parlor."

So the committee filed into the red parlor. There sat Miss Anstice,
and--oh dear me!--Mr. John Clemcy!

There was no time to retreat; for Miss Salisbury, not having heard Mr.
Clemcy come in, was at the rear of the procession of girls. "Here, my
dears--Anstice, the girls particularly want to see you--oh!" and then
she saw Mr. John Clemcy.

Miss Anstice, who seemed to have dropped all her nervousness lately,
saved the situation by coming forward and greeting them warmly; and when
Mr. John Clemcy saw how it was, he went gallantly to the rescue, and was
so easy and genial, and matter-of-course, that the committee presently
felt as if a good part of their lives had been passed in making
presentations, and that they were quite up to that sort of thing.

And Polly made a neat little speech as she handed her the packet; and
Miss Anstice's eyes filled with tears of genuine regret at leaving them,
and of delight at the gift.

"Girls, do you know"--could it be Miss Anstice who was talking with so
much feeling in her voice?--"I used to imagine that you didn't love me."

"Oh, that could never be!" cried Mr. Clemcy.

"And I got so worried and cross over it. But now I know you did, and
that I was simply tired; for I never could teach like sister,"--she
cast her a loving glance--"and I didn't really love my work. And, do you
know, the thing I've longed for all my life was a watch and chain like
this? Oh girls, I shall love it always!"

She threw the chain around her neck; and laid the little watch gently
against her cheek.

"Oh!" It was Alexia who pressed forward. "You'll forgive us all, won't
you, Miss Anstice, if we didn't love you enough?"

"When I want to forgive, I'll look at my dear watch," said Miss Anstice
brightly, and smiling on them all.

"'Twas that horrible old black silk gown that made her so," exclaimed
Alexia, as they all tumbled off down the hall in the greatest
excitement. "You see how sweet she is now, in that white one."

"And the red rose in her belt," said Clem.

"And her diamond ring," added Silvia.

"And we're different, too," said Clem. "Maybe we wouldn't love to teach
a lot of girls any better either, if we had to."

"Well, and now there's the wedding!" exclaimed Amy Garrett, clasping her
hands, "oh!"

"What richness!" finished Alexia.

And everybody said it was "the very prettiest affair; and so
picturesque!" "And those dear Salisbury girls--how sweet they looked, to
be sure!"