NOTHING BUT SMOKE.

"THERE," said he, "in that little box on the right of the glass. I think I remember putting some old studs there."

I opened the box, and felt around in the corners, but found no studs. It was full of handkerchiefs. As I turned them over, to search between them, I found a little one with a monogram on the corner. It was rumpled, but carefully folded. I showed it to him, unfolding it as I did so, and saw a brown spot on it, near the middle.

He seemed embarrassed, but recovered himself and said, "So you've found that, have you? No, it is n't mine, I am keeping it for - Well, Morris, I think I'll tell you about it, and ask your adv ce about what I ought to do with it. Never mind the studs, but sit down.

"I spent part of my spring vacation on the sea-shore, at my uncle's. It was cold and bleak; but I had quite a jolly time, because, you see, I've got a lot of cousins who live there, and I was the only male approaching their age for ten miles. Yes, I had a beautiful time. I used to talk philosophy to nineteen, and nonsense to twelve, and romance to sixteen; you see they acted as foils to each other, and when I was a little tired of one I would fall back on another, and then there were always my uncle and aunt as a last resource. I did n't get to them often, though. Well, it was about the time when the mayflower comes out, you know, and sixteen must needs go to Spectacle Pond, where she said they grew best, and I went with her. Not that I care for the flower much; indeed, I suggested to sixteen that it was a pity to disturb them, as they looked so prettily as they grew. But she reminded me that they were all covered with leaves then, and somehow I felt shut up.

"When we got to the pond I felt rather tired, so I said to her, 'You know a great deal more about finding these flowers than I do, Ethel, and I'll only be in your way, so, if you've no objection, I'll just sit on this stump and take a cigarette.'

"You never saw any one so surprised. 'Why, Cousin Harry,' said she, and she opened her great eyes at me; 'you don't smoke, do you?' And then we went through the old argument again. I've had it with my sister thousands of times, but it had quite a novel feeling to have your belle cousine for an antagonist. I declare, she seemed so earnest about it, and so sorry that I had formed the habit, that I felt quite complimented, but I was rather uncomfortable too.

"At last we got on the health side of the question, and she struck into a new path by saying, 'Now, Cousin Harry, just to prove to you how unhealthy it is, I want to show you something papa taught me. Light your cigarette, - it's the only one I'll ever give you leave to light, - and fill your mouth with smoke. That's right. Now put down your cigarette and take your handkerchief.'

"I did as I was bid, and took out of my pocket a beautiful brown silk handkerchief, which I displayed with pride.

"'O, that won't do,' she cried.

"'What!' exclaimed I, 'can anything be better than - '

"'There,' said she, 'you've lost all that smoke. Put up your handkerchief; we will take mine. Now fill your mouth again.'

"I obeyed directions, and put my stub carefully on my knee. Then she covered my mouth with her handkerchief, and bade me blow the smoke through it, which I did, leaving that brown spot you see there.

"'Now you see what stuff you are filling your lungs with,' said she.

"But I would not agree to it. I said that I did n't have muslin sieves in my lungs to catch nicotine, that the fact that enough was left to color the handkerchief showed - But what was the matter with my foot? There was a stinging, burning pain on one side.

"'Do you have bees here?' said I.

"'No, but - Why, my dear boy, are you hurt? Let me - ' And she had her scissors out and ripped the string up in a jiffy. The shoe came off; and there was that cigarette stub in it!

"Of course we laughed, but the pesky thing had burnt right into my foot, and I was as lame as a Bull of Bashan. And then I had no string to that boot, too; so, you see, we had to walk home slowly, and there was no time for flowers if we wanted to get home before dark. So there was no grubbing that day.

"And as we walked home she let me take a cigarette to soothe my nerves, though I'm afraid she laughed at me for having them. But somehow I found this handkerchief in my pocket that evening, and she has n't asked for it yet. So there it is.

"But what I wanted to ask you was, whether I'd better have it washed or not. Because it looks disgracefully now, but if it was clean I'm afraid I should n't remember about it."

M. B.