathered my stray wits
together and said, "Kitty!"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Now that nothing but death or marriage can separate us, I have something
to confess to you."

"Yes," she said serenely, "I know what you are going to say. He was a
cow."

I lifted her head from my shoulder sternly, and gazed into her childlike,
candid eyes.

"You mountain of deceit! How long have you known about it?"

"Ever since the first. Oh, Jack, stop looking at me in that way! Not
the very first, not when I--not when you--not when we--no, not then, but
the next morning I said to Farmer Hendry, 'I wish you would keep your
savage bull chained up while we are here; aunt Celia is awfully afraid of
them, especially those that go mad, like yours!' 'Lor', miss,' said
Farmer Hendry, 'he haven't been pastured here for three weeks. I keep
him six mile away. There ben't nothing but gentle cows in the home
medder.' But I didn't think that you knew, you secretive person! I dare
say you planned the whole thing in advance, in order to take advantage of
my fright!"

"Never! I am incapable of such an unnecessary subterfuge! Besides,
Kitty, I could not have made an accomplice of a cow, you know."

"Then," she said, with great dignity, "if you had been a gentleman and a
man of honor, you would have cried, 'Unhand me, girl! You are clinging
to me under a misunderstanding!'"

SHE

CHESTER, _August_ 8
The Grosvenor.

Jack and I are going over th