"You won't have to find your way. You have only to keep straight on. Do be strong-minded for once. Make your purchases, and wait for me at the corner"Wait in the street?"

"Yes, it makes no difference where nobody knows you. Wait for me at the corner opposite City Hall Park, you remember that place?"

"Ye-es. We passed it last night. Yes, I should know it if I saw it. And keep straight ahead till I reach there," you said, with a cold perspiration which I said nothing about.

"Yes, and wait on the Astor House corner. I will attend to the trunks and then saunter up Broadway till I meet you, or you might go to Delmonico's."

"O no, indeed,-I don't know where it is,-I never should find it, I had rather not! O no, indeed, I will wait for you on the corner opposite City Hall Park. I will certainly wait there."

Very well. I will find you there. Don't be afraid now. Give me your travelling-bag, I will lock it up in the state-room."

"Will it be safe there? It has all my precious manuscript in it,"-alas! I am literary!-"absolutely promised for next week, and if it is lost I shall be undone."

"Pshaw! Perfectly safe; it isn't sensational enough to explode the steam-boat at the wharf,-is it? Want any money! y?" And then Mr. Charlie put his hand in his pocket, and drew it out as if he had burned it,— the place was empty! His pocket-book apparently had been afraid it should be left behind, and had taken French leave.

Charlie always receives the inevitable with a good grace. "I have been robbed," said he. "About as bad a predicament-I must make haste and leave word at the Central Police Office, or whatever they call it here. Don't know as it is of any use, all thieves together. However, we must spring round now, for we've no money to stay another night in the city.

That's a pretty scrape, with two dividends waiting for us at home."

66 Can't you

borrow?"

"Don't know a soul in New York. No matter; our passage is paid, and I've change enough in my waistcoat pocket for the stages."

"But you can have this back."

"O no! The presents must be bought; we go straight through, and don't see another store, as you may say, after we leave Broadway, and the girls will expect them, of course. Good-bye-straight ahead-saunter slowly -and wait at the corner opposite City Hall Park." "City Hall Park," said I. And he seized my bag, hailed a stage, and was out of sight.

Protected by my husband, how brave and strong I had felt, defying the great whirlpool of the metropolis and all its terrors! but now suddenly I shrunk up into myself like a sea-anemone; and all the careless crowd, brushing by me, gave me a sensation as if I were being pricked by some bristles.

This was Broadway then! tations; things in the windows!

There would be temp

Now I would not be

a fool, but would show myself fit to live in the world. And in that spirit I threw up my veil, adjusted my eye-glasses satisfactorily-alas, I am near-sighted !—and commenced my sauntering.

My purse was firmly grasped-I never trust my purse out of my hands-it contained our little all, for the present, and demanded a share of my attention. I made no purchase yet; but, as I strolled along, kept waiting for the splendid windows to come into sight. Somebody had told me if I wanted to get cheap things to go to Sixth Avenue; but that had been out of the question on account of the want of time, and, if the things were dearer on Broadway, they were probably a'l the prettier. But either my glasses were poor or this was not Broadway, for the ideally lovely things that I expected failed to present themselves. Nevertheless, I continued my ramble, trusting to rumour, and

not venturing inside any doors because fancying that I should certainly see the desired display behind glass a little farther down town.

All at once a mass of granite and scaffolding across the way began to loom into view; a sort of spire beyond; an iron railing and ballads hanging over itthe new Post Office probably, that I had read was in process of erection-Great Heavens, this was City Hall Park!

To this day I do not know whether Broadway goes any farther, that was and is the end of it to me. I dared not stir a step beyond; and here I was at the end of my tether, and not a present bought, and there were all those gaping girls at home, each expecting, without doubt, some lovely memento of my journey, which I also desired that they should have. There was a glittering window at my right hand now; it belonged to a jewellery establishment; in desperation I plunged within-and lighted on a locket.

"Forty-five dollars."

Goodness! And I had but thirty. "This one?"

"Forty."

"And that?" "Thirty-five."

There were others at twenty-two, eighteen, ten, six, five, but they were the very canaille of lockets-and the first one was such a piece of perfection. Suddenly a locket became the one desirable thing in all the treasures of a jeweller. What was the difference between the forty-five-dollar one and the forty? The young man hardly knew-some trifle of workmanship, he presumed. It grew upon me like a fungus, as I looked at the case, and nothing else would catch my eye, that I must have that locket-it was such a beauty, such beaten, burnished, golden gold; such chasing and enamelling, such a charming initial in tiny diamonds, which was the very thing. I already saw it hanging on Eleanor's white throat-no toilet could be complete

without it. What was the very lowest-vox hasit, but I overcame at which either of the first two could be The young man hardly knew again looked at me-at the lockets. Which did I wish to purchase,

had?

he would like to know.

I should like to purchase this one; but I could by no means give forty-five dollars. Still he didn't know. Couldn't he find out? Would he inquire if there could be any abatement in the price, as I was in a hurry? With that he summoned a messenger, and despatched him and the locket to the cavernous back part of the store; and, in the absence of the cynosure, a great grey gentleman in gold spectacles, who seemed to be made of lockets, and who as I heard another customer remark, "bossed round promiscuous," inquired, in a sweetly paternal way, if I were finding the article that I desired. I gave him to understand that the article was all right as soon as the price was, and by that time the locket had returned, the great grey gentleman had covered successfully the dialogue between my dapper young man and his messenger, and the young man politely requested to know how much I would be willing to pay.

It was certainly not my business to fix prices, so I summoned all my courage, and said I should be willing to pay as little as possible. And then, as he still seemed desirous that I should name my figure, I put a bold face on the matter, and said twenty-five dollars.

The young man made a movement to replace it in the case, but paused half-way. "That is not to be thought of," said he, rapidly. "I couldn't listen to such a proposition; it really cost us nearly twice that; we are selling at a discount as it is. I should be glad to accommodate you, but indeed we might as well give it away."

"Very well," I remarked, finding the beating-down business not so tremendous after all. "But you are willing to take something less apparently. Please say what, for I am in a hurry, as I said."

"If you take it at forty dollars we shall lose"Then I will not be the means of your losing. I cannot give forty for it," and I began to give it up.

"But indeed, madam, it is cheap at that," said he, glibly; "eighteen carat gold, Viennese workmanship, and the diamonds real. If you can find any at a less price in the city, we shall be glad to get them ourselves."

"A friend of mine had one much like this," I said, in a last effort, "and gave but twenty-five dollars for it. I don't think this is worth any more, but I am in haste, and will give you thirty."

"Will you have it in a box?" said he.

"No; I will take it here in my purse," I answered mechanically, in astonishment: and before I recovered from my amazement and self-congratulation the money was paid, the locket was in my purse, and I in the

street.

No miser, no discoverer, ever felt better pleased; but meanwhile the locket was the only thing in my purse except a card-and Alice's, Maud's, Susie's, and Georgie's presents had vanished into thin air.

In the street once again, I felt better than I had felt before; my skirmish with the shopman had rather inspirited me; indignation at the forty-five dollars demanded, and desire of the locket, and finally pleasure over the victory, had put my shyness momentarily out of sight, and I found it quite possible to ask an applewoman if this was City Hall Park, to make certain.

"Faix an' it was," she assured me-" what there was left of it."

I looked along the length of the crowded street before me, penetrating it as well as eye-glasses would, but no Charlie rewarded my gaze; however, he must be there presently, and I could wait; so I waited, a quarter, a half hour, and still no Charlie. And then it rushed over me that perhaps he had already been there before me, had grown tired, in his masculine impatience, and had begun sauntering up to meet me. In that case we