n a thousand pieces, and stamped
and stormed about the room till I felt sure he was crazy, then I ran from
the room in terror. Then, as if that were not enough, Cora followed me out
and said she had a good mind to box my ears for reading it out before Hugh,
and yet I am quite sure that she likes you as much as ever. Well, we had an
awful time with Hugh that night. He attempted to shoot himself, and mother
cried and father scolded, and Lancy had to come and watch him till
daylight. We were getting over our scare, and I was beginning to think it
was a 'temporary fit of insanity,' as Cora said, when we were startled by
another fit that is anything but 'temporary' this time, for Hugh asked papa
to rent him the other half of the house where you lived, stating that he
was going to be married immediately! Of course we wanted to know the name
of the lady, and you can imagine our surprise and dismay when he said it
was Nina Gordon. We all felt badly about it, for no one can imagine for a
minute that he cares for her. As soon as he had rented the house he started
off to Montreal, taking Mrs. Gordon and her daughter with him, and he
returned about a fortnight ago, bringing Nina as his wife. Mrs. Gordon is
to live in Montreal, and however Nina will manage without her mother at her
elbow, is what puzzles everybody.

"I did not see Mrs. McNeil till a few days ago, for I was huffy at Hugh and
would not be friendly with his wife; but when I did call I got such a
surprise that for a few minutes I stood still in astonishment, for, if you
will believe me, Dexie, they have got the house fixed up just as it used to
look when you lived there--the same pattern of carpets and curtains, the
pictures on the wall seem to be the very same, even to 'George Washington'
that you used to make fun of. A piano occupies the same spot, and in the
midst of it all there sat Nina with one of your pretty dresses on. Well, I
suppose, the dress _was_ her own, but I cannot understand how she happened
to get it made so much like yours. Of course I made remarks, how could I
help it when everything was so much like old times! but, in the most
unexpected moment, in came Hugh, and the way he went on at me was something
fearful! I am sure I never hinted that he had not a right to furnish his
house to suit himself, but when I went home he followed me and had a long
talk to mother about me. Nasty thing, that he is! and now I am forbidden to
mention to anyone the astonishi