JSC dollar PER annum invariably in advance. fllominn, September 3. 183?. <*fiftttb SOMEBODY. Somebody's courting somebody. Somebody or other, to-night. Somebody's whispering to somebody. Somebody's iist'niug to somebody, I'uder this clear moonlight. Near the bright river s flow, Running so still and slow. Talking so soft and low, She sits with somebody. racing the ocean's shore. Edged by the foaming roar, Words, never breathed be/ore, Sound sweet to somebody. Under the maple tree. Deep though the shadow be, Plain enough they can see—■ Bright eyes has somebody. No one sits up to wait. Though she is out so late— All know she's at the gate. Talking with somebody. Tip-toe to parlor door— Two shadows on the floor— Moonlight reveals no more- Susy and somebody. Two. -ittimr side by side. Float wish the ebbing tide. '■ Thus, dearest, may we glide Through life." says somebody. Somewhere, somebody Makes love to somebody. To-night. stlttltb (Litlt. ?113 33 ?3P Lf U AIJ FRANCES SEYMOUR had been left an orphan ! and an heiress very early in life. Her mother , had died in giving birth to a second child. ! which did not survive its parent, so that Fran ces had neither brother nor sister ; aud her father, an officer of rank an 1 merit, was killed a: Waterloo. When this sad news reached Eugland, the child was spending her vacation with Mrs. Weutworth, a sister of Mrs. Sey mour. and hencelorth this lady's house became her home : partly, because there was no other ! relative to ciaiiu her, and partly, because j amongst Colonel Seymour's papers, a letter | was found, addressed to Mrs. Wentworth. re- i questing that, if be fell in the impending con- j th.:. she would take charge of his daughter.— . Iu making this request, it is probable that I (.'clone. Seymour was more influenced by ne- j cessity than choice : Mrs. Weutworth beiug a gay woman of the world, who was not likely j to bestow tuuch thought or care uj>on her ueice, 1 whom she received under her roof without un willingness, but without affection. Had Fran- ; i\s been poor she would felt her a burdeu : 1 but as she was rich, there was >ouie eclat and no inconvenience in undertaking the office of her guardian and chajK'rou—the rather as she hid no daughter of her owu with whom Fran ces's beauty or wealth could interfere ; for as the young heiress grew iuto womanhood, the charms of her person were quite remarkable' enough to have excited the jealousy of her cousins, if she had any ; or to make her own fortune, if she had not possessed one already. She was. moreover, extremely accomplished, good-tempered, cheerful, and altogether what is called a very uice girl ; but of course she 1 had her faults, like all other people : she was \ too fond of admiration—a fault which had i been very much encouraged at the school ; where she had been educated ; beanty and wealth, especially when combined, being gen orally extremely popular at such establish ments. As long, however, as her admirers were only romantic schoolfellows and calculat ing school-mistresses, there was not much harm doue ; tut the period now approached iu which there would Ik* more scope for the exercise of this passion, and more danger in its indulgence 1 Frances had reached the age of seventeen, and 1 was about to make her debut in the world of | fashion—an event to which, certain as she was ! of making nunierou* conquests, she looked for- j ward with groat delight. Whilst engaged in preparations for these an tkipated triumphs. Mrs Weutworth said to her cue day : "Now that you are coming out. Frances. I think it is ray duty to communicate ' to yot a wish of your father's, expressed in the j letter which was "fouud after his death. It is a w.sa regarding your choice for a husband." " Pear me. aunt, bow verv odd !" exclaitnevl Frances. "It is ratber odd." returned Mrs. Went worth ; "and, to be candid, I dou't think it is very w.se ; for schemes of this sort seldom or never turn ont we!!." Scheme 1 What scheme is it V asked 1 ranees, with no little curiosity. Why. yon must know," answered her aunt. ' :r.at your father had a very intimate frieod. t *bvT.; lie was as much attached ail bis life is ;f lie Lad been his brother." Vou mean Sir Richard Elliott. I reraem tvr seel: g him and his son at Ottcrbv, when I a i.ule girl ; and I often heard papa >peak <■ b afterwards." Well, wheu youag Elliot got his comnats ' "" your papa, in cormuauce with Sir Rieh •id's request used his interest to have him ap pointed to his owu reciuicnt, in order that he -- : keep birn under his eye. By th s . ears, became intimately acquainted with the - c man's character, and, 1 suppose, as Q*a attached to him as to his father." A_i the scheme is, that I should marry thai. I suppose J* "Provided y.