ed, when drifting
down the stream of life, and who should thenceforth have power to
separate them? A month before, Tom Leslie, who had had fifty flirtations
or less, would have laughed at the idea of being "in love," with what
seemed like a life-passion; and even three days before Josephine Harris
would have considered such an event, on her part, not undesirable, but
simply impossible. So much for what we know, to-day, of that which is to
exist to-morrow, even in the "best-regulated families!"

It was on the third visit paid to the house by Leslie, that Josephine
communicated to him her intention to be absent from the city for a week
or ten days, visiting some friends in one of the country sections
reached by the New York Central Railroad; after which she was again to
return to the city and accompany her mother, late in July, on her annual
pilgrimage to the Ocean House at Newport. She would leave for the north
on one of the first days of July--perhaps the Third or the Fourth.
Strangely enough, Leslie had arranged to go to Niagara for a few days,
at about the same time, and he suddenly found it a matter of no
consequence that he should go by the Erie Road, as he had at first
intended. Subsequent inquiries proved that the young girl would go
unattended, and leave the railroad at Utica, taking stage for the short
remainder of her journey. Leslie felt it almost a matter of inexcusable
impudence, after so short an acquaintance, to ask the favor of timing
his journey by hers and being her escort so far as Utica; but he dared
the risk, as he had dared many a risk before, from things quite as
deadly as woman's eyes; and he did _not_ meet even one objection or
expression of embarrassment. Josephine Harris accepted his escort as
freely as offered, and seemed rather pleased than otherwise! How absurd,
and in fact how improper! She should have blushed, simpered, and hinted
that she would be very much pleased with his escort--but--so short an
acquaintance--all her friends would know it--what would people
say?--etc., etc. Joe Harris did not understand all these things,
exactly; but the next woman would have acted out that role to
perfection.

Not to linger over these details, Mamma Harris not objecting, they left
the city of New York by the five o'clock train on the Hudson River
Railroad, on the evening of the Fourth of July, just when the city was
sweltering in its most deadly heat and all ablaze with patriotic
fireworks. Leslie h