not
use myself.

"In the midst of my cogitations and uncertainties, I received a note
from Mary Armat which, for a time, drove from my mind all thought of
translatophone and everything concerning it.

"Miss Mary Armat and I had been friends since the days in which we went
to school together. I had always liked her above the other girls of my
acquaintance, and about three years previous to the time of this story I
had almost made up my mind that I was in love with her, and that I would
tell her so. This, however, I had not done. At that time I had become
intensely interested in some of my inventions, and, although my feelings
toward Mary Armat had not in the least changed, I did not visit her as
often as had been my custom, and when I did see her I am afraid I told
her more about mechanical combinations than she cared to hear. But so
engrossed was I that I stupidly failed to notice this, and I did not
perceive that I had been neglecting the most favorable opportunities of
declaring the state of my affections until she informed me, not in a
private interview, but in the midst of her family circle, that she had
made up her mind to become a missionary and go to India to work among
the heathen. I was greatly shocked, but I could say nothing then, and
afterwards had no opportunity to say anything.

"I did not write to Mary, because she was a most independent and
high-spirited girl, and I knew it must be spoken words and not written
ones which would satisfy her that I had had good reasons for postponing
a declaration of love to her until she had left the country.

"So she went to Burma. I frequently heard of her, but we did not
correspond. She had gone into her new work with great zeal. She had
learned the Burmese tongue, and had even translated a little English
book into that language. For some time she had seemed well satisfied;
but I heard through her family that she was getting tired of her Eastern
life. The rainy seasons were disagreeable to her, the dry seasons did
not agree with her; her school duties were becoming very monotonous; and
she had found out that in her heart she did not care for the heathen,
especially for heathen children. Therefore she had resigned her position
and was on her way home. The note I received from her informed me that
she had arrived in New York the day before, and that she would be very
glad if I would come to see her."

"_She_ did a sensible thing, anyway," commented the Master of the