ing with the wonder of
it all--gently disengaged herself from Mrs. Douglas's embrace and went
in search of her sister.

"Aren't you thoroughly astonished, Betty dear?" she asked, after she had
told the wonderful news.

"Yes, Bab; more than astonished."

And Bettina's quibble can surely be forgiven. Not yet has she told her
sister of the important part played by herself in bringing the
love-affair to so happy a consummation; nor has Robert Sumner forgotten
her prayer, "never, never tell Barbara!"

When evening came and Barbara was out on the balcony with Mr. Sumner,
while the others were talking gayly of the happy event, Bettina suddenly
felt an unaccountable choking in the throat. She hurried to her room,
and there, in spite of every effort, had to give up to a good cry. She
could not have told the cause, but we, the only ones beside herself who
know this pitiful ending of all her bravery, understand and sympathize
with her.

An hour later, when she had conquered herself and was coming slowly down
the staircase, she found Malcom waiting to waylay her. Drawing her arm
within his, and merrily assuming something of a paternal air, he said:--

"Now that this little family affair has reached a thoroughly
satisfactory culmination, I trust that things will again assume their
normal appearance. For the past month or so Barbara has been most
_distraite_; uncle has so evidently tried to be cheerful that the effort
has been distressing; and you, little Lady Betty, have been racking your
precious brains for a scheme to make things better."

"And you, Malcom," she retorted, "have had so much sympathy with us all
that wrinkles have really begun to appear on your manly brow." And she
put up her hand lightly as if to smooth them away.

"Look out, Betty!" with a curious flash of the eyes, as he seized her
hand and held it tightly. "The atmosphere is rather highly charged these
days."

Bettina's face slowly flushed as she tried to make some laughing
rejoinder, and a strange painful shyness threatened to overtake her when
Malcom, with a smile and a steady look into her eyes, set her free.

Meanwhile Margery was saying to her mother:--

"How pleasant it is to have everybody so happy!"

"Yes, dear. Do you know why I am so very happy?" and as Margery shook
her head, her mother told her that her Uncle Robert had decided to go
home to America, and that never again would he live abroad.

"It is more like a story than truth. Uncl