howed that she had more money, but every
one knew that her bank accounts were very heavy, and, besides, she was
the daughter of Gen. Wadsworth Hillyer, of Washington, and the
great-granddaughter, by direct descent, of one of England's noblemen.
She was traveled and cultivated, and all but titled through her youngest
daughter.

Could American ambition reach higher? And there she sat, at a table made
of pine boards, eating boiled potatoes with a two-tined steel fork!
Could English nobility sink lower! Ruth looked over at her in quiet
surprise for a moment, and then gave her head its haughty toss as she
met Eurie's mischievous eyes, and said:

"It is not an aristocracy of position here, then. The leaders keep all
their nice things and places for themselves. That is smaller than I
supposed them to be."

At this particular moment there was an uprising from the table just
behind them. Half a dozen gentlemen leaving their empty plates, and in
full tide of talk, making their way down the hall. The girls looked and
nudged each other as they recognized them. The younger of the two
foremost had a face that can not easily be mistaken, and Eurie, having
seen it once, did not need Marion's low-toned, "That is Mr. Vincent."
And Ruth herself, thrown off her guard, recognized and exclaimed over
Dr. Hodge.

This climax was too much for Eurie. She threw down her fork to clap her
hands in softly glee.

"Oh, Ruthie, Ruthie! How has your dismal castle of favoritism faded!
Yonder is the Queen of American society eating pie at this very instant
with the very fork which did duty on her potato, and here goes the King
of the feast, wiping his lips on his own handkerchief instead of a
damask napkin."

It was at this moment, when Ruth's follies and ill humors were rising to
an almost unbearable height, that her higher nature asserted itself, and
shone forth in a rich, full laugh. Then, in much glee and good feeling,
they followed the crowd down the hill to the auditorium.

For the benefit of such poor benighted beings as have never seen
Chautauqua, let me explain that the auditorium was the great temple
where the congregation assembled for united service. Such a grand
temple as it was! The pillars thereof were great solemn trees, with
their green leaves arching overhead in festoons of beauty. I don't know
how many seats there were, nor how many could be accommodated at the
auditorium. Eurie set out to walk up and down the long aisles one d