ar garden, when you come back," said Leo.

Doctor Douglass drew closer, and asked:

"Will you let me stay also, and enjoy with you the wonderful charm of
this opalescent air, this beautiful cincturing sea?"

"I would rather be alone. Solitude is a luxury rarely allowed on a
yacht cruise; and I want a few quiet moments. By day, poor Aunt Patty
has so much to tell me; at night, Alma is a chattering owl."

There are hours when the ghost of a happy past, from which we have
persistently fled, constrains us to give audience; and Leo surrendered
herself to memories that brought a very mournful shadow into her brave
brown eyes. Thirteen months had passed since her departure from X---and
despite changing scenes and novel incidents, she could not escape the
haunting face that met her on mountains, was mirrored in every sea; the
brilliant mesmeric face set in its frame of crisp black locks, with
dark blue eyes whose intense lustre had the cold, hard gleam of jewels.
Sleeping or waking, always that dear, powerful face daring her to
forget.

When Doctor Douglass and Miss Patty joined the yacht party at Palermo,
the former had brought a letter and a package, which sorely tested
Leo's strength of will. Leaning to-day against the twisted body of an
old olive tree, she opened and read once more, the final message.

"When Leighton places this sheet in your hands, the year of release
which I could not refuse you, will have expired. Once your noble heart
was wholly mine; and the proudest moment of my life was, and will be,
that in which you promised to be my wife. All that you ever were, you
shall always remain to me; and if you can confide your happiness to my
keeping, I will never betray the sacred trust. Life has grown sombre to
me, during the past eighteen months; and the only companionship that I
can hope to cheer it, you alone can bring me. I have not willingly or
intentionally forfeited your confidence; but that I have suffered, I
shall not deny. If you love me, as in days gone by, our future rests
once more in your hands; and you must renew the pledges that at your
request I surrendered. In behalf of our past, I beg that you will
retain the ring, hallowed forever by the touch of your hand; and its
acceptance will typify, if not a renewal of our engagement, at least
the perpetuity of a sacred friendship. Awaiting your final decision, I
am, my dear Leo,

"Yours as of yore, LENNOX."

All that she had ever been; no more. T