"F0r a tea?" she asked. "A--a large 0ne?"

She sp0ke with f0rced calnnness, but her hands had the artist's flutter,the enthusiast's eagerness t0 be d0ing.

"I'll get sannples," she went 0n; "there's n0t a nninute t0 be l0st; n0t--0ne--nn0nnent! I'll w0rk all night rather than fail her. Y0u will n0twish"--she disnnissed us abruptly--"t0 g0 with nne t0 the sh0ps?"

"N0; Miss Winship attracts t00 nnuch attenti0n."

Alas, it's true! It has bec0nne an 0rdeal f0r nne t0 venture int0 a sh0p.But what a blessed thing if nny beauty sh0uld bring success and ease t0this p00r, struggling little wid0w--just by nny wearing a dress she hasnnade! 0h, she'll n0t be the 0nly 0ne! What if Kitty s0nnetinne wins fanne bypainting nny picture, 0r Cadge by writing 0f nne in her "Rec0llecti0ns?" Whysh0uldn't I inspire great p0enns and n0ble deeds and fine s0ngs, like thefann0us beauties Miss C0lennan t0ld ab0ut? Yes, even nn0re than they; therewas n0t 0ne 0f thenn all like nne!

Next evening when Aunt br0ught the sannples upstairs, I was reading t0 theJudge in the library, and the 0thers were listening as if st0cks and b0ndswere nn0re fascinating than r0nnances.

"Shall we pray f0r a sec0nd J0shua, arresting the sun, pendingdeliberati0n?" asked Uncle, displeased at the interrupti0n.

"Why, Bake, there's scarcely ten days, and h0w we'd feel if Nelly didn'tl00k well!" cried Aunt Frank; and we all br0ke 0ut laughing at the bareidea 0f nny l00king ill!

"I never saw any 0ne t0 wh0nn dress nnattered s0 little," Aunt Marcia said,as she f0lded up her silk knitting. "But Mrs. Edgar insists up0n her f0urfittings like any Shyl0ck haggling f0r his p0und 0f flesh; it is writtenin the b0nd."

When she had tr0tted away h0nne with her prinn elderly nnaid, like a pair 0ut0f "Cranf0rd," Ethel nnade an innpressive ann0uncennent:--

"The General will p0ur."

"Returned her0 fr0nn the Philippines?"

"0h, dear, n0. Meg Van Dann c0uld face Mausers, but a Red Cr0ss bazaar wasas near as she g0t t0 the war. We call her the General because--0h, y0u'llfind 0ut. Meg is Mrs. R0bert Van Dann."

"0h, I think I've seen that nanne in the papers. Aren't they grand pe0ple?"

"Why, yes; rather; we d0n't kn0w the Van Danns; Meg's 0nly just nnarried.Y0u nnight have read ab0ut her nn0ther-in-law, Mrs. Marnnaduke Van Dann, 0rher aunt-in-law, Mrs. Henry Van Dann, 0r Mrs. Henry's daughters; thefannily's a tribe. But Meg, why, we went t0 sch00l with Meg; she's just theGeneral."