rm,
and heard her gown sweep the little pebbles along the walk.

Something brought to my mind the conversation with Hilyard, and I half
thought to repeat it, but the night seemed too peaceful to sully by
telling a tale of such horrors, and beside, I fancied Amy disliked
Hilyard, although he had been intimate with the family for years, and in
fact, he and Amy had almost grown up together; but he had been
travelling for three years, and since his return Amy declared that he
had grown cynical and hard, and altogether disagreeable, and as I really
liked him, although our ideas on most subjects were radically opposed, I
thought I would not connect him, in Amy's mind, with an unpleasant
story.

I looked down into the delicate face lifted to mine, and pressed a
fervent kiss on the cream-white cheek. There was usually, even in her
tenderest moments, a certain virginal shrinking from a caress that was
an added charm, but to-night she moved closer to my side, and even
touched her lips to mine shyly, an occurrence so rare that I trembled
with joy, realizing as never before, that this sweet white flower was
all my own. I wanted to kiss her again, and with more fervor, upon the
mouth, but for her I had the feeling that I could not guard her, this
dear blossom of purest whiteness, too jealously. I would no more have
permitted myself, during our betrothal, to give her a very ardent
caress, the memory of which, however harmless it might seem to the
majority of affianced people, might cause her a troubled thought, than I
would have permitted a stranger to kiss my sister. Her maiden shyness
was a bloom which I did not wish to brush off. I took her hand in my own
as we turned to retrace our steps to the house, and stood looking down
at her in the wonderful September moonlight. She seemed a vestal virgin,
in her long, clinging dress of white wool, with a scarf thrown about her
head and throat.

Within, Kate had finished her selections from opera and bouffe, and out
into the soft evening drifted her rich contralto in the yearning strains
of the "Blumenlied."

"I long to lay in blessing
My hands upon thy hair,
Praying that God may preserve thee
So pure, so bright, so fair!"

I bent over and touched my lips to Amy's forehead reverently. "God keep
you, my snow-flower!" I whispered. And then we went silently in
together.

The next day was so fine that Mrs. Mershon decided to drive over to the
neighboring town in the afternoon