-vt are both disposed, iret c-iherwue ; there is to be no compulsion ia the case." " It is a sth roe that ail! never be realised,' 1 Frances • "for, of all thing*. 1 sbooMilis a marriage that had been paused ia thai THE BRADFORD REPORTER. *ay. The Tery idea of standing in such an awkward relation to a man would make me hate him." " That's why I think all soeh schemes bet ter let alone," returned Mrs. Wentworth ; "but as your father desires that I will put you in j possession of his wishes before you go into the world, I have no choice but to "do it." " It does uot appear, however, that this Mr. Elliot is very anxious about the matter, since he has uever taken the trouble of comiug to see me. Perhaps he does not kuow of the scheme J" "Oh yes, he does ; but, iu the first place, he is abroad with bis regiment ; and in the ; second, he abstains upon principle from seek ing to making your acquaintance. So Sir Richard told me, wheu I met him last year at Lady Grautley's fete. He said that his son's heart was perfectly free, but that he did not think it right to throw himself in your way ; j or endeavor to engage your affections, till yon have had an opiMjrtuuity of seeing something of the world. Tue old gentleman had a great desire of seeing you himself ; and he would have called, but he was ouly passing through London on his way to some German baths, and he was to start the next morning." " And what sort of a uerson is this Mr. I Elliott ?" " I really don't know, except that his father praised him to the skies. He's Major Elliott now, and must be about eight-and-twenty." " And he is the eldest son ?" " He's the eldest son, aud will be Sir Hen ry—l think that's his name—by and by. Rut he's not rich : quite the contrary, he's very poor for a baronet ; and I incline think that that is one of the reasons that influenced your father. Being so fond of the Elliotts, he wish ed to repair, in some degree, the dilapidation of their fortunes by yours." "So that I shall have the agreeable con sciousness of being married purely for my mon ey. lam afraid poor dear papa's scheme will fail ; and I wish, aunt, you had never told me of it." " That was not left to my discretion : if it had been. I should uot have told yon of it, I assure yon." " Well, I can only hope that I shall never see Major Elliott : and if he ever proposes to come, aunt, pray do me the favor to assure him. from me. that it will not be of the smallest use." "That would be foolish till you've seen him. You may like him." " Never: I could not like a man whom I met under *uch circumstances, if he were an angel." Thus, with a heart steeled against Major Elliott and bis attractions whatever they might be. Frances Seymour made her debut ; and. however brilliant had been her anticipations of success, she had the satisfaction of finding them fully realized. She was the belle of the sea >on —admired, courted and envied : and by the eud of it, she had refused at least a half a dozen proposals. As she was perfectly inde pendent, siie resolved to enjoy a longer lease of her liberty, before she put it in the power of any man to control her inclinations. Shortly after the termination of the season, some family affairs cal.ed Mr. and Mrs. \\ ent worth to St. Petersburg ; and and as it wa> not convtuient that Frances should accompany them they arranged that she should spend the in terval in visting some families of their own con nexion residiug in the country, who promised to take due charge of her. The first of these, by name Dunbar, were worthy people eneungh, bat unfortunately for Frances, de.*;>erately dull ; and the few neigh bors they had happened to be as dull as them selves Tuere were neither ball* nor routs to keep up the spirit* of the London belle : and a tiresome drive of six or eight miles touuequal ; iv tiresome dinner party, was but a jxvor -üb stitnte for the gaieties which the late season 1 had given her a taste for. Franees was not without resources. She was a fine niu- .an, and played and -aug ad oiirablv ; but -be liked to be to! i that site di . *- coc'd to with any'-cdy Ljt himself; whilst ~:< parents did uot neglect t"> i hint that he could not do Iwttcr than to :T'>- eence u suit which the young lady's evident purtialitr jnsti*v>l. Pleased with the prtvs j eot of their swi "* .'nuktuc so gx> 1 a mate."", they even ventured one day a daLi jest txi the sublet ia the presence of I ranees—a jest which, be* vr is a wa*. reused act to re Bee - lion Flirting with a caan, and .angirag foe I bis admirauco, is xsc 'Lif? I hznag and aur- PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH. " OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANT