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Mrs. Hickman now spoke to Alice of her wishes. which. or course were moulded on her son's. and even Mr. Rickman withdrew his mind {or a brief space from the contemplation of scienti- llc facts and the fomiulating of all sorts of theories, to tell Alice how happy she would make the evening of his life if she would marry his only son. Alice asâ€" sured them that she would certainly marry no one else, and would not leave them unless they drove her forth on the advent of a. more suitable daughter-in- law. liven Mrs. Walter Annesley ur- ruyed herself on Gervase’s side. and went. so far 8.5 to hint. to Alice that moral sutt-ee could scarcely be expected even of a young woman who might have mar- ried her son. especially when there was Although Parliament was prorngued until February, he had a great deal of lpolitical business on hand that winter; his fluent and flashy rhetoric being in great request at one or two by~clacli0ns »and club meetings, whither he went at the instance of the (ax-minister and party chief to whom Mrs. Walter Annesley had introduced him, and who wished to make all the possible use of so keen and delicate an instrument as that ho had lighted upon in Gervaso Hickman. But Gervasa wrote frequently to Alice; charming letters, full of pungent reflec- _tions on the scenes and men which passed befone him. full of personal con- ‘fldcnces and kindly jcsts. and not too affectionate. He knew better than to m open the question of marriage, and only occasionally alluded to hopes which lay in the future, and feelings which might never be gratified. He had made the im- portant. step of prevailing on her to on- tertain the idea of marrying him. lie wisely left that. idea. to germinate silent- ly within her mind. Impulsive, warm- hearlcd Sibyl had often been laughed at as a child !or digging up her flower- seeds to see how they were growing; but. Gervase‘s seeds had always been left. undisturbed beneath the dark mold to fulfill their inevitable destiny, and at the same time had enjoyed more system- atic watering and weeding than Sibyl's. she felt the inon power of a destiny which seemed to be clming her in on every side, and all she could do was to pray for strength to do what would work [or the happiness of others. Then something occurred which pow- riully stimulated her halting purpose. The Annesleys did not return to Gledesworth after the winter abroad hich Edward had proposed as a tem- porary change. Their experience of iving at Coventry in a. country-house ’85 too gray when contrasted with the WM glow of continental travel (not hen so common as now); the girls ac- ulred the habits of English Bedouins, nd were seized hy the strange fascina- 'on of a wealthy nomadic existence in hose sunny countries which not only m with historic association, but are he homes of art. 'i‘hereiore they only eturned to England for an occasional '13”. to London. But Edward Annesley made it a duty 0 visit Glmlesworth from time to time nd sec pexsonally into the affairs of the roperty, though he was not recognized promised to be. A sort of paralysis of the willpropt upon Alice under all this; Next. morning the new member for Medington. who only allowed himself the solace of one night at Aran in re- compense for the labors o! the few weeks procaiing his election, left. only and did not see Alioe again [or some time. except occasionally in the presence of others. m'vthe landed gentry. or either asked or permitted to perform any of those gen- ial public duties which belong to that class. The cloud upon his name. grew darker with time, but he continued to maintain that. time would finally dissi- pate it. His manner changed lotnlly during this period; he became reserved, :old, taciturn, and gloomy. All this did not tend to soften his painful pOsition among his brother-oilieers, who did not recognize his existence more than they were obliged by their unwritten code of ettiquelto. His next, brother. Wilfrid, also a military man. a royal engineer.. implored him to leave. the service {or his own sake. but in vain. He replied also a munnry man, implored him to lem his own sake, but in that the army was his and that he intended :olors, and serve his mum; he was not. t by the clutter of a D g'ues. whose. venom h yielding. Then he in was not without hope jay be ndopled by u his ii\'( +++++++++ +++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++f+ 3n ml ime he l( 13 his 0“ there \\' Face to Face of a few venc 'enom he would n he invented 2 mt hope that it. en m {l Ul U n OR, GERVASE RICKMAN’S AMBITION. in whos in his h nl 1t W at it nuth asen 1 stic untry )0 d1" m an hm (@i 11.5 1d Ann ll Alice and Sibyl were busy decorating the church that winter afternoon when Edward Annesley arrived at Arden. He soon made his way to the church. and looked into the hoary interior. where the gloom was intensified by the dim ray of a candle or two. and where the air was