ce, named
Mrs. Florence, entertaining her with the gossip she had picked up
since their last meeting. She had not been there long, before,
lowering her voice, she said in a confidential way--

"I was at Mrs. Comegys' to-day, and saw something that amazed me
beyond every thing."

"Indeed!"

"Yes. You will be astonished when you hear it. Suppose you had
purchased a dress and paid for a certain number of yards; and when
the dress was sent home, you should find that the storekeeper had
made a mistake and sent you three or four yards more than you had
settled for. What would you do?"

"Send it back, of course."

"Of course, so say I. To act differently would not be honest. Do you
think so?"

"It would not be honest for me."

"No, nor for any one. Now, would you have believed it? Mrs. Comegys
not only thinks but acts differently."

"You must be mistaken, certainly, Mrs. Grimes."

"Seeing is believing, Mrs. Florence."

"So it is said, but I could hardly believe my eyes against Mrs.
Comegys' integrity of character. I think I ought to know her well,
for we have been very intimate for years."

"And I thought I knew her, too. But it seems that I was mistaken."

Mrs. Grimes then repeated the story of the lawn dress.

"Gracious me! Can it be possible?" exclaimed Mrs. Florence. "I can
hardly credit it."

"It occurred just as I tell you. But Mrs. Florence, you mustn't tell
it again for the world. I have mentioned it to you in the strictest
confidence. But I need hardly say this to you, for I know how
discreet you are."

"I shall not mention it."

"It could do no good."

"None in the world."

"Isn't it surprising, that a woman who is so well off in the world
as Mrs. Comegys, should stoop to a petty act like this?"

"It is, certainly."

"Perhaps there is something wrong here," and Mrs. Grimes placed her
finger to her forehead and looked sober.

"How do you mean?" asked the friend.

"You've heard of people's having a dishonest monomania. Don't you
remember the case of Mrs. Y----?"

"Very well."

"She had every thing that heart could desire. Her husband was rich,
and let her have as much money as she wanted. I wish we could all
say that, Mrs. Florence, don't you?"

"It would be very pleasant, certainly, to have as much money as we
wanted."

"But, notwithstanding all this, Mrs. Y---- had such a propensity to
take things not her own, that she never went into a dry goods store
without purloining somethi