n and put on a clean cloth, and wiped the dishes over with
a dry towel, to take off the roughness Katy always left behind in her
manipulations. And she broiled the steak herself. She could do that to
perfection.

Then they arranged about the marriage. Delia certainly did need some
one. It was not worth while to make any fuss. Mrs. Whitney would surely
be back by Monday, and it was appointed for that evening.

Dolly took the news with cordial sweetness. Margaret was sorry that Ben
had not looked a little higher; but since it must be, they would make
the best of it. Hanny was delighted. Joe went down that very evening,
and gave the young people his best love.

Mrs. Whitney came home on Saturday. She considered the step very
judicious. She thought they had been engaged long enough. Then Ben and
The. were such good friends; and with The. away so much, it was
lonesome. "She was glad they had set the marriage for Monday evening,
for she had promised to go out to Buffalo on Tuesday with Mrs. Stafford.
A nurse was the proper thing for Aunt Patty. It was too bad, to be sure;
but at her time of life, one might expect almost anything. And she, Mrs.
Whitney, never had been any sort of a nurse; so it was folly for her to
undertake it." She was very sweet to Aunt Patty. She had a good deal of
the suavity that helps matters to run easily, and her sympathies were
boundless.

Delia's sisters, and their children, and a few friends were invited. All
the Underhills came, and Hanny was bridesmaid; but she wore her last
summer's embroidered muslin, which was not long in the skirt.

They missed Ben a good deal, though he ran up every now and then. And
Theodore was gone six weeks, instead of two or three. Now that Mrs.
Underhill had really "given in," she was most cordial and sympathetic to
her new daughter. Doctor Joe went down every day, though very little
could be done, since even a physician could not fight against old age.
Joe thought Delia very sweet and patient.

There were two great undertakings engrossing the public mind. One was a
grand library. Old Mr. John Jacob Astor, some years previous, had left a
large sum of money for this purpose; and there were heated discussions
as to its scope and purpose. It would be a reference library rather than
an entirely free library for general readers. But it would be a fine
addition to the city.

The other was the Crystal Palace. There had been the first famous
World's Fair at Sydenham, o