QUARTER." rying biro, is another. For the first, Vincent Dunbar answered exceedingly well ; bat for the second, he was ttholty flnftt. In spite of her little weakness, Frances had too moch sense not to see that the young lieutenant was an empty-headed coxcomb, and not at all the man with whom she hoped to spend her years of discretion —when arrived at them —after an ample enjoyment of the delights that youth, beauty, and wealth are calculated to procure their possessor. Her eyes were opened, in short ; and the oTdinary effect of this sort of awakening from an unworthy penchant —for attachment it could not be called—ensued ; the temporary liking changed into aversion, and the attentions that had flattered her before became hateful. In accordance with this new state erf her feelings, she resolved to alter her behavior, in order to dissipate as quickly as possible the erroneous impression of the fami ly : whilst at the same time, she privately made arrangements for cutting short "her visit, and anticipating the period of her removal to the house of Mrs. Gaskoiu, betwixt whom and the Duubars the interval of her friends' ab sence iu Russia'was to be divided. In spite of her stratagem, however, she did not escape what she appreheuded. A'incent's leave had nearly expired too ; and when the moment approached that was to separate them he seized an opportunity of making bis pro posals. There is scarcely a woman to be met with in society, who does not know, from experience, what a paiufal thing it is to crash the hopes of a man who is paving her the high compli ment of wishing to place the happiness of his life in her keeping ; and when to this source of embarrassment is added the consciousness of having culpably raised expectations that she shrinks from realizing, the situation becomes doubly distressing. On the present occasiou, agitated, ashamed, and confused, Frances, in stead of honestly avowing her fault, which would have been the safest thing to do, had recourse to a subterfuge ; she answered, that she had been betrothed by her father to the sen of his dearest frieud, aud that she was uot free to form any other engagement. Of course. A'iocent pleaded that such a contract could not be binding on her ; but as. whilst she declared her determination to adhere to it, she forbore to add, that wire she at liberty his position would uot be improved, the young man and hi* family remained under the per suasion that this premature engagement was the ouly bar to his happiuess : and with this impression, which she allowed him to retaiu, because it spared him and hersilf pain, he re turned to his regiment, whilst she, as speedily as she could, decamped to her uext quarters, armed with a thousand good resolutions never a-rain to bring herself iuto such an unpleasant diiemua. Mr* Gaskoin's was a different sort of a honse to the Dnnbars'. It wa? not gay, for the place was retired and Mrs. Gaskoiu being in ill health, they saw little company : but they were young, cheerful, and accomplished people, and in their society Frances forgot the vexations she had left Indiind her. She even ceased to mis* the admiration she was accus tomed to : what wa- amiable and good iu her character—and there was much—regained the ascendant ; her host and hostess congratulat ed theniselvi- on having -0 agreeable an in- mate as much as -he did herself on the jndi ciou* move die had made, till her equanimity wa* disturi>ed by learning that Mr. Gaskoin was expecting a visitor, and that this visitor wa* his old friend aud brother officer. Major Elliott, the person of all others, A'incent Dunbar excepted, she had the greatest desire to avoid 4 * I cannot express how mnch I shoald dis like meeting him." she said to Mr*. Gaskoin, to whom she thought it better to explain how she was situated 44 You must allow me to keep my room whilst he is here." •• If you are determined not to see him, I really think you had better back to the Duubars for a little while," answered the host ess ; "but I really think you should stay, and let thing* take their course. If your aversion continues, you need uot marry him ; but my husband tells me he's charming ; and in point of character, I know no one whoa he esti mate* so highly." But Frances objected, that she sbon'd fee! so embarrassed and awkward. 44 In short, you apprehend that you will ap- to a great disadvantage," said Mr*. Gaskoin. 