Year: 1873

1870
carried up her trunk.


In five or ten minutes she came
down. attired in a neat, brown calico
dress, with a pretty cambria ruffle in
the neck, and announced herself ready
to commence operations. | wondered
if those slender white hands knew how
to dc anything, but / was not very
long left in doubt All that day
Louise Hale and / worked together,
now in the kitchen, now hanging up
the clio hes, now in the dining-room,
aud finally in afternoon toilets, sewing
in the cool north chamber, with
Grace We talked of nothing but
our work, and though she seemed will
ing to do anything that was to be
done, she made no pretensions to
being over anxious to make herself
useful. | was astonlshed at the ease
and deftness with which she turned
off the work.


GLOW do you suppose she ever
could be at such work q said Willie.
81 never was more taken back than
when | saw this handsome creature
mashing potatoes when I came in to
dinner,


"Will," said Grace, ut is a mystery
to me-"


81 believe I'd lock my door to-
night" said Will, teasingly. He was
always laughing at our cowardice
about strangers in the house.


We were standing at the garden
gate, under the weeping willow,
Grace and Willie and ], feeling little
sad at the thought of being SO soon
separated.


l had been feeling very angry at
Leslie Glare for coming to take away
our darling, but tonight, as 1 saw her
in the pale moonlight, looking so
sweet and pretty, should have been
more angry with him if he had not
loved her and wanted to carry her off.


| turned from her beauty to go to
the house, and there on the upper
piazza stood the "hlred girl" her arms
embracing the pillar, her side face
turned to us the sweetest smile curl
ed the full red rips, and she seemed
thinking of something very pleasant
and amusing.


"No," said I softly, to Grace, as we
came up the walk, "she is no poor
forlorn creature who has lost her for
tune and is heroically facing stern
work for living"


"She has never come here from
necessity she has come from choice
and with some deep reason" said
Grace, impressively.


"For two dollars per week, i'm
agine," said Willie loftily, as we step
ped into the house.


The wedding preparations went on
swimmingly now. Mamma recover
cd from her headache. Louise took
charge of the kitchen and dining
room, and invariably helped us with
the sewing in the long Afternoons
She was an invaluable girl.


One afternoon Leslie came over and
brought "The Innocents Abroad" just
then out, and read aloud to us as we
sewed.


After tea we returned to to oul
work and the book, with which We
were delighted.


The sun went down in splendor.-
The book and the work were finally
laid aside, and we found ourselves ir
one of those long talks about books
and authors we always enjoyed SC
much.


A slight disagreement arose about
the author of a certain work. / was
opposed to Leslie and Grace, who
always agreed.


In despair called upon Louise
saying "You think as / do, dom
you, Louise ?" not having the remot
est idea she knew anything about the
matter.


"Yes, she made answer quietly
and then went on to give proofs O
the correctness ofour position so strong
that Grace and Leslie were obliged tc
to come over to our belief.


Long, long we sat there in the twi
light.


never heard any one talk so fluent
ly and so delightfully."- rs did Louise
that night.


How much she had read Wha
racy, spicy criticisms she made on this
and that work


longed to ask her where she hat
read so much, but feared | nigh
fo,,o no., @o I;,o1oaa CON, ath h;noe oh.