nt Addie's will rules Upton House. I begin to understand
things better now. We used to wonder how Mrs. Norton could afford all
those pretty gowns and bonnets, and why the curate's wife was so much
better dressed than the vicar's wife, and how they could afford to go
out of town and have all those nice things for the children, but of
course it is all Aunt Addie's doing."

"Miss Campion is rich then."

"Yes; Mrs. Norton told me all about it when we were in the gardens.
She says some old uncle left her all his money. She does so much good
with it; and she is especially kind to Mrs. Norton, who is her
favorite sister. She has promised to send the boys to school when they
are old enough, and she pays my salary, and, in fact, the whole
household are much benefited by Aunt Addie. So Mrs. Norton told me
rather sorrowfully that if I made up my mind to go to America with her
sister they would not say a word to prevent it."

"But you will not go, dear," coaxingly.

"Miss Campion has friends in New York," returned Crystal, evasively;
"but she does not mean to stay there long. She wants to see Niagara
and Colorado, and I forget the route she has planned; but a companion
she must have, and she offers such handsome terms, and after all she
will not, be away more than five or six months, and as she says the
change will do me good; the only thing is she will start early next
week and, as I tell her, I have nothing ready, but she only laughed
and said we should have plenty of time to market in New York; and that
she loved shopping."

"Crystal, I do believe that you have made up your mind to leave us."

Crystal hesitated a moment, and her dark eyes grew a little misty.

"And if it be my duty, Fern, will you say a word to keep me, my
darling?" as Fern looked sorrowfully in her face. "I am not leaving
you for good and all; I will never do that until--" but here she
paused, and then hurried on. "The fact is, Fern, your mother can no
longer protect me; your brother's unmanly persecution is driving me
away. No, I will say nothing bitter of him to-night; after all he is
your brother; but it will be better for him if I leave here--a brief
absence may help to cure him."

"But his selfishness must not drive you away, my poor Crystal."

"Dear, it will be far better for me to go," returned Crystal with a
sigh. "I am growing restless again, and, as Miss Campion says, the
change will do me good; I came home to tell you this to-night I have