ant "Good-morning" to the three ladies. Mrs. Stanhope rose
and offered him a chair. Depositing a large package he held in his arms
on a corner of the sofa, he sat down.

Mrs. Edson blushed. She thought it was at being caught from home in
dishabille by a gentleman of the colonel's etiquette and high breeding.
After a few casual remarks upon the beauty of the morning, he turned his
discourse to her, and remarked:

"I am happy to meet you, Mrs. Edson; we are getting to be quite strangers
of late. Edith is lamenting that you do not honor us with more frequent
visits."

"I have often wished to call on your family, Col. Malcome," returned
Louise, in a calm, clear voice; "but since your daughter commenced
attending school, have desisted, lest I might inconvenience her."

"Edith does not go to the seminary after two o'clock," said he; "her
evenings are quite unemployed, and she would be highly gratified to
receive a call from you."

"I shall be pleased to call on her, and also to receive more frequent
visits from her. She has less to confine her at home than I; so her
visits should outnumber mine."

"Ay, yes; you speak sensibly, Mrs. Edson," returned he; "you have more
calls on your time than Edith. Strange I can never remember you are a
married woman."

"It would be well for you to remember it," said Louise, with a dignified
curve of her graceful neck, and slight addition of color, which very much
heightened her beauty.

"Mrs. Edson is so youthful in appearance," remarked Mrs. Stanhope, "I
think she might excuse one for forgetting she is a matron."

"I'll excuse you, Mrs. Stanhope," said Louise, rising; "I don't want to
be anything to you, but your little girl, and to run in here just when I
have a mind to, and to have you chide me when I do wrong, and love me
always, whether right or wrong. So good-morning," and, curtseying
gracefully, she glided from the room and retraced her steps to her own
mansion.

There was a silence of several minutes after she left, during which Col.
Malcome recollected his package, and, placing it on the table, politely
inquired if the ladies could oblige him by sewing a quantity of linen, of
which he should be in need in course of a few weeks, as he meditated
going a journey. They would be very willing to do it for him, could they
get it in readiness by the time he would want it; but they had a great
deal of unfinished work on their hands. Miss Pinkerton was confident they
could accompl