like when we
first came to town, and how we determined we would always be friendly to
other lonely girls from the country, and I thought you liked the Misses
Wharton so much that you wanted to live with them!' cried Amy Overall in
surprise at this change of front.

'That's just it, I do want to live with them; at least I want to have a
house to myself again.'

'A house to yourself! Is that your latest? That is more ridiculous than
your last idea, and still less likely to come about,' said Amy.

'It is the same idea. I call it "to myself," with only three others in
it, especially when I am part-owner; and the reason I don't want the
Whartons to stay too long to-day is for fear that they should be bored,
and find that we are not their sort, and not want to take a house with
us after all,' explained Eva.

'Well, really, Eva, your way of looking at things does surprise me
sometimes; and I hope you won't be angry, but it does not always seem to
me to be quite straight.'

'What isn't quite straight?' demanded Eva, flushing up.

Amy was a little slow in expressing herself; but she said hesitatingly,
'I mean that it would be honest, in my opinion, to face facts, and if we
were likely to bore each other to find it out before we entered upon a
plan which would throw us together for a great many Sundays as well as
other days.'

'That is quite a different thing. We shall not have to entertain each
other for a whole day; we shall go our own ways, and read books, or
write letters; but we can't ask the Misses Wharton to read books to-day,
and one can't talk for hours together--at least I can't; perhaps you
can, as you are so very righteous,' retorted Eva, who was annoyed.

'I thought we might go to a picture-gallery after dinner, and then come
back for tea and a talk, and there is always some nice music here in the
evening,' suggested Amy, taking no notice of Eva's last remark.

Eva recovered her temper as quickly as she lost it. 'That will be a good
plan; but--they are Scotch, and I don't believe they allow music on
Sundays,' she suddenly bethought herself.

'You are thinking of that story we read the other day. Those were strict
people; I don't believe the Whartons are like that.' But she looked
rather doubtful.

Eva smiled wickedly. 'So perhaps, after all, we shall have to talk all
the time.'

'I don't think Miss Wharton and I will get tired of each other, even if
such a dreadful thing happened as our being obliged