4 ' That i* possibk, certainly ; but as M cor Elliott is only coming for a day or two, I think we in ght obviate that d fficuity. by : - •reducing you as my hn*'oand's neice. Fanny Gaskoiu. What do yon say? You can de clare yourself whenever you please, or keep the secret till he he goes, if yon prefer it." Frances said she should like it very much : the scheme would afford them a great deal of amusement, and any expedient was preferable to going back to Dnubar House. Neither, as regarded themselves, was it at a!! difficult of execution, since they always addressed her as Fanny or Frances : the danger was with the servants, who, however cautioned to call the visitor by no other name than Miss Fanny, might inadvertantly betray the secret Still, if thev did, a few blushes aud a hearty laogh were likely to be the oc'y consequence* of the disclosure so the little 1 -lot was duly framed sad sucer-*fuHy executed : Major Elliott not entertaining the nto-t remote *n.-Ti ion that this beat.tifnl. fascinating Fanny Gaskoiu wa it:* own iatete. Whether they might have fallen in love with each other had they mot under more prosaic circumstances, there i* no saying. A? tt was. thev did *0 almost at flrrt *:gbt. It i* need less to say. tu.it Major Ediott extended his visit beyond the day or two he had engaged for ; aud whea Mr. aui Mrs G saw how matters were going, they recommended an im mediate avgwitl of the l.ttie deception t;:at iiad ueec ' fact -ed. lest *■ ".;e ili-tcced visst r suou*; iuo.-portunely !<•.{ 00; the secret, intd ab ready leva endangered more than oace by th-? forgetf(Mtte of the servaats : but Fraoces wished toprolot g their dtversion till she shoald ami some happy roemefi* for the iv waok ; added to watch, she had n extreme curiosity to kuow how Major Elliott inteuded to release himself from the engagement formed by Col. Seymour, iu which he had tacitly, if not avow edly, acquiesced. It was certainly tery flat tering that her charms had prcued sufficiently powerful to make him forget it; bat that he should have yielded to the temptation with out the slightest appearance of a straggle did surprise her, as indeed, from th"ir knowledge of his character, it did Mr. and Mrs. Gaskoin. Not that they would have expected him to adhere to the contract, if doiug so proved re pugnant either to himself or the young lady ; but under all the circumstances of the case, they wo ald have thought his conduct less open to exception, if he had deferred entering into any other engagement till he had seen Miss Seymour. Ii wes true, that he had net yet offered bis hand to his friend Gaskion's charm ing neice ; but neither she, nor any one else, en tertained a donbt of his intention to do so; and Frances never found herself alone with him, that her heart did not beat high with the expectation of what might be coming. The progress of love affairs is no measure of time ; where the at trait, or magnetic rapport (for perhaps maguetism has something to do with the mystery), is very strong, one couple will make as much way in a fortnight as an other will do in a year. In the present in stance, Major Elliott's proclivity to fall in love may have been aided by his persnasion that she was the neice of his "frieud. Be that as it may, on the thirteenth day of his visit, Major Elliott invited his host to join in a walk, in the course of which he avowed his intention of offering his hand to Miss Gaskoin, provided her family were not likely to make any serious objectiou to the match. "My reason for men tioning the subject so early is," said he, "that in the first place, I cannot prolong my visit ; I have already broken two engagements, and now, however unwilling. I must be off ; and, the second place, I felt myself bound to men tion the subject to you before speaking to Mis? Gaskoin, because you know how I am situated in regard to money matters : and that I canuot, unfortunately, aiake soeh a settle ment as nvay be expected by her frieuds." '• I don't think that will be any obstacle to yonr wishes," answered Mr Oaskoin, with an arch smile. "If you can find Fanny in the hu mor. I'll undertake to answer for all the rest. As for her fortune, she'll have Something, at all events—but that is a subject, I suppose, you are too much iu love to discuss." 44 It is one there is 110 use in discussing till I am accepted," returned Major Eiiiott ; <4 and i I confess that is a point I am too anxions about to think of any other." " Prepare yourself," said Mrs Ga?koiu to Fran . ' Major Elliott ha* declared him self t hu*band, and will doubtless take an opjtort: ry of *ieakiug to you in theconr*e cf the evening. Of coarse now the troth must ! be disclosed, and I've no doubt it will be a j very agreeable surprise to him." When the tea-things were removed, and Frances, as nsual. was seat at the pianoforte and Major Elliott, as usnal, taming over the ieaves of her music-book, she almost lost her breath with agitation wheu the gentle closing of a door aroused her to the fact that they were alone. Mr. and Mrs. Gaskoin had qni etly slipped dot of the room ; and conscious that the critical moment was come, she was making a nervous attempt to follow them. w hen a hand was laid oa hers, and But it is quite needless to enter into particulars ; such scenes do not bear relating. Major El liott said something, and looked a thousand things ! Frances blushed and soi led, and I theu she wept, avowing that her tears were ! tears of joy ; and so engrossed was she with j the happiness of the moment, that she had ac tually forgotten the fa!