you care to brew another like it; the one word will do it, you
know," and she looked up with a smile.

"Thanks; I beg to be excused! That one experience is enough to last me for
one while. Ugh! I wonder if there was any disease on those dirty rags,"
looking at his fingers and then on his coat, as if in doubt which would be
the first to break out with it.

As he left the room to smooth out his ruffled plumage, holding his coat at
arm's length before him, the sounds of laughter in the next room greeted
his ears. As he listened a moment he heard Dexie relating the particulars
of the scene in the parlor, and he shook his fist in the direction of the
sound. This relieved his feelings somewhat, and he vowed a hasty vow that,
for the future, he would leave Dexie Sherwood and her doings alone. He
would have spared himself many unpleasant moments if he had kept his vow.

During the time that Mr. Plaisted was staying with the Sherwoods, Gussie
had been very cool to Hugh McNeil. As the former was about to leave the
city, Gussie thought it time to recall her old "stand-by," and was
surprised to find that Hugh was less ready to return to her side than
formerly. A feeling of jealousy arose in her heart when she saw that Hugh's
attentions were transferred to Dexie.

Hugh had not ceased to come in during the evenings, as usual, even though
Gussie was cool and abrupt with him. Not wishing Hugh to feel hurt by the
change in her sister, Dexie had talked to him, and had played and whistled
for his amusement, till the little spark of kindly regard which had
formerly represented his feelings for Dexie was fast being fanned into a
flame of passion by these little attentions, which were bestowed in a
friendly way, and for her sister's sake.

Dexie was not aware of the change in Hugh McNeil until Mr. Plaisted had
left the city, and she was surprised and displeased to see that Hugh now
ignored Gussie's presence almost as much as Gussie had his when Mr.
Plaisted was near, and turned to her instead.

It was hard to define her true feelings, but when she understood that Hugh
had mistaken her friendliness, her whole being seemed to rise up in a
vigorous protest. As it is "an ill wind that blows nobody good," Lancy was
made happy again by Dexie's presence. She no longer sought to evade him,
and her soft, rippling laughter, mingling with the low tones of Lancy's
voice, was again heard as they lingered over the piano together.

This made Hugh mad