out, observed,
maliciously:

"You have offended Love Ellsworth beyond forgiveness by your story just
now. Did you not know that he becomes violently angry at the merest
mention of the family ghost, and has discharged several servants for
gossiping over it?"

Dainty's heart sank heavily, for she recalled Love's lowering looks
while she told the story he had insisted on hearing, and she could not
doubt that Ela's words were true.

She said, faintly:

"How should I know it, Ela? You did not tell me last night."

"Did I not? Well, I meant to do so; but I must have forgotten it, and
the mischief is done now. Love Ellsworth will never forgive you!"
repeated Ela, with a malicious little chuckle.

Dainty's red mouth quivered with pain for a moment; then pride came to
her aid, and cresting her golden head haughtily, she cried:

"Why should I care? Love Ellsworth is nothing to me!"

"I'm glad to hear it, for I thought, from the way you rolled your eyes
at him last night and this morning, that you had lost your heart to him
already, and I thought it a pity to show your heart to a man so
plainly," gibed her tormentor, viciously.

"You were mistaken, Ela. I never thought of loving him, and I hope he
did not think so," cried the proud child, fearfully.

"There's no telling what he thought. Men are very, very vain, and
believe that every girl who gives them a glance is in love with them. I
suppose Love Ellsworth is like the rest; and, rich as he is, I have no
doubt he is a terrible flirt. But there comes a carriage load of young
people, and perhaps you and I may catch a beau, too, Dainty; for Olive
seems to have captured Love," glancing toward her cousin, who was indeed
holding the young man in unwilling chains, while she lamented that her
cousin Dainty was the most arrant little coward in the world, and always
going into hysterics over some trifle, so that she and Ela had been
very sorry she was invited to Ellsworth, feeling sure that her vagaries
would cause dear Aunt Judith no end of trouble.

But in a minute he had to leave her side to welcome the newcomers--three
young men and one girl--which paired the party into four couples; and
after introductions all around, Dainty found that Love Ellsworth had
fallen to her lot; whether by chance or his own design, she could not
tell.

They went down to the golf ground, and played for an hour; but Ellsworth
found his fair companion very shy and _distrait_ all the while; and w