Year: 1878

about nine being the lucky number, and six turned upside down so that it looked like nine. I tried not to listen 1; it was enough to know that Ben had not cheated, as I did about the shawl-boxes, and I felt worse every moment.

 "How grandly you sailed up the street P said Rose, meeting us at the door with 8 laugh quite, my lady beau tiful, dear Georgie But now hurry as fast as you can for teas just on the table,"

 "NelI and I carefully folded up our crape shawls as we took them off and laid them back in their perfumed cases. It seemed to me that was in the very depths of wretchedness, that almost hated the exquisite lavender tint, for had it not set me worlds further apart from Steve, lhan I ever was in my old pink and gray!

 Then I could not eat any supper, and Rose noticed it and would not let me alone. She did not like to have her dainty fair slighted, her light white rolls, her honey in the comb, and her marvel ous little cream cakes. It was dreadful to be looked at and commiserated, and I feeling all the while like the wickedest little hypocrite that ever lived. l began to ask myself what would Ben Gardiner do if he were in my place, and had got the handsomest shawl of all unfairly It did not take very long to answer.

 We went back into the parlor, and, of all topics in the world, Steve and Will began talking about neighbor of ours, a ship-owner, who had been wronging his employers and dealing deceitfully with his firm.

 "He was always tricky" said Will. Why, when the innocent farm boys from up in the country would come down to the ship from thisport, he would put on the smoothest face, and made them think life before the mast was Paradise. " Robert" he would say to his clerk in their hearing, "have you seen to putting the barrel of raisins on board for the sailors plum buildings ?" But once hired and off at sea it was different story.

 It runs in the blood," said mother, somplacently; there is a streak of knavery in the family, and his father was just such man before him."

 knew she was thinking to herself that no such spot had ever stained the honor of the Winthrop.s, and I felt baser than ever. Then I stopped listening to their talk, and thought of what lay be- fore me.

 For did tell I had resolved to confess it all? had made up my mind to it after I had folded the shawl and put it away, and after I thought what Steve's friend would have done. Itmeant good bye to the lavender crape, of course, but that was only tritie now-it meant goodbye to Steve Belden, too, and that was the misery of it, for he never would think of caring for any one who had fallen so far short of being honest and noble. This one short day had crushed me so completely But I must tell them, that was certain, and throw the shameful burden of, and then maybe l could begin life all over again in quiet humble little way, and be better girl.

 "None of my children ever deceived me-" said mother, finishing the conyer- sation and rising in her dignified way. Come, Georgia, it is getting late. We must go home.

 "There I don't know what I said but I told them; told them all, and my own voice sounded clear and strange to me as I pushed the lavender shawl box toward Nell, and the tears and sobs came as if they meant to kill me fol it was all over-so much was all over I think I should never want to look back to that strange, troubled day if it had not ended so beautifully. For when they had all forgiven me, and Rose ha6 said good naturedly, that she should have felt like doing the same thing her self if she had had a chance, and Nel had whispered that she, too, saw the dent and was glad her turn came last that she might not be tempted (thougt Nell never would have been tempted) and mother had gravely told me it was lesson must never forget-after al that we started for home, and Will walked with mother, but Steve Belder walked with me, and during that very walk it was all settled :; for he loved me you see, and it did not seem to make SC much difference about the shawl aftel all. Indeed, everything happened te me better than deserved about that for when Nell and I changed shawls Steve told me he always liked the white one best. What is the use of fighting against the great principles of right It is kicking against the bricks" il real earnest. If had only been goot and true in the matter of the shawls should have had the one that pleased Steve the most from the first, and beer spared all the error and shame. But a mother would say, it was good mora lesson.

 When Uncle Jack came home from hi voyage, and knew about Steve and me he said his charm had worked to perfec tion, and it was in that very box he hi, it.