itive at heart, for all her
silliness, while Hugh is hasty and hot-tempered. How cruel of him to spoil
her life, if he only married her for the chance resemblance to me, and it
would be just like Hugh to tell her of it in one of his outbursts of
temper. It has made me feel so unhappy that I could not finish my letter; I
feel as if I were to blame in some way."

"Do not feel so troubled about it, my little wife; perhaps she will so
improve under Hugh's tuition that she will be glad that her chance likeness
was the means of making her his wife. I have often wondered, Dexie, how you
refused him yourself. He seemed so persistent it is a wonder that he did
not take you from me," drawing her closer to his side. "He seemed to have
every quality that women most admire in a man."

"Well, I did admire him--at a distance--a _long_ distance, you know," she
laughingly answered, "but directly we were near enough to talk to each
other, we were sure to disagree. What a charming married couple we would
have made!" and both laughed at the mental picture. "Poor Nina! she has not
the spirit to stand the first unkind word. I do hope Hugh will not be rough
with her."

"I have a better opinion of Hugh McNeil than to think he will be rough with
his own wife. From what I saw of him I rather admired him, and I hope he
will be happy in his married life."

"I hope so, too, but--I fear for Nina. Let me read Elsie's letter to you,
and you will understand the situation, for she is such an innocent little
kitten that she has disclosed more than she is aware of":

"I cannot call you by your new name yet, but I hope you will not mind, for
you will always be just 'Dexie' to me. I know that I ought to begin my
letter with best wishes and congratulations, but I cannot do it honestly,
so it would not be honor bright. Your marriage has made such a disturbance
here that I do not know what to think, only that I am sure you are not to
blame for it; so I wish you to know the story, even though Cora often says,
'I hope Dexie will never hear about this.'

"When I received the papers you sent me containing the announcement of your
marriage, I, very naturally, read it out for the benefit of the rest in the
room, never thinking I was doing anything out of the way; but that horrid
Hugh McNeil was present, and before I had quite finished reading it he
jumped to his feet and glared at me till I screamed with fright. Then he
snatched the paper from me, and tore it i