*e colors nnder which she was appearing, till her lover said : 44 I have already, my dear Fanny, spoken en the subject to your uncle." 4 " Now, th-m. for the 'fenowmnt thought Frances : bat she had formed a little scheme for bringing this abont. which she ha i forth with to pnt into execution. 44 But. dear Henry," she said, a* eeated on the sofa Land in hand, they dilated on their present happiness and future plans— 44 dear Henry, there is one t! ing that has rather per plexed m*. and doe* perplex roe still, a little —do you kuow, I have been told yea were j engaged f" 4 " Indeed ! AVho toli von that ?" 4 Well, I don't know ; but I'm *ure I heard it. It wa* *atd that you were ei-riir'sl to Mi*.* Seymour—the Miss S-ymoar, that live* with Mr* Wentworth " I "Do you knew her ?" inquired Major Elli ott, interrupting her. 4 A'es, I do—a little.* 1 4 " Only a little V 44 Well, perhaps, I may say I know her pretty well. Indeed, to confess the truth, I'm rather intimate with her." '•That is extremely fortunate." returned ' Major Elliott. " Thee yon doo ! deny the engagement V said France*. 4 ' Coionei Seymour, who was ray father's ; friend aud mine, very kindly expressed a wish before he died. that, provided there was no . obieet'oa on either -"Me. hi* d'trcrhter arrd I should be married : but yon *ee. ray dearest Fanny, a* there h appeos to lie ea ot jeciiou on both -id-. the scheme, however w e J meant, i* defeated." "Oa both side*!" reiterated Frances with surprise. '• Yes ; on Wth sides," answered be smil ing • Bat how do yon kuow that, when you've never seen Mis* Seyaiour—us least I thought you never had ?" •• Neit'ter have I ; but I hipjieu to know that *he Its* not the -iigiitest intention cf tuk iag nie for hex hesbaad." *' Ou aulu Frances, Uugbiug a! the recol lection of Lcr o*a violent antipathy to tin* ir resistible man. who, after all, had taken ber hear! by srorn—"l *:pj-ra? rra !?--'? so*?v : L it regiember, Hea ry, she has never seen you. How do you know that she might not hove fallen in love with yon at first sight ?—as somebody else did,'* she abi ded, playfnlly. " Because, my dear little girl, 9he fetpfyefrX to be in love already. She did not wait to see me, bat wisely gave away her heart when she met a man that pleased her." " Bnt yon're mistaken," answered Frances, beginning to feel alarmed ; " yon are indeed ! I know Frances Seymour has 110 attachment. I know that till she saw you—l mean that— I am certain that she has no attachment, nor ever had any." " Perhaps yon are not altogether in her con fidence." 44 Oh, yes I am indeed." Major Elliott shook his head, and smiled significantly. 44 Rely on it" he said, 44 that what I tell yon is the fact ; bnt yon have pro bably not seen Miss Seymonr very lately, which would sufficiently account for your ignorance of her secret. lam told that she is extremely handsome and charming, and that she sings divinely.' Five minutes earlier, Frances would bare been delighted with this testimony to her at tractions ; and would have been ready with a repartee about the loss he would sustain in re linquishing so many perfections for her sake ; but now her heart was growing faint with ter ror, and her tongue clove to the roof of her month. Thoughts that would fill pages darted through her brain like lightning—dreadfnl pos sibilities, that she had never foreseen nor thought of. Vincent Dnnbar's regiment had been in In dia ; she knew it was one of the seventies ; bat she had either never heard the exact number, or she had sufficiently attended to the subject to know which it was. Major Elliott's regi ment had also been in India ; and it was the 7fith. Snppose it were the same, and that the two officers were acquainted—and snppose they had met since A'incent's departure from Dunbar House ! The your.g man had occa sionally spoken to her of his brother officers ; she remembered Poole, aud Wainwright, and Carter ; and name of Elliott he had certainly not mentioned ; bat it was naturally of hi? own frinds and companion? he spoke, not of the field-officer*. Then, when she told him that had been betrothed by her father, she had not *aid to whom ; but might he not, by some uulueky chance, have fouud that ont ? And miuht not an explanation have enned 1 Could Major Elliott have distinctly discov ered the expression of her features, he would have seen that it was something more than perplexity that kept her silent ; but the light fell obscurely on the seat t'lev ocopied, and he suspected \ othing bnt that she was puzzled aßd surprised. 