“WITIERE'S

“And the plans were never carried out * I asked, after I had waited 2 moment to sce 1f he would say more. Well, 1 SUp- posc I know when they were made, but | never did quite understand why they came to nothmg.”

“No,” heanswered. “ 1 don't think any- body knew but oursclves. It was my fault —certainly, 1t was all my fault.”

He stopped, but T thought he was not disinclined to go on, and 1 was curious. Indeed, there had been an episode in John's life about which we had all been curious : and, though it was a good while past, 1 still felt T should like to know. So 1 said,

• I fancied 1t had been Miss Woodroffe's

doing 7 "

“1osard it owas my Jaudd,” he answered. “ I did not say it was my doing."”

“Oh " L answered rather blankly, and there was a silence.

Then John gave a little Taugh, half ridi- cule of himself, I thought, and half rueful- ness for the story that was in his mind.

“Tmay as well tell vou all about it,” he sard. " You are not likely to tell it to any ol the young ones, and it certainly was an odd way of losing onc's promised wife. You'll rce that she was not to blame."”

I saw now that T was i for the story, what- cver 1t might be, the catastrophce of which had left John a bachelor so I scttled mysclf in my chuairy put my feet more comtfortably on my footstool, and laid down the nut- crackers,

“AWell,” he said, I daresay you remember that [ have al- ways been much fonder of sceing my friends in my own housc than of going clsce- where for society, I don’t supposc I've dined out ten times in the last ten years; and ten vears ago I disliked doing 1t almost as much

JIANY

SLIT 161 as L do now. Only I wasn't quite such an old fogey, and I believe I had some vague elea of marrying. The difficulty was that ['had never seen exactly the right WO, and very naturally I wasn't nearly so keen about fniding her as I had been twenty vears belore that, Tt is just ten years now since I met Miss Woodrolfe.”

“Yes," I said, “1 remember it is about ten vears sinee 1 heard of her.”

“T'he only house where 1 ever cared to dine in those davs was Joddrell's, and | used to oo there about once for every four times they asked me. One cvening in September [went there much against my will. Joddrell had promised mc that | should meet some old friends, but when | arrived there was not onc present but strangers, and nearly all the party werc voung people. Fancy asking me to meet a roomlul of young people ! It wasn't until dinner was announced that I saw the lady I'was to take in 5 then Joddrell led me into @ eorner of the drawing-room, and intro- duced me to Miss Woodroffe, a friend of his wife's.”

John stopped a littde here, and I fancied

e e zrma -

‘ : Ry A\ ! |

7

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UMISS WOODKOFFL. " M