matched her teapot and should have been hers.

This was the first time Rosalind had heard mention of old Mr. Gilpin and
the will.

"My grandmother and Cousin Thomas's mother were sisters," Miss Betty
explained, "and when their father and mother died the family silver was
divided between them. In this way the teapot came down to me, and some of
the other pieces to Cousin Anne, who was, you know, Cousin Thomas's
sister."

"Was old Mr. Gilpin related to me, Cousin Betty?" asked Rosalind.

"Why, certainly, my dear; it is time you were learning about your
relations. He was your grandfathers own cousin. Your great-grandmother was
Mary Gilpin before she married Mr. Whittredge."

"Rosalind looks puzzled," said Belle, laughing.

Rosalind laughed too. "I never knew about relations before. Does father
know all this?"

"I should hope so; this is not much to know."

"Miss Betty, you promised to tell us about the ring, sometime; Rosalind
would like to hear it, I am sure. Wouldn't you, Rosalind?" asked Belle.

Rosalind wished very much to hear it, and Miss Betty, with a glance around
the table, remarked, "I shall be glad to tell what I know if you care to
have me, and Jack will sit up."

"Send for a pillow, Miss Betty; that is what mother does," Belle
suggested, to the delight of the small waiter, who was compelled to retire
suddenly to the hall, where he was heard giggling.

"As some of you know," Miss Betty began, "the ring belonged to Miss
Patricia Gilpin, who was an aunt of Cousin Thomas's, and your
great-great-aunt, Rosalind. If it is still in existence, it is not far
from eighty years old. You might suppose from the way in which they are
spoken of now, that in the early part of the century all young women were
beauties and belles; but if there is any truth in her miniature, Patricia
Gilpin was a really beautiful woman."

"Wasn't she married? I thought it was an engagement ring," said Charlotte.

"It was, but she never married. The young naval officer to whom she was
engaged was killed in the War of 1812. They had known each other only a
short time; it was love at first sight, I suppose. He had the ring made
for her, and I always heard that she received it and the news of his death
at nearly the same time. The last message she had from him was, 'Wear this
for me,' which he had written on a card and enclosed with the ring; and
she always wore it. She was a girl of eighteen at the time, and greatly
admired; but she n