aromatic with fir and bay: and saw the two girls. with some more young peo- ple, intent on hammering up wreaths. He soon joined them and held hammers and handed wreaths about; till Sibyl left them to go to the belfry, where the despotic Raysh had compelled them to keep their material. in search of fresh wreaths. Presently he followed her. un- observed except by Raysh. Alice, at whose bidding Sibyl had gone, growing tired of waiting. after a time went to remonstrate at having to work single- lianded. But Raysh. seeing her ap- proach. waved her back from the beliry door. which stood ajar, with a myster- ious air. “I ’lows there baint hroom for me and you in there," he said; “coorten,” he added, confidentiaily. Then the situation became clear to her; she could see the two figures in the light beyond the crack of the door. talking earnestly and apparently oblivious of? everything around them. The ever-1 greens were piled up ineom’enienlly around them in obedience to the dictumi of Raysh; “I caint hue my church messed up by this yer nonsense," he had. grumbled. lamenting the days when he alone adorned the church, and made it look “cheerfuller and more Christmas- turn arch like" by shaking a large bough of holly in every pew. till it, looked like Bimum Wood marching up for devotion instead of retribution. She had seen Edward and Sibyl skat- ing together the day before. when she drove to the ice to‘fclch Sihvl home. and It was on a. cold Christmaseve, the ponds were frozen and unspoiled by snow; Sibyl, who skated well. had met. him more than once on the ice, and his hopes had been stimulated during the coursm they had made together hand in hand. to the admiration of all beholdei‘s; for Sibyl looked so happy and so pretty while skating, that it was enough to make an old man and even an old wo- man young to look at her. Edward had from the first recognized Sibyl's charm and appreciated her guile- less character and bright \vit‘ and the more he thought of her the better he liked her. and the more he pondered, by the light of memory, on Gervase's hints as to her probable view of the relations between them. the more plausible did they appear to him. It was but. just to Wilfrid to marry before the latter had built any decided expectations on his celibacy. Therefore with renewed hope he once more set forth in search of a. wife. All good men like the idea of marriage in the abstract, it is only bad fellows who look with a cynical and incredulous eye upon wedded b1iss(for which they are obviously unfit); Edward Ann%ley was no exception to this rule. knowing them his observation of mankind that the human male is vastly improved by be- ing' brought into proper subjection and tamed lo the female hand. Sibyl had never thought. seriously of him, he proceeded to the notion that. to win such a heart as hers would make life livable once more. Gervnsc, with his accuslomod discretion, had left him to digest these unwelcome observations the moment, he had delivered himself of them. rightly divining that he had cast his handful of seed in a. good soil. [are Paul's death, Edward's subsequent. alleniions had been deliberate, else he would novcr for a moment. have tolerâ€" ated them. From hot indignation Edward passed t: cool reflection. and from hoping that Sibyl had never thought seriously of him. he proceeded to the notion that. to win such a heart, as hers would make v an incr fully enh e quickly with hot 5 if fie soples c edulous ghtened. silencu beneath :haractex‘ am But. a few 'h she had r 1T £611 1'10 V 1 Sihyl hom mmenls on 2211', but no 3 l1 nu 015m: and appl and w y( lysh. and tht me dim, co her ears, and n which sure (1 dismal thin mg 21 pe hands til nails \vi 1nd nailin on them now she 1m the 'su rver 1 th he and ‘ng in up “And I will tell you so again, if you like to hear it," she replied, in her bright, impetuous way. “Thank you. You are the very sweet- est little thing on the face of this per- verse earth! But won't you have me? Somehow it strikes me that we should get on wel’ together and make a plea- sant-going sort of couple. You scold so charmingly." Then it was that Edward took her hands and looked down, too confidently, into the sweet face. which was tender, sad, and playful all at once. “It strikes me that we shall do nothing of the kind," she replied, withdrawing her hands with some indignation “You dcn‘t love me." she added, with a ser- iousness touched with reproach. “Indeed I do." “No. indeed you don‘t. You love some- body else. You have loved her for years and will love her forever. And you ought to, for she is the dearest creature in the' world." “But she won‘t have me." “Won‘t she? Try again. Wait. She is worth it." “No, Sibyl, that chapter is closed. It is quite true that I shall never feel again as 1 did for her. never. But past is past. Onc can't. live backward. One has to g.) on. You and I have always been such friends; let us be more. You might make me happy. and I would