CHAPTER TENTH.

"At last I know thee--and my soul,
From all thy arts set free,
Abjures the cold consummate art
Shrin'd as a soul in thee."
--SARA J. CLARK.

The rest of the winter passed quietly and happily with our friends at Ion
and the Oaks, Mr. Travilla spending nearly half his time at the latter
place, and in rides and walks with Elsie, whom he now and then coaxed to
Ion for a call upon his mother.

Their courtship was serene and peaceful: disturbed by no feverish heat of
passion, no doubts and fears, no lovers' quarrels, but full of a deep,
intense happiness, the fruit of their long and intimate friendship, their
full acquaintance with, and perfect confidence in each other, and their
strong love. Enna sneeringly observed that "they were more like some staid
old married couple than a pair of lovers."

Arthur made no confidant in regard to his late interview with Jackson;
nothing more was heard or seen of the scoundrel, and gradually Elsie came
to the conclusion that Mr. Travilla, who occasionally rallied her
good-naturedly on the subject of her fright, had been correct in his
judgment that it was either the work of imagination or of some practical
joker.

Arthur, on his part, thought that fear of the terrors he had held up
before him would cause Jackson--whom he knew to be an arrant coward--to
refrain from adventuring himself again in the neighborhood.

But he miscalculated the depth of the man's animosity towards Mr.
Travilla, which so exceeded his cowardice as at length to induce him to
return and make another effort to destroy either the life of that
gentleman or his hopes of happiness; perhaps both.

Elsie was very fond of the society of her dear ones, yet occasionally
found much enjoyment in being alone, for a short season, with Nature or a
book. A very happy little woman, as she had every reason to be, and full
of gratitude and love to the Giver of all good for His unnumbered
blessings, she loved now and then to have a quiet hour in which to count
them over, as a miser does his gold, to return her heartfelt thanks, tell
her best, her dearest Friend of all, how happy she was, and seek help from
Him to make a right use of each talent committed to her care.

Seated in her favorite arbor one lovely spring day, with thoughts thus
employed, and eyes gazing dreamily upon the beautiful landscape spread out
at her feet, she was startled from her reverie by s