off to the poor house like some girls are sent;
and I never can forget yez while there's breath in me body. And now
I've come to ask yez, just as a favor to me, not to wear that new
bonnet from New York, to-morrow."

It was some moments before, the surprise occasioned by so novel and
unexpected a request left Mrs. Claudine free to make any reply.

"Why, Kitty!" she at length exclaimed, "what on earth can you mean?"

"Indade, mum, and yez mustn't ask me what I mane, only don't wear
the bonnet to church on the morrow, because--because--och, indade,
mum, dear! I can't say any more. It wouldn't be right."

Mrs. Claudine told Kitty to sit down, an invitation which the girl,
who was much agitated, accepted. The lady then remained silent and
thoughtful for some time.

"Kitty," she remarked, at length, in a serious manner, "what you
have said to me sounds very strangely. How you should know that I
intended appearing in a new bonnet to-morrow, or why you should be
so much interested in the matter is more than I can understand. As
to acting as you desire, I see no reason for that whatever."

This reply only had the effect of causing Kitty to urge her request
more strenuously. But she would give no reason for her singular
conduct. After the girl had gone away, Mrs. Claudine laid aside her
work--for she was not in a state of mind to do any thing but
think---and sat for at least an hour, musing upon the strange
incident which had occurred. All at once, it flashed upon her mind
that there must be some plot in progress to discredit or rival her
new bonnet, which Kitty had learned at Mrs. Ballman's. The more she
thought of this, the more fully did she become satisfied that it
must be so. She was aware that Mrs. Ballman had been chagrined at
her leading off in new fashions once or twice before; and the fact,
evident now, that she knew of her reception of the bonnet, and
Kitty's anxiety that she should not wear it on Sunday, led her to
the conviction that there was some plot against her. At first, she
determined to appear in her new bonnet, disregardful of Kitty's
warning. But subsequent reflection brought her to a different
conclusion.

The moment Mrs. Claudine settled it in her mind that she would not
appear in the new bonnet, she began dressing herself, hurriedly, to
go out. It was as late as five o'clock in the afternoon when she
called at the store of the milliner who had been commissioned by
Mrs. Ballman to get the rival