room Miss Manning said,
"Won't you come in, Rufus? I will introduce you to Mrs. Colman."

"Yes, come in," said Jennie, taking his hand.

But Rufus declined, feeling bashful about being introduced.

"It's time for me to go to the office," he said; "some other time will
do."

"You'll be here in time for dinner, Rufus?"

"Yes," said our hero, and putting on his hat he made his escape, feeling
considerably relieved when he was fairly in the open air.

"I s'pose I'll get used to it after a while," he said to himself.

"I am glad you have come, Miss Manning," said Mrs. Colman, extending her
hand. "You will be able to relieve me of a great deal of my care. The
children are good, but full of spirits, and when I have one of my
nervous headaches, the noise goes through my head like a knife. I hope
you won't find them a great deal of trouble."

"I don't anticipate that," said the new governess, cheerfully; "I am
fond of children."

"Do you ever have the headache?"

"Very seldom."

"Then you are lucky. Children are a great trial at such a time."

"Have you the headache this morning, Mrs. Colman?" asked Miss Manning,
in a tone of sympathy.

"Not badly, but I am seldom wholly free from it. Now suppose we talk a
little of our plans. It is time the children were beginning to learn to
read. Can your little girl read?"

"A little; not very much."

"I suppose it will be better not to require them to study more than an
hour or two a day, just at first. The rest of the time you can look
after them. I am afraid you will find it quite an undertaking."

"I am not afraid of that," said Miss Manning, cheerfully.

"The children have no books to study from. Perhaps you had better take
them out for a walk now, and stop on your way at some Broadway
bookseller's, and get such books as you think they will need."

"Very well."

"Are we going out to walk?" said Jennie. "I shall like that."

"And I too," said Carrie.

"I hope you won't give Miss Manning any trouble," said their mother.
"Here is some money to pay for the books;" and she handed the new
governess a five-dollar bill.

The children were soon ready, and their new governess went on with them.
She congratulated herself on the change in her mode of life. When solely
dependent on her labors as a seamstress, she had been compelled to sit
hour after hour, from early morning until evening, sewing steadily, and
then only earned enough to keep soul and body together. What wo