her Bee. It was no use therefore
worrying her head about the possible contingency that the girl might
marry and leave her.

Mrs. Meadowsweet, as she walked about her old-fashioned garden on that
summer's morning was not at all put about by the fact that her pretty
daughter was having a solemn conference in the drawing-room with the
handsomest and most elegant young man of their acquaintance. She was not
curious nor anxious, nor perturbed in any way. She pottered round her
plants, pulling up a weed here, and removing a withered bud there, in
the most comfortable fashion, and only once she made a remark to herself
with regard to the occupants of the drawing-room. This was her sole
allusion to them.

"I hope that young man won't forget to take the box of Eleazer'ss
Life-pills to his mother. I left it handy on the hall table, and I hope
he'll remember to slip it into his pocket."

Presently Mrs. Meadowsweet re-entered the house. There she noticed two
things. The drawing-room was empty, and the box of pills lay untouched
on the hall table.

She sighed a little over this latter circumstance, but reflecting that
she could send Jane with them in the evening she went slowly up to her
bedroom and busied herself putting on her afternoon gown, which was of a
large check pattern, the coloring being different shades in terra-cotta.

Arrayed thus she came down to dinner, and then for the first time she
was really startled by perceiving that Beatrice's place was empty. Jane
immediately explained her young mistress's absence.

"Miss Bee has a headache and is lying down, ma'am. I'm to take her a cup
of tea presently, but she doesn't want any dinner."

"Dear, dear," ejaculated Mrs. Meadowsweet.

"And the peas are lovely and tender to-day, and so for that matter is
the chicken. What a pity! Jane, you tell Miss Bee that if she has a
headache she had better take two of my pills immediately after she has
had her tea. You'll find them in the bottle on my dressing-table, Jane,
and you had better take her up some raspberry jam to swallow them in."

Jane promised obedience, and Mrs. Meadowsweet ate her green peas and
tender, young chicken in great contentment.

In the course of the afternoon Beatrice came downstairs again. She told
her mother that her headache was quite gone, but the old lady was acute
enough to observe a great change in the girl. She did not look ill, but
the brightness had gone out of her face.

"Is anything wrong