to side with him, and blame herself for having lacked an intuitive
prescience of his coming, which should have kept her a nun in heart and
soul.

The next evening, about dusk, Henry was wandering sadly and aimlessly
about the streets when he met Madeline face to face. At first she seemed
rather unpleasantly startled, and made as if she would pass him without
giving him an opportunity to speak to her. Then she appeared to change
her mind, and, stopping directly before him, said, in a low voice--

"Won't you please leave me alone, after this? Your attentions are not
welcome."

Without giving him a chance to reply, she passed on and walked swiftly up
the street. He leaned against the fence, and stood motionless for a long
time. That was all that was wanting to make his loss complete--an angry
word from her. At last his lips moved a little, and slowly formed these
words in a husky, very pitiful whisper--

"That's the end,"




CHAPTER VI.


There was one person, at least, in the village who had viewed the success
of the new drug-clerk in carrying off the belle of Newville with entire
complacency, and that was Ida Lewis, the girl with a poor complexion and