try tn'be good to you." He had taken“ her hand and led her forth from tahe darkening chamber be- neath the bells. into the. warm, crimson glow of the frosty sunset. and now they slowly paced the hard footpath among the graves, until they reached the mea- dow above and beyond the chunch-yard, where the leafless ehus made a line black tracery on the deep orange sky above them. “Oh, what tiresome, clumsy. stupid want to marry me. lh are good friends. let then. A good friend had husband. which y tatin g trying strainé lion. “1 am I said. plaintiver things these men are “you don’t even prof you see. Why in 111 €115 "No." he echoed, aback by this plump Live, “and I thought seemed to care for me. every day, and l trunk*l hopeâ€"you cure for meâ€"" here he paused. expect- ing a reply, which naturally was not forthcoming. “Will you marry me " he added. in his straighllorward fashion. Sihyl had looked up with her usual frank Smile, when he entered, and went on unsuspieiously twining her ivy leaves, but when he spoke, her heart gave a great leap, all the blood flushed up into her face, and the beltry seemed to spin round and shake the great bells over her head S<mething rose in her throat and choked her; she grew cold all of a sudden and looked with wistful inquiry into his face which was earnest and eloquent with warm feeling. Then she looked down, and he waited in vain for her answer. thinking hers one of the sweetest faces that was ever seen, and went on to his downright question. to which she immediately answered Sihyl smiled, and he seemed lo see Viola again, “I am all the daughters of my father's house. And yeLâ€"l know not." "Once," she said, “I was in love with you. When I was a little, naughty girl. You were such a pretty boy and always hit, everything you threw stones at. And you didn’t mind being teased like poor Paul. You should have asked me then.” “But I had not sense enough then. I know that you believe in me. you told me so once.” Her companions spoke to her, and she answered them like one who wanders in sleep; the dim and darkening church seemed unreal as the architecture of dreams; its trooping shadows and flick- ering spots of light oppressed her and added to the confusion which throbbed within and nearly stifled her. Her life seemed to depend on the energy with which she moved and worked; did she but pause an instant to think, she would be undone. And was it truly Sibyl who awakened such anger and scorn in the heart which loved her? And was it true that Alice once actually loved that shal- low man who was filling the measure of his faults by proving a trifler, a light of love, and a traitor? It. was only when she had exhausted her energies and torn her hands in tin- ishing her task that better and more rational feelings came. After all, she mused, might this not be the best thing for both? Sibyl believed in him; who could tell what a purifying and ennob- ling influence her perfect trust and inno- cent love might have upon him? Sibyl might still be happy With him, being blind. So she brcught herself to think after painful wrestling..- “Sibyl,” Edward began, vithout hesi- tation, when they were alone in the bel- fry. “we have been friends for a long time, and you are more dear to me every day, and l think‘l hopeâ€"you “N03: mer dawn with such high rmlves and feelings so different. Th hI‘ined. e quarr- nds. 111 in hard IS ese men are !" exclaimed Sibyl; L’t even profess to care for me. Why in the world should you marry me. then? You say we 1 friends. let us hide friends, . good friend is better than u and. which you would certain- by innate awe which this guil 1, “Just think rrels we might the sphere is Ii 5 must be (lbs 5 a theme for is nothing a woman 1rd not, to 1K ; just 11 with busy. atur ‘Oh in the w , return kiss her and it‘s this 1n 1( sh eless spirit of the con ‘0 1' :1 V the )rld i so iI‘I‘i Edward and re woman )mfort a men onven 1h with upor 'l‘ller in cure What was the secret charm which so irresistibly drew him to her? It was very different from the deep, inevitable and inextinguishable feelings which bound him to Alice. Something told him that Sibyl knew him better than he knew himself. her deep. liquid eyes seemed to be gazing into the depths of his soul, and discovering recesses closed even to him. What was the secret, of her power? Was it genius? His brain was full of lyric snatches from the little volume of poems which had just ap- peared in Sihyl‘s name. and they had seemed to his not exigent judgment to have the ring of true song, they had fur- ther suggested revelations of Sibyl's own heart. Her earnest glance spoke a thou- sand unspeakable things, it revealed the guileless soul of a gentle Viola. yet with all its tenderness it scarcely concealed “01' course I shall always love her," he said. earnestly. “as one loves what is too high and Loo far off to reach. But. dearest Slbylâ€"â€"" “Then don't lease me any more. Who carw to hear other people made