night?"

The news that George Moreland had returned, and bought Rose Lincoln's
piano, besides several other articles, spread rapidly, and the day
following his arrival Mary and Ida were stopped in the street by a
group of their companions, who were eager to know how George bore the
news that his betrothed was so ill, and if it was not that which had
brought him home so soon, and then the conversation turned upon Miss
Herndon, the New Orleans lady who had that morning appeared in the
street; "And don't you think," said one of the girls, "that Henry
Lincoln was dancing attendance upon her? If I were you," turning to
Mary, "I'd caution my sister to be a little wary of him. But let me
see, their marriage is to take place soon?"

Mary replied that the marriage was postponed indefinitely, whereupon
the girls exchanged meaning glances and passed on. In less than
twenty-four hours, half of Ella's acquaintances were talking of her
discarding Henry on account of his father's failure, and saying "that
they expected it, 'twas like her."

Erelong the report, in the shape of a condolence, reached Henry, who
caring but little what reason was assigned for the broken engagement,
so that he got well out of it assumed a much injured air, but said "he
reckoned he should manage to survive;" then pulling his sharp-pointed
collar up another story, and brushing his pet mustache, wherein lay
most of his mind, he walked up street, and ringing at Mrs. Russell's
door, asked for Miss Herndon, who vain as beautiful, suffered his
attentions, not because she liked him in the least, but because she
was fond of flattery, and there was something exceedingly gratifying
in the fact that at the North, where she fancied the gentlemen to be
icicles, she had so soon made a conquest. It mattered not that Mrs.
Russell told her his vows were plighted to another. She cared nothing
for that. Her life had been one long series of conquests, until now at
twenty-five there was not in the whole world a more finished or
heartless coquette than Evren Herndon.

Days passed on, and at last rumors reached Ella, that Henry was
constant in his attendance upon the proud southern beauty, whose
fortune was valued by hundreds of thousands. At first she refused to
believe it, but when Mary and Jenny both assured her it was true, and
when she her self had ocular demonstration of the fact, she gave way
to one long fit of weeping; and then, drying her eyes, declared that
Henry L