herself had
taught them that quiet demeanor. Suddenly they looked up and saw me. Am
I Mephistopheles, to produce such a dire effect? They looked down, they
simpered, they laughed a laugh that was not natural: their voices grew
louder.

"_Did_ you see him?" said one.

"So perfectly lovely!" said the other.

"I wonder who he is?" remarked the first.

"My fate," I muttered as I turned away.

After breakfast I sallied forth, humming "Pure as the Snow." Taking a
reconnoissance of the town, I came to a pretty house with
woodbine-covered porch, and a slender figure at the window.

"I will not startle her with a rude glance," thought I, for I could see
without appearing to look. As my step resounded the figure turned.

"Oh, do come here, Jessie! Who _can_ he be?" said the slender
figure to some one inside.

I raised my eyes slowly, and my hat. "Could you tell me the way to Mr.
Hearty's?" I asked, not thinking of any other excuse for speaking to
her.

Blushing, she told me.

"And might I ask you," looking beseechingly at her as a person who might
be my future wife--"might I ask you to give me one of your roses?"

"Take as many as you like," she said courteously.

"I would rather you gave me one," with a smile.

She hesitated for an instant, then quickly plucked a bud from the side
of the open window, threw it to me and ran away.

"I shall find _my_ Rose later," sighed I.

I sauntered on to church, a pretty little building of mossy gray stone,
and seated myself on a shady bench under the elms to watch the people
assembling.

Ye gods! could it be? Here were last summer's styles, airs and grimaces,
served up as it were cold. I could pick out bad copies of each girl I
had flirted with the past season. You remember Florence Rich at The
Resort?--here was her portrait in caricature. Florence was the vainest
girl I ever knew, and showed it too. But she was vain of herself. This
country Florence was vain of a new silk that I would have taken the odds
she was wearing for the first time. She looked as if she were saying
with every rustle, "Admire me!" though of course she wasn't, you know.
She was constantly arranging her bracelet or smoothing her glove, and
looking on this side and that to see if any one was observing her. By
this means she gave her admirers the benefit of her full face, showing
both earrings; then of her profile, showing one earring and her curls;
and then of the back of her head, showing her fall bo