love burned away to was floating g meads beneath \VOS fl 0 Gervase in bidding her pressed her hand lingorin «1 the pressure, and was mere was at least one or )uld absolulely rely, and )r 1101' nothing could ulna NEVER MIND MOT in th - In : cont the DU and was glad st one on wh rely, and wh :ould abate. l) IER try all never “1 pen._" e15 me. too." '- a week. “a g on the [FL/0 1nd was of Cd. and m ' “GOOd- w: gly, she sh glad to ca 1 whom pe And there have been men of this stamp who, thrown absolutely upon their own resources in a new country have “bucked Jo.” and done well. but in nine cases out of ten the remittance is fatal. It is expected. and when comfort can be had by merely sauntering to the postomce, redemption is difficult. Every centre in. the Dominion has its riemiltanoe man. and‘ the commercial metropolis is not without its quota. Extreme hardship has one of two pos- sible effectsâ€"it. either depresses or sti- mulates. The remittance men might be saved it the remittance did not come. But, habituated to ease, and sure of the remittance. which will render effort unnecessary, slothfulness beoomes chro- nic. itnd incurable. and there is a tra- gzical loss to good citizenship; merely because a pampered young lad was not taken by the scruff of the neck at. six- teen and told to make his living. A curious and pretty served every year in the burg, Germany, to celcbr victory which was won dl‘en more than 400 years of the numerous siege; l reduced to the last exlre was suggested that all should be sent‘out unprol Peflodmauy he woum dmnppeun Not one of the navvies ever hinted the cause oF such disappearance. He would re~ turn in about a fortnight. with hands that irennfled, and lips that vvere red and hot. inn The “remittance man" is a feature at any large immigration. This is the no‘er-do-wellâ€"young, often handsomeI highly educated, in instances. Just spoiledâ€"spoiled by softness, by shelter- ing. in his early youth. His parents were over-fond. Also. they had too much money. The wind must not blow roughly upon their darling, who camd to expect that the world was made ex- pressly for his pleasure. He was dull at school; he was plucked at college, and he entered upon man~ hood without a profession. By and by his father coaxed him to go out to Canada and start ranching. which might answer to his love for outdoor life and sport. \\'HEN CHILDREN \\'ON unnmanamenls, and are wholesome in their rclaltons.buthumnn nature is de- tective. and distance from the scene (1 the dmoral lapse is not. infrequently dc- szre . Recently. was noticed a beautiful young girl in company with a strap- ping young fellow who. though man- ly-looking enough. confessed at a glance his social inferiority to his companimy The girl was English. She had a charming carriage. delicately tinted cheeks, a mass of golden hair and an accent which told the story of breeding, a bit of parchment. He was idolized by the men. by the prople of the dislrict. He had humor {(r be came from the Green Isle, and his stories were side-splitting. He was also an excellent manager or men. Enquiries from railway officials. and especially from the stewards of the ship in which they had come out elicited that, the young man had been the girl's father‘s coachman in [the smith of Eng- land; that he hud dared to make love to her; that this love had. in due course been returned; and that they had e101» 0.1 together, intending to go upon the land in the Saskatoon district. There is some strictnoss of examin- ation now, but the wastrel cannot. cc wholly excluded. For the wastrel ap- pears frequently in the guise of the gen tleman~is. indeedâ€"the gentleman. only last to duty. to regular habits. to am- bltion. An army chaplain has been known to be working as foreman of a gang 0! navvies in the Lake Nipissing district wa genllemun to his linger lips with that dreadful failing, which some {00L ish people think lilicy can remove by While a new country offer; a splen- did field for those who, ambitious d getting on, are handicapped in'old lands by the restraints and oppressxons of ancient environments, it also offers. or seems to offer. a place in which old sorrows may be torgotlen; a. place In which the social offence, com-milled elsewhere, may be forgiven. The bulk of In have, no doubt, Cnmmandmenls, their x‘claltons.b The most tragical contrasts mg, of Condition. are met with [he immigranls. “"asirels Pilchtorked Into Cana a tho. Land of "Forget." midiery )mazem nt< nould 1mp I eul f( COACHMANVS AND MASTER'S DAUGHTER. THE FATAL REMI’ITANCE m TRAGICAL CONTRASTS nt an “REIIITTANCE MEN." the b mercy 'l‘hi: )[ the 1m; last exlr that all out unpw 3 people who came out had regard to the Ten and are wholesome in uthunmn nature is de- 1h “'11 >f fl‘ custom is oh- (1in of Ham- ‘ate a famous by little chil- ‘ ago. In one tambm'g was mity, when it. the children looted into the the mute up- lptc'ss and the a. The rough II] VICTORY o! feel~ among th HI