lla hesitated, and when Mary took hold of her hand, she jerked
it away, saying, "Let me be."

At last she was persuaded to leave the room, but on reaching the hall
she stopped, and to Mary's amazement applied her ear to the keyhole.

"I guess I know how to cheat her," said she in a whisper. "I've been
sent off before, but I listened and heard her talk about me."

"Talk about you!" repeated Mary. "What did she say?"

"Oh, 'set me up,' as Sarah says," returned Ella; and Mary, who had
never had the advantage of a waiting maid, and who consequently was
not so well posted on "slang terms," asked what "setting up" meant.

"Why," returned Ella, "she tells them how handsome and smart I am, and
repeats some cunning thing I've said or done; and sometimes she tells
it right before me, and that's why I didn't want to come out."

This time, however, Mrs. Campbell's conversation related more
particularly to Mary.

"My dear Mrs. Mason," she began, "you do not know how great a load you
have removed from my mind by taking Mary from the poor-house."

"I can readily understand," said Mrs. Mason, "why you should feel more
than a passing interest in the sister of your adopted daughter, and I
assure you I shall endeavor to treat her just as I would wish a child
of mine treated, were it thrown upon the wide world."

"Of course you will," returned Mrs. Campbell, "and I only wish you had
it in your power to do more for her, and in this perhaps I am selfish.
I felt badly about her being in the poor-house, but truth compels me
to say, that it was more on Ella's account than her own. I shall give
Ella every advantage which money can purchase, and I am excusable I
think for saying that she is admirably fitted to adorn any station in
life; therefore it cannot but be exceedingly mortifying to her to
know that one sister died a pauper and the other was one for a length
of time. This, however, can not be helped, and now, as I said before I
only wish it were in your power to do more for Mary. I, of course,
know that you are poor, but I do not think less of you for that--"

Mrs. Mason's body became slightly more erect, but she made no reply,
and Mrs. Campbell continued.

"Still I hope you will make every exertion in your power to educate
and polish Mary as much as possible, so that if by chance Ella in
after years should come in contact with her, she would not
feel,--ahem,--would not,--would not be--"

"Ashamed to own her sister, I suppose y