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��AFTER AWHILE.
��The delicate face by his side turned pale for a moment, then flushed rosy red, but she made no reply.
"Allie, I must tell you how dearly I love you," he continued, taking one of the slender hands in his own.
"I never realized until to-day, how dear you are to me. Can you care for me just a little?" he asked eagerly.
To his surprise, she burst into tears and wept as if her heart would break.
"I have frightened you, and I am very sorry — please forget what I have said, my child," he said, tenderly. "I am too old to talk of love to you," he continued, after a pause.
"Oh, Dr. Ellis, I like you, indeed I do, but I never thought you cared for me like this, until the other day, when Aunt Lizzie said I must not flirt so much, and then she told me all about her own trouble and that is why I have looked and acted so differently, I suppose. And — and — she told me I must not encourage you, unless I cared for you, and I don't know whether I do or not, and that is the truth," said the frightened little creature, not daring to raise her eyes to her companion's face.
"Thank you for being so frank with me, Allie, and thanks to your aunt for telling you to avoid the misery she caused herself," said he, gravely. "I want you to think of what I have said and weigh it well in your mind. You may have a mouth in which to make your decision and in the meantime, I want you to remember, that although I once loved your aunt, very dearly, I long since outgrew that love, and that I never eared for any one as I can care for you, if you will allow it," and he raised the hand he still held to his lips.
With all the innocence of a little child, Allie murmured softly, "I do like you very much indeed" whereupon the gen- tleman seemed to take courage, for the look of sadness vanished from his face, and a joyous smile took its place.
He then changed the conversation to the objects of interest by the way, and after an hour's ride, turned his horses homeward. Just before they reached the cottage, Allie said slowly, as if half afraid to ask the question —
��"Where is the gentleman, that aunt Lizzie was to have married? Is he liv- ing?"
"Yes, Allie, and I expect he will visit me in a few weeks," he answered.
"Oh, do you? What is his true name? Aunt would not repeat it."
"It is Walter Montague, and he has never married, but I believe he still loves your aunt. He has been in Europe for several years. A few months ago he met your father and learned, to his astonish- ment, that Lizzie had never married. When I wrote, asking him to forget the letter I had written, which had caused so much trouble, his answer was that I was never to mention his name again, and of course I never did. I hope that all will come out right in the end. Please do not mention this to your aunt. Your father and Walter will arrive at the same time."
They had reached the gate and the Doctor sprang lightly from the carriage and assisted Allie to alight, murmuring as he did so, something that brought the color to her cheeks and an undefinable look into her blue eyes, as she hastened up the path to the house.
Aunt Lizzie met her at the door with a smile, and saw the flushed .face and downcast eyes, but she apparently took no notice of it, for which favor Allie was very grateful. She hurried away to her room, for she desired to be alone, where she could think of all that had oc- curred and to ask herself if she really cared for the noble man, so much older than herself, who loved her so dearly.
She was very quiet, and not at all like herself, when, in answer to the summons from Susy, the maid, she took her seat at the tea table, and after the meal was over, hesitatingly followed her aunt to the sit- ting room. Instead of taking her accus- tomed seat at the piano— for she usually passed an hour or so there after tea — she drew her favorite chair to the window and sat gazing out with the same ab- stracted look, while her aunt, who sat si- lently regarding her, thought within her- self that her sweet little Allie was no longer a child ; that she had suddenly de- veloped into a woman.
At length Allie arose and drawing a hassock to the feet of her aunt, seated
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