How many times since the days which I am recalling have I thought of that little cottage and wondered if fate had ordained that my room should be above the close curtained parlor that was seldom used, and never after the sun was down.

Ah! wise heads, I would that your confidence in the innocence of your boy had been less strong, then the seeds of an engrossing passion which have ripened and borne fruit these long years would never have been sown.

How long it seemed to me before she came down to breakfast. I could think of nothing but her and the many beauties she had unveiled to my young eyes and vivid senses; my only thought to feel her kisses and dally with the pretty charms concealed beneath her whites of skirts and pretty embroideries. But she came and I was happy.

That day she complained of headache and we neither went boating or walking but remained at the house all day, and when she came to bed she took me in her arms but did not kiss me much, and told me that I must go to sleep and not think of that as she was feeling badly. her words cast a gloom over my young life, but I did as I was told and born my grief in silence. On the following day she was well again and in her usual happy mood.

We bless that which antipodes pain

And sunshine is sweetest after rain.

After dinner, the sun being behind the clouds and not too warm, we went down to the boat for a ride. She talked to me while I rowed and kept my eyes on hers, and observing that once in a while my eyes glanced toward her little feet she seemed to know by intuition what was in my thoughts, and up went all that hid what I longed to see. The sight sent the blood to my white face, and as she put down her skirts she looked at me and smiling said: "My little sweetheart, if you will row to some nice, quiet, little spot where no one goes and we can be alone you can lie between the legs you think so pretty and like so much." I was a little tired of the oars, but at her words I grew suddenly strong, and being near a long strip of land that ran out into the sound I pulled up to the point and we got out and had walked but a few steps when we came to a nice little grass plot on which we sat down after she had spread out a light shawl that I had observed on her arm as we went down to the boat.