ast week. Judge Dent had a stroke of paralysis and died the
same night. As if that were not trouble enough to last for a while at
least, the house took fire in that high wind yesterday, and burned to
the ground; leaving poor Miss Patty Dent without a roof to cover her.
She had gone to the cemetery to carry flowers to her brother's grave,
and when she returned, it was too late to save anything. Miss Gordon's
new wing cost thousands of dollars and was furnished like a palace, so
I am told; but the flames destroyed every vestige of the beautiful
house, and the pictures and statues. It seems that it was heavily
insured, but money can't buy the old portraits and family silver, the
mahogany and glass, and the yellow damask--that have been kept in the
Dent family since George Washington was a teething baby; and Miss Patty
wails loudest over the loss of an old, old timey communion service,
that the Dents boasted Queen Anne gave to one of them, who was an
Episcopal minister. The poor old soul is almost crazy, I hear, and Mr.
Dunbar carries her to New York to-morrow, where she has a nephew
living; and next month she will go to Europe to join Miss Gordon. It is
reported in town, that when Judge Dent died so suddenly, Miss Patty
sent a cable telegram to her niece to come home; but early yesterday,
just before the fire, an answer came by cable, asking Miss Patty to
come to Europe. Some people think Mr. Dunbar intends escorting her, and
that when he meets Miss Gordon, the marriage will take place over
there; but I never will believe that, till it happens."

She peered curiously into the face of her listener, but the light was
too dim to enable her to read its expression.

"Why not? Under the circumstances, such a course seems eminently
natural and proper."

"Do you really think he intends marrying?"

"I am the confidant of neither the gentleman nor the lady; but you told
me long ago, that a marriage engagement existed between them; and since
both have shown me much kindness and sympathy, I sincerely hope their
united lives may be very happy. If Mr. Dunbar searched the universe, he
could scarcely find Miss Gordon's equal, certainly not her superior;
and he cannot fail to appreciate his good fortune in winning her."

Mrs. Singleton lifted her shoulder significantly. "Perhaps! but you can
never be sure of men. They are about as uncertain calculations as the
hatching of guinea eggs, or the sprouting of parsley seed. What is
theirs c