nd in the silver poplar and the tremble in a strong voice at her
side.

She was as perplexed as ever when the ladies went back to the parlor.
Mrs. Forsythe came to her, as they passed through the hall, and took the
young girl's hand in hers.

"I shall miss you very much this winter, Lois," she said, in her mildly
complaining voice. "You have been very good to me; no daughter could have
been more thoughtful. And I could not have loved a daughter of my own
more." She gently patted the hand she held. "Dick is not very happy, my
dear."

"I'm sorry," faltered Lois.

They had reached the parlor door, and Mrs. Forsythe bent her head towards
the girl's ear. "I hope--I trust--he will be, before we leave Ashurst."

Lois turned away abruptly; how could she grieve this gentle invalid!

"She'll find out what Arabella Forsythe is, one of these days," Mrs. Dale
thought, "but it's just as well she should love her for the present." Nor
did she lose the opportunity of using her influence to bring about the
desired consummation.

Lois had gone, at Miss Deborah's request, to the piano, and begun to
sing, in her sweet girlish voice, some old-fashioned songs which the
sisters liked.

"Jamie's on the stormy sea!" sang Lois, but her voice trembled, and she
missed a note, for Mrs. Dale had left the group of ladies about the fire,
and bent over her shoulder.

"You know they go on Saturday, Lois," she said. "Do, now, I beg of you,
be a sensible girl. I never saw a man so much in love. You will be
perfectly happy, if you will only be sensible! I hope you will be at home
alone to-morrow."

When the gentlemen entered, Dick Forsythe was quick to make his way to
Lois, sitting in the glimmer of the wax-lights in the sconces, at the old
piano.

She stopped, and let her hands fall with a soft crash on the yellow keys.

"Do go on," he pleaded.

"No," she said, "it is too cold over here; let us come to the fire," and
she slipped away to her father's side. After that she was silent until it
was time to say good-night, for no one expected her to speak, although
Dick was the centre of the group, and did most of the talking. Later in
the evening they had some whist, and after that, just before the party
broke up, Mr. Denner was asked to sing.

He rose, coughed deprecatingly, and glanced sidewise at Mr. Forsythe;
he feared he was out of tune. But Miss Deborah insisted with great
politeness.

"If Miss Ruth would be so good as to accompany me,