4i I see you are very enrioa? to learn the se cret," he said: 44 and if my own, you shohld not pine in ignorance, I assure you : bnt as it is a yonng lady's, I am bonnd to keep it till she chooses to disclose it herself. However, I hope yonr curiosity will soon lie satisfied, for I have ascertained that Mr. ami Mrs Went worth are both to be in England almost imme diately—they have been some time on the con tinent—and then we shall come to a general understanding. In the meantime, my dearest Fanny " But Frances, unable longer to control her agitation, took advantage of a slight noise in the hall, to say that Mr. and Mrs. Gaskoin were coming ; and before he bad time to finish his sentence, she started to her feet, and rush ed out of the room. On the other side of the bail wa? Mrs. Gas koin's boudoir, where she and her husband were sitting over the fire, awaiting the result of the lete-a-tete in the drawing room. 44 AA'ell f said they, rising a,3the door open ed and a pale face looked in. 44 Is it ail set tled r 44 Ask me nothing now, I beseech you !" raid Frances, 44 I'm going to my room : tell Major Elliott I am rot well ; ray I'm agita ted—anything von like ; but remember he still thinks me Faonv Onkojn—■ " 44 Bnt my dear girl, I cannot permit that de ception t J be carried any further ; it has last ed too long already," raid Mr. Gaskoiu. 44 Only to night !" said Franees -44 It is not fair to Major Elliott," srged Mrs. Gaskoio. 44 On'r to ro'ght !" reiterated Frances 4 * There ! he's coming ; I hear hi* step in the hall ! liet mo ont this war j" and <0 say ing. she darter! uot of diwr that led to the bacbstair*. and disappeared. "• She bus refused him !" said Mr?. Gaskoin 44 I confess I am amazed." Bat Major Elliott met them with a smiliug face 44 AVbaf has become of Frances V raid he. 44 Bhe rushed ro to a? in 3 state of rio'ent agitation, and hegg*d we wonld tGI you that she i* not well, and i* gone to her rown. I'm afraid the result of your interview has not been what we expected." 44 On the contrary." returned M*j. Elliott yon n?ot both conaratnlate me oc my good fortune." " Silly giri !" said Mr. Ga-koln. shaking his friend heartily by the hand. 44 I see what it is ; she is ncrvuos about a little deception we hare bom practicing on vox" 44 A deception !" " Why. yon see my dear fellow, wfcto I tol l Frar-e* that yr were coining aere, she ole eted to meeting you " 44 Indeed ! Oa what account T 4 * You Lave ;c-ver su-peete i anytl ig ?" said Mr. Ga-kuin, scarcely repressing ing laugh ter. "Sii-spectc-i anything ? No." 44 It ba? never by d .ocr occured to you ilia; this bewitching neice of u.ine is " 44 I* what I" 44 V -cr bet.rotheti tuiy, Fran ces ? yav ur " Major EHcU's cheeks aid lips turnet! -ever al sh T-ies paler ; !>et the itanoie? were no; i:glstecl, aud fnetvl- uot remark the thaage. 44 Frances Seyisoarhe echoed. " Thai h the preciae -Late of cause, I assure yon ;'"and then Mr. Gaskoin proceeded toex -1 lain bow th, d-.-ep'ix! caae to be pra tice*: VOL. XVJIL—NO. 13. " I gave in to it," said he, " though 1 do uot like jests of that sort, becawe I themjrht, as ray wife did, that you were uiuch more likely to take a fancy to "each other, if 70U did not know who she was, than if yotr met tinder all the embarrassment of such an awkward rela tion." During this little discourse, Major Elliott had time to recover fmn the shock ; und be ing a man of resolute calmness and great self possession—which tjuallties, by the way, form ed a considerable element iu his attractions the remainder of the evening was passed with out, any circumstance calculated to awaken the snspicions of his host aud hostess, further than that a certain gravity of tone and manner, when they spoke of Frances, led them to ap prehend that he was not altogether pleased with the jest that had been practiced. " We onght to have told him the moment tre saw that he was pleased with her ; but, foolish child, she would not let as,'', said Mr. Gaskoin to his wife. " .She must make her peace frith him to-mor row," relumed the laIy ; but alas : when they came down to breakfast on the followiug mor ning, Mojor Elliott was gone, having left a few iioe3 to excuse his sudden departure, which he said, he had only anticipated by a few hours as, in any case, hie must hare left thein that afternoon. . By the same morning's post there