"'Gladly,' she replied, 'but I've
promised professor to go with him to
tlie Mendelssohn Society.'
"The next morning I was called out
of town, and the first person I met on
returning was Rebecca's father, crushed
and mortified beyond expression with
the news that his daughter had eloped
with Professor Kukkeudorf, an ngly,
bald-headed, near-sighted German con
ceited as foreign music-masters gene
rally are, and not sufficiently intelligent
to kuow what a ridiculous object a
piano-playing, duet-singing man is.
The wakiug from my sweet and long-
cherished dream was of course painful.
Disappointment is always bitter.
"The letter with your precious little
note and flowers then came. I wrote
to a friend here, asking him to find out
who clerk 67 was, and tell me all about
her. When his reply came, describing
you, saying you were the daughter of
my dear old friend and had acted so
nobly in adversity, I determined to try
to win jour love and maybe add a new
chapter to the lovers' book of destiny.
