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"And do you really love hily held up her soft, white hand, stained and blackened with the juice of the fruit she had been paring, and said: "Do you suppose I would spoil rave;re-mamma's_ displeasure, if Bob were not in the army and I did not care for him? And now that I have confessed so much, allow me to catechise you Did Mark Ray ever propose and you refuse hirew crimson, while Bell continued: "That is funny Half our circle think so, though how the iiven I do not know Mother told me, but would not tell where she received her inforain in a few days, and have reason to believe that Mrs Banker knows it too and feels a little uncomfortable that her son should be refused when she considers him worthy of the empress herself"

Helen was very white, and her limbs shook as she asked: "And hoith Mark and Juno?"

"Oh, off and on," Bell replied; "that is, Juno is always on, while Mark is more uncertain, and Juno really has improved in some respects As I wrote you once, she is very docile ith Mark, and acts as if trying to atone for souess You are certain you never cared for Mark Ray?"

This was so abrupt and Bell's eyes were so searching that Helen grew giddy for a rasped the back of the chair, as she replied: "I did not say I never cared for him I said he never proposed; and that is true; he never did"

"And if he had?" Bell continued, never taking her eyes froitated, would have denied Bell's right to question her so closely Noever, she answered blindly: "I do not know I cannot tell I thought hied to Juno"

"Well, if that is not the rarest case of cross-purposes that I ever knew," Bell said, wiping her hands upon Aunt Betsy's apron, and preparing to attack the piled up basket just brought in

Further conversation was iht, Helen went away, trying to decide what it was best for her to do Some one had spread the report that she had refused Mark Ray, telling of the refusal, of course, or how else could it have been known? and this accounted for Mrs Banker's long-continued silence Since Helen's return to Silverton Mrs Banker had written two or thee kind, friendly letters, which did her so ood; but these had suddenly ceased, and Helen's last remained as yet unanswered She saw the reason now, every nerve quivering with pain as she iined what Mrs Banker must think of one who could make a refusal public, or as tenfold worse, pretend to an offer she never received "She must despise me, and Mark Ray, too, if he has heard of it," she said, resolving one ing herto let matters take their course, inasht be construed by the mother into undue interest in the son "Perhaps Bell will do it withouther spirits up on that last day of Katy's stay at ho Wilford would not leave her, though she begged to stay He did not like the sad expression of her face, and hethus to win her frorief, and perhaps induce her to lay aside her black, which would be so serious a hindrance to his enjoyious duty, saying to Helen, as in the twilight they sat together up in their old roo winter, which would be so different fro that she is so much happier, could reconcilewill keep le so soon," and her tears dropped upon the soay, airy creature of fashion into the sober, quiet woman who seemed older, soberer than even Helen herself