arrived a letter from Vincent Dnnbar, addressed to Miss Seymour. Its contents were as follows : " Mv dearest, dearest Frances—l should have written to you ten days ago to tell you the joyfnl news —jou little guess what—but that 1 bail applied for an extension of leave on urgent private affairs, and ex[>ected every hour to get it. But they refused me, be hang ed to them ! So I write to you, my darling, to tell von that it's all right—l mean between yon and me. lam not a very good hand at an explanation paper, my education in the art of compodtiou having been somewhat neglect ed but vou must know that ohl Elliott whom your dad wanted yon to marry, is our senior Major. Well, when I came down here to meet Toole, as I had premised—his governor keeps hounds you —I was as da!! ns dish-water ; I was. I assure you : and whenever there was nothing going on, I used to take out the verges you wrote, and the music you copied for me, to look at ; and one day, who should come in but Elliott, who was staying with his governor at West C'iiff, where the old gentleman has taken a house. Well, you know, I told yon what a mad-cap fellow Toole is ; and what should he do, but tell Elliott that I was going stark mad for a girl that couldn't have me because her dad had engaged her to somebody else ; and then he showed him the music that was lying on the table with yonr name on it. So yoa mar gues" how Elliott started, and all the questions he asked me about yon, and about onr acquaintance and oar love-making, and all the rest of it. And, of course, I told him the truth, and showed him the dear lock of hair you gave me ; and the little notes yon wrote me the week 1 ran up to London ; for Elliott's an honorable fellow, and I knew it was ail right And it is all right, my darling ; for he says he wouldn't stand in the ray of our happinesa for the world, or marry a woman whose affec tions were not all his own. And he'll peak to your aunt for as, and get it all settled as soon as she comes back." Ac., Ac. The paper dropped from poor Frances Sey mour's hand®. She comprehenikd enough of Major Elliott's character to see that ail was over. But for the nufortanate jest they had practiced on him. an explanation would neees nrilr hare ensued the moment he mentioned Vincent's name to her : hut that unlucky de ception had complicated the mischief beyond repair. It was now too late to tell him that she did not love Vincent : be would only thick her false or fickle. A woman who could a:t as she had done, or as she appeared to hare done, was no wife for Henrr Elliott. There is no saying. but it is jest possible, that au entire confidence placed in Mr. lift— koin might hare led to a happier iesue : but her own conviction that her position was irre coverable, her hopelessness arv't her pride c! Ed her lips. Her friend® saw that there wa< something wfong ; and when a few lines from Major Elliott announced his immediate depar ture for Paris, they concluded that some sifange mv-tcrv had divided the lovers, and ckreded the hepefu! future that for a short pe riod had promised so brightly. Vincent Itanbar was not a man to break his hearth at the disappoinmeot. which it Is needless to ®sy awaired hi:n. Long year- af terwards, when Sir Henry Eliiut was not on ly married, but had daughter- coming on', in trrrkl. hr. owe day *t a dinner pr*y. at next to a pale faced middle-aged lady, whose still beautiful feature*. combined with the quiet, almost grave elegance of her toilet, had al ready attracted his attention m the drawing room It was a countenance of perfect seren ety : but no o'-'erving eye could look at it with out feeling that that was a serenity net born of ;n, but of sadness—a calm that had •uccecdrd a*sforrn—a peace woo by a great buttle Sir llenry felt pleased when be aw that 'be kjrtaße® of the dinner table had plac ed him beside this iady . and they bad not be*n long seated before he took an opportuni ty of addressing hr. Her eyel d- fell a® she turned to answer him : but there ru a sweet moarnfa! smile on her iip—a that awoke trc.ncr recollection. and made his heart for a stand stiiL For s *ne minute- he did not si-eak again, nor *iw either ; when he did it was to ask her, in a low gentle voice, to take wine with ha. Tec lady's band shook vl-ibiy as she raised Ler glass : bat. after a short in tc.-va*. the l away and they convert. ] calmly oa general suV us like other people in society. Whoa S r Hcury returned to the drawia'- rooai, the pale-faced lady was L'one : a>i * few il4j afterwards, the Martimg P-tt an- anKKjr ib tie S K tnre? that Mt? S*y air had left London for the evuilacut BS~TTre tb-MtrhtieSiaadimpitte"'! shit ?ae.r Tfs to h': r*f rather than labor to arert it