urse you'll stay here with your dear Sydney!"

Harry sighed.

"But _I_ won't stay," continued Katie, after another pause; "I'm going to
leave; and I'll walk back to the railway all alone."

"I think that would be a capital idea!" said Harry, in a tone of great
animation.

At this Katie burst into tears.

Harry was now quite distracted. He caught her in his arms and kissed her
over and over again.

"You don't understand," said he. "I mean it would be a good idea to go;
but, of course, you shall not go alone."

"Yes, I will go alone," said Katie, "all alone. You don't care for me, now
that you've got your Sydney. You don't care for me a bit!"

"Care for you!" cried Harry; "you're the only one, Katie, in all the world
that I do care for."

Katie struggled away from his encircling arms.

"No," said she, "you're not speaking the truth. You'll leave me, and say
those same words to your Sydney."

"Bother Sydney!" cried Harry, in unfeigned vexation.

At this Katie, whose head had been for a moment averted, now turned her
tearful eyes on him, and Harry once more took her in his arms.

"But do you, after all," said she--"do you, after all, care for me just a
little bit, Harry?"

"Care for you?" cried Harry, with headlong impetuosity. "I swear, Katie,
that I love you better than all the world. I will give up everything for
you. Will you do as much for me?"

"Why--why--how can I help it?" said Katie.

At this reply Harry kissed her again.

"You--you--offered your life for me," said Katie, in tearful agitation,
"and didn't I almost give my life for you, you dear old boy? You don't
know all yet. You don't know that it was for your sake only, and to save
you from death, that I consented to sacrifice myself to that awful man."

Katie now told Harry the whole story, and the effect of this narration was
only to intensify the ardent love of this volatile youth. While he had
been face to face with Talbot, he had undergone a severe struggle from
conflicting emotions and impulses. But, now Katie was before him, Talbot
was present no longer; and Katie was so sweet, so tender, so trustful,
and, above all, she had such a story to tell, that he could not resist.
Talbot's claims on him became less and less perceptible in those new ones
which Katie presented; and so the consequence was that he yielded up
everything--his honor, his loyalty, and his duty.

"Katie," said he, as he pressed her in his arms, "I love you alone--I'l