s a note directed to me; wait till I see who it is from," and Dexie
picked a tiny roll of paper from among the blossoms. One hasty glance over
the written lines, and Dexie curled her lip in a disdainful smile.

"You may have everyone of them, Gussie, for I don't want them," and she
drew herself away, as if the very touch of the basket were odious to her,
at which Gussie looked up in surprise.

"Hugh McNeil sent them, so you are welcome to everyone of them," she said
in a low voice, as the steward withdrew. "He is very particular to state
that they are for me alone," and her lip curled. "I wish they had been
brought to me while he was by, I would have tossed them overboard before
his eyes! Thank fortune, I have seen the last of him!"

"You will live to be sorry for your treatment of Hugh McNeil, mark my
words! He would not have found me so hard to please," and Gussie placed the
flowers tenderly beside her.

Strange, but the first thing that Dexie did when she reached the privacy
of her stateroom was to snatch Lancy's ring from her finger, almost
angrily, and slipping it again on the chain about her neck she snapped the
catch with no easy hand; and her face was far from being tender and loving
as she put out of sight the pledge of Lancy's love and fidelity, for she
was saying in her heart:

"I will never be so foolish as to put that on my finger again; it was wrong
to wear it at all. Hugh is right; it binds no heart but Lancy's, and I
doubt if I can truly say that much itself, three months from now."

* * * * *

If we look in upon the Sherwood household a few weeks later, we will find
them comfortably settled in the busy town of Lennoxville, a town which is
noted throughout New England for its manufacturing industries. The house is
pleasantly situated a short distance back from the street, allowing room
for a neat lawn in front of the house, which is made more attractive by a
few flower-beds set near the front entrance, and beneath the windows.

The former owner had taken much pleasure in designing the house and its
surroundings, and everything about the premises was neat, convenient and
attractive, but financial difficulties had obliged him to relinquish the
property just when he might naturally expect to reap the benefit of his
labors. Mr. Sherwood had purchased it at a very reasonable figure,
considering the advantages it possessed, and having obtained a permanent
and remunerative