shoulder, saying, "Lincoln, who is that splendid-looking girl with
Miss Selden? I haven't seen a finer face in Boston, for many a day."

"That? Oh, that's Miss Howard, from Chicopee. An intimate friend of
our family. Allow me the pleasure of introducing you," and Henry
walked away, leaving Ella to the tender mercies of Rose, who, as one
after another quitted her side, and went over to the "enemy," grew
very angry, wondering if folks were bewitched, and hoping Ida Selden
"felt better, now that she'd _made_ so many notice her protegee."

Later in the evening, William Bender came, and immediately Jenny began
to talk to him of Mary, and the impression she was making. Placing her
hand familiarly upon his arm, as though that were its natural resting
place, she led him towards a group, of which Mary seemed the centre of
attraction. Near her stood Henry Lincoln, bending so low as to
threaten serious injury to his fashionable pants, and redoubling his
flattering compliments, in proportion as Mary grew colder, and more
reserved in her manner towards him. Silly and conceited as he was, he
could not help noticing how differently she received William Bender
from what she had himself. But all in good time, thought he, glancing
at Ella, to see how she was affected by his desertion of her, and his
flirtation with her sister. She was standing a little apart from any
one, and with her elbow resting upon a marble stand, her cheeks
flushed, and her eyelashes moist with the tears she dared not shed,
she was watching him with feelings in which more of real pain than
jealousy was mingled; for Ella was weak and simple-hearted, and loved
Henry Lincoln far better than such as he deserved to be loved.

"Of what are you thinking, Ella?" asked Rose, who finding herself
nearly alone, felt willing to converse with almost any one.

At the sound of her voice Ella looked up, and coming quickly to her
side, said, "It's so dull and lonesome here, I wish I'd staid at
home."

In her heart Rose wished so too, but she was too proud to acknowledge
it, and feeling unusually kind towards Ella, whose uneasiness she
readily understood, she replied, "Oh, I see you are jealous of Henry,
but he's only trying to teaze you, for he can't be interested in that
awkward thing."

"But he is. I 'most _know_ he is," returned Ella, with a trembling of
the voice she tried in vain to subdue; and then, fearing she could not
longer restrain her emotion, she suddenly broke