marked to Jenny Walters:

"We shall have to enlarge the house after all."

"If it were only a dress, now?"

"What then?"

"Why, you could just let out the tucks. I've had to do that with mine."

"Jenny, shake hands with me."

"What for, Dabney?"

"I'm so glad to meet somebody else that's outgrowing something."

There was a tinge of color rising in Jenny's face, but, before she could
say anything, Dab added:

"There! Jenny, there's Mrs. Foster and Annie. Isn't she sweet?"

"One of the nicest old ladies I ever saw----"

"Oh, I didn't mean her mother."

"Never mind. You must introduce me to them."

"So I will. Take my arm."

[Illustration: "MAY I HAVE THE HONOR?"]

Jenny Walters had been unusually kindly and gracious in her manner that
evening, and her very voice had much less than its accustomed sharpness,
but her natural disposition broke out a little some minutes later, while
she was talking with Annie. Said she:

"I've wanted so much to get acquainted with you."

"With me?"

"Yes. I've seen you in church, and I've heard you talked about, and I
wanted to find out for myself."

"Find out what?" asked Annie a little soberly.

"Why, you see, I don't believe it's possible for any girl to be as sweet
as you look. I couldn't, I know. I've been trying these two days, and
I'm nearly worn out."

Annie's eyes opened wide with surprise, and she laughed merrily as she
answered:

"What can you mean? I'm glad enough if my face doesn't tell tales of
me."

"But mine does," said Jenny, "and then I'm so sure to tell all the rest
with my tongue. I wish I knew what were your faults."

"My faults? What for?"

"I don't know. Seems to me if I could think of your faults instead of
mine, it wouldn't be so hard to look sweet."

Annie saw that there was more earnestness than fun in the queer talk of
her new acquaintance. The truth was that Jenny had been having almost as
hard a struggle with her tongue as ever poor Dick Lee with his, though
not for not the same reason. Before many minutes she had frankly told
Annie all about it, and she could never have done that if she had not
somehow felt that Annie's "sweetness" was genuine. The two girls were
sure friends after that, much to the surprise of Mr. Dabney Kinzer.

He, indeed, had been too much occupied in caring for his guests to pay
special attention to one of them. His mother had looked after him again
and again with eyes brimful of pride and of commendation