her. The
only indication, however, of this resentment was the appellation which
she now bestowed upon her niece. In speaking of her to Lawrence, or
any of the household, she invariably called her "the late Mrs Null,"
and this title so pleased the old lady that she soon began to use it
in addressing her niece. Annie occasionally remonstrated in a manner
which seemed half playful, but was in fact quite earnest, but her aunt
paid no manner of attention to her words, and continued to please
herself by this half-sarcastic method of alluding to her niece's
fictitious matrimonial state.

Letty, and the other servants, were at first much astonished by the
new title given to Miss Annie, and the only way in which they could
explain it was by supposing that Mr Null had gone off somewhere and
died; and although they could not understand why Miss Annie should
show so little grief in the matter, and why she had not put on
mourning, they imagined that these were customs which she had learned
in the North.

Lawrence advised Annie to pay no attention to this whim of her aunt.
"It don't hurt either of us," he said, "and we ought to be very glad
that she has let us off so easily. But there is one thing I think you
ought to do; you should write to your cousin Junius, and tell him of
our engagement; but I would not refer at all to the other matter; you
are not supposed to have anything to do with it, and Miss March can
tell him as much about it as she chooses, Mr Keswick wrote me that he
was going to Midbranch, and that he would communicate with me while
there, but, as I have not since heard from him, I presume he is still
in Washington."

A letter was, therefore, written by Annie, and addressed to Junius,
in Washington, and Lawrence drove her to the railroad station in the
spring-wagon, where it was posted. The family mail came bi-weekly to
Howlett's, as the post-office at the railroad station was entirely too
distant for convenience; and as Saturday approached it was evident,
from Mrs Keswick's occasional remarks and questions, that she expected
a letter. It was quite natural for Lawrence and Annie to surmise that
this letter was expected from Miss March, for Mrs Keswick had not
heard of any rejoinder having been made to her epistle to that lady.
When, late on Saturday afternoon, the boy Plez returned from
Howlett's, Mrs Keswick eagerly took from him the well-worn
letter-bag, and looked over its contents. There was a letter for her
a