ts drew them
together. Before the face and eyes of the amazed Miss Kling, who had
just delivered herself of a sentence intended to be crushing, and could
not conceive why her victim should suddenly look so happy over it, he
advanced to Nattie's side, clasped her hand eagerly and tenderly, then
turning to Miss Kling, said, while Cyn, surmising the truth of the
matter, embraced herself fervently,

"Miss Kling, any farther observations you may have to make, you will be
good enough to say to me, hereafter; and now, will you oblige me by
leaving the room?" and he politely held open the door.

"What?" gasped Miss Kling, hardly believing her own ears.

"I cannot allow you to annoy Miss Rogers, the lady who is to be my
wife!" Clem added; "and if she and I choose to have twelve telegraph
wires, we will. Let me bid you good-evening!" and he pointed
significantly at the open door.

"Your wife! Miss Rogers!" echoed the discomfited Miss Kling, and glanced
at the blushing Nattie, at Cyn, undisguisedly exultant, and at Clem,
determinedly waiting for her to go out. This was something she had not
expected, and it took her aback. So, with a sneeze, she drew herself up,
gave a spiteful parting shot,

"Well, she has worked hard enough to get you--had to bring the telegraph
to her assistance!" and then retreated, before Cyn could retaliate with
the Torpedo. Retreated to her own room, to nurse her wrath and envy, and
to dream hopelessly, forever more, of that other self, never to come
nearer than now!

The discreet Cyn, comprehending that Miss Kling had brought about that,
"crisis," and that something had been said on the wire to the right
purpose, followed her out, and left them alone. It is hardly necessary
to mention, that as soon as the door closed behind Cyn, Clem took Nattie
in his arms and kissed her. It was an inevitable consequence.

"And now explain why you have treated me so, you contrary little girl?"
he queried, tenderly.

"I thought," Nattie replied, raising her gray eyes, from which the
shadows were all gone now, to his, "that you loved Cyn."

"You did!" he said, surprised and reproachful; "and that is why you have
been so cold and distant! How could you?"

"But Cyn is so handsome, and--I do not see how you could help it!"
pleaded Nattie in self-extenuation.

"Of course she is handsome, talented, brilliant fascinating, everything
that is nice," Clem answered, "but," in a low voice, "Cyn was not my
little girl at