because she was the only child of your
deceased brother, you wanted to do something for her, and so sent for
her to come here, and finish her education at your expense, where she
could receive more fashionable polish than in a country town, away up in
Ohio; and as to her looks, just step into the parlor and see for
yourself."

"O, where is she?" he exclaimed, finding the room vacant in which Alice
had been seated a few moments before.

"I sent Thisbe to take her off," replied Mrs. Camford; "here are the
children; my brilliant son, my jewel daughters. I declare my nerves are
so shaken I feel quite incapacitated to preside at the dinner-table."

"Pshaw, Nabby," said the blunt husband, "come along. I'll risk you to
despatch your usual quantity of lobster salad and roasted steak."

"Adolphus, you shock me," faltered the delicate little lady, of a good
two hundred pounds' weight, as she hung to her lord's stalwart arm and
entered the dining saloon.

"My darling children, assume your seats at table. Billy and Cato, unfold
their napkins. Adolphus, you see we have chops for dinner."

Delivering herself of this flowery speech, the lady sank exhausted into
the high-backed chair that was held in readiness by the officious
waiter, and was shoved up to her proper place, the head of her sumptuous
table.

The meal proceeded in silence, and all, even the delicate lady, did
ample justice to the chops, the entrees, and nicely-prepared side
dishes, as well as to the elegant dessert that followed in course.

CHAPTER III.

"She wound around her fingers
Her locks of jetty hair;
And brought them into graceful curl
About her forehead fair."

Alice remained closeted in her little room, eating but a morsel of the
dinner brought her by Thisbe, till night-fall, when the woman again
appeared, and said,

"Mistress says, if Miss Alice has made herself presentable, she can
attend her in the family sitting-room in half an hour."

Alice bowed to this message, and said she would be pleased to meet her
aunt and cousins at the time specified. The woman paused a moment, and
then asked timidly,

"Would not Miss Alice like a waitin'-maid sent to 'sist her in
dressin'?"

"No, thank you," returned Alice, smiling. "I am accustomed to wait on
myself."

The woman opened wide her shiny eyes, and exclaiming, "Massy! who ever
heard the li