is way."

"You need have nothing to do with it," returned her sister. "As it
seems you and Harry have had words about it, you had better not; but
_I_'ll call--I'll have her. And it shall be such an elegant, select
little affair that it will show her off to charming advantage," she
continued, with much animation, delighted with her own cleverness in
the scheme. "He can't help but be ashamed of her. Don't you think so,
Tom?"

The young man laughed.

"Now, Tom," said she, a little disappointed, "don't you think so?"

"There's a good chance of it, certainly," he replied. "You can but try
it."

"Then why do you laugh," she continued, still dissatisfied.

"Only to see what spiteful creatures you women are," he continued,
smiling. "To see the pains you'll take to put down a girl you don't
happen to fancy."

"Surely, you yourself, Tom," commenced Mrs. Castleton, seriously, and
"I am sure, Tom," chimed in Emma, in the same breath, "you have always
said--" and then they both poured forth such a torrent of reminiscences
and good reasons for wishing to prevent the match, that he was glad to
cry for mercy, and ended by saying seriously,

"I am sure I hope you may succeed."

CHAPTER II.

"Harry," said Mrs. Castleton, in her prettiest and most winning
manner, "I am going to call on your friend, Miss Dawson, and invite
her for Thursday evening."

Harry looked up very much astonished, hardly knowing whether to be
pleased or not, and said,

"What put that in your head?"

"I want to know her," continued Mrs. Castleton. "They tell me you
admire her, Harry; and if she is to be my future sister, as people
say--"

"People say a great deal more than they know," said Harry, hastily.

"Well," rejoined his sister, playfully, "be that as it may, Harry, I
should like to see the young lady; and beside, I want as many pretty
girls as I can get, they always make a party brilliant--and you say
she is pretty, don't you, Harry?"

"Beautiful," he replied, with an earnestness that startled Mrs.
Castleton. "You'll have no prettier girl here, I promise you that,
Laura," he added, presently, more quietly. "But what will Emma say,"
he continued, bitterly. "She'll never give her consent, depend upon
it, to your calling."

"It's not necessary that she should," said Mrs. Castleton, good
humoredly; "so perhaps I had better not ask her."

"Emma gives herself airs," continued Harry, angrily. "She thinks that
all the world are just confi