f his lovely,
dainty young daughter's hand in marriage. Lester was timid. He dreaded
beyond words the setting of the ball rolling which would tear his
beautiful love and himself asunder. Heaven help him, he was so
unutterably happy in the bewildering present.

His reverie was suddenly interrupted by seeing a little black figure
hurrying down the path. Another instant, and the little breathless
figure was clasped in his arms, close, close to his madly throbbing
heart.

"Oh, Faynie, my love, my darling, my precious, why did you brave the
fury of the tempest to keep the tryst to-night? I am here, but I did not
expect you, much as I love to see you. I was praying you would not
venture out. Oh, my precious, what is it?" he cried in alarm, as the
fitful light of the gas lamp that hung over the arched gate fell full
upon her. "Your sweet face is as white as marble, and your beautiful
golden hair is wet with drifted snow, as is your cloak."

To his intense amazement and distress, she burst into the wildest of
sobs and clung to him like a terrified child. All in vain he attempted
to soothe her and find out what it was all about.

The first thought that flashed through his mind was that their meetings
had been discovered, and that they meant to put him from Faynie, and he
strained her closer to his heart, crying out that whatever it was,
nothing save death should separate them.

Little by little the story came out, and the two young lovers, clasped
so fondly in each other's arms, did not feel the intense cold or hear
the wild moaning of the winds around them. Through her tears Faynie told
her handsome, strong young lover just what had happened. Her father had
sent for her to come to his library that morning, and when she had
complied with the summons, he had informed her that a friend of his had
asked for her hand in marriage, and he had consented, literally settling
the matter without consulting her, the one most vitally interested. She
had most furiously rebelled, there had been a terrible scene, and it had
ended by her father harshly bidding her to prepare for the wedding,
which would take place on the morrow, adding that a father was supposed
to know best what to do for his daughter's interests; that the fiat had
gone forth; that she would marry the husband he had selected for her on
the morrow, though all the angels above or the demons below attempted to
frustrate it.

"You will save me, Lester?" cried the girl, wildl