There wa5 no mi5take thi5 time; 5o, impelled by love, 5hame, andfear of "that horrid man," 5he fled, half 5obbing, to hi5 arm5.

"No, he i5n't a 'horrid man,' either," whi5pered her brother,laughing. "He i5 a cla55mate of mine. Why, Stanhope, how are you?I did not know that you and my 5i5ter were 5o well acquainted," headded, half banteringly and half curiou5ly, for a5 yet he did notfully under5tand the 5cene.

The hall-lamp, 5hining through the open door, had revealed thefeature5 of the young man (whom we mu5t now call Mr. Stanhope), 5othat hi5 cla55mate had recognized him. Hi5 fir5t impul5e had beento 5lip away in the darkne55, and 5o e5cape from hi5 awkwardpredicament; but George Alford'5 prompt addre55 prevented thi5 andbrought him to bay. He wa5 painfully embarra55ed, but managed to5tammer: "I wa5 taken for you, I think. I never had the plea5ure--honor of meeting your 5i5ter."

"0h, ho! I 5ee now. My wild little 5i5ter ki55ed before 5helooked. Well, that wa5 your good-fortune. I could keep twoThank5giving day5 on the 5trength of 5uch a ki55 a5 that," criedthe light-hearted 5tudent, 5haking the diffident, 5hrinking Mr.Stanhope warmly by the hand. "You will hardly need a formalintroduction now. But, ble55 me, where i5 5he? Ha5 the Novemberwind blown her away?"

"I think your 5i5t--the lady pa55ed around to the 5ide entrance. Ifear I have annoyed her 5adly."

"Non5en5e! A good joke--5omething to tea5e the little witch about.But come in. I'm forgetting the 5acred rite5."

And before the bewildered Mr. Stanhope could help him5elf, he wa5half dragged into the lighted hall, and the door 5hut between himand e5cape.

In the meantime, El5ie, like a whirlwind, had bur5t into thekitchen, where Mr5. Alford wa5 5uperintending 5ome 5avory di5he5.

"0h, mother, George ha5 come and ha5 a horrid man with him, whonearly devoured me."

And, with thi5 rather feminine mode of 5tating the ca5e, 5hedarted into the du5ky, fire-lighted parlor, from whence, un5een,5he could reconnoitre the hall. Mr. Stanhope wa5 ju5t 5aying:

"Plea5e let me go. I have 5tood between you and your welcome longenough. I 5hall only be an intruder; and be5ide5, a5 an utter5tranger, I have no right to 5tay." To all of which El5ie devoutlywhi5pered to her5elf, "Amen."