What it was that drew a man like Major Elliston to me, a crude half formed girl, half his age, and immeasur ably his inferior, socially and mentally, is a mystery I have never fathomed. But the fact remains ; he loved me ; and in less than three months from the date of our first meeting I was his proud and happy wife. ' The wedding over, Major Elliston, took me away on a protracted Con tinental tour ; and to say that I was happy, to say that I loved my brave noble husband, poorly expresses the unutterable depth, power, and tender ness with which his great love and

chivalrous goodness inspired me. Dur ing the next few months my life was as near perfection as human life ever attains ; and, looking back to it now, it appears like a sweet brief, bewilder ing dream — and like a dream it ended. ' We were in Munich, where we had been spending three such weeks as I shall never know again, when the blow fell. We had dined alone that day, I remember, and, the cloth removed, sat talking over the dessert, with that intense enjoyment in each other's so ciety which a year's companionship had never lessened, when the Major's old servant, who had been with him through many a year of danger and hardship in India and the Crimea, came in with an air of perturbation to anounce a strange visitor below. ' " It's a lady— leastways a woman, sir," he added, with his military salute. " And she won't take ' No ' for an answer — won't go away without seeing you, sir ! She does talk uncom mon queer, to be sure ; but whether it is drink or the brain — in fact, sir, I thought as perhaps you'd rather slip down and see her for yourself.'' 'Evidently surprised by the man's words, and still more by the air of mystery and significance with which he glanced at me, my husband rose from his seat as if to leave the room, when the door opened, and a woman, wretchedly clad and degraded in as pect, pushed past the man, who at tempted to bar her passage, and stood defiantly before us. ' " You didn't expect the pleasure of seeing me f she exclaimed in a harsh grating voice. 