don't suppose you ever did fear
anything. And I do suppose, if I've thought once I have fifty times how
she'd look to-day, and I was right every time. Don't she look! I always
told her she didn't know what she wanted--and I'm sure she don't now."
With which Miss Bezac gave Faith as hearty a congratulation as she had
yet received. "Well," she said, turning to Mr. Linden, "do you wonder I
wanted to make it?"--"Not in the least."

"But what do I want, Miss Bezac?" said Faith laughing and looking
affectionately at her old friend and fellow-work-woman.

"Why I should think nothing," said Miss Bezac. "So it seems to me. And
talking of seams--didn't I do yours! Do you know I should have come
before, but I never can see two people promise to love each other
forever without crying--and crying always makes rusty needles--so I
wouldn't come till now, when everybody's laughing." Faith was an
exception, for her amusement grew demure. And Miss Essie approached.

Now Miss Essie's black eyes, although bright enough, were altogether
gracious, and in a certain way even propitiatory. They were bent upon
the gentleman of the group.

"Mr. Linden," said the lady with her most flattering manner, "I want to
know if you have forgiven me all my dreadful speeches that I made once."

"Miss Essie, I never questioned your right to make them, therefore you
see my forgiveness has no place." Miss Essie looked as if her "study"
of Mr. Linden hadn't been thorough.

"That's very polite," she said; "too polite. But do you think Mrs.
Linden will ever let me come into her house?"

"Why not? It cannot be worse than you imagined."

"Because," said Miss Essie, earnestly, "I want to come, and I am afraid
she will not ask me. I go everywhere, and wherever you are I shall be
sure to come there some time; and then I want to see you and see how
you live, and see if my theory was mistaken. But I drew it from
experience!"

"Did you ever hear of the ice palace the little brook built for
himself?" said Mr. Linden.--"Lowell, oh yes!"

"Mrs. Linden thinks she would like to try that."

If ever black eyes were thoroughly puzzled, that were Miss Essie's. She
glanced from Mr. Linden to Faith, who had fallen back towards another
part of the room, but whose cheek gave token of her having heard and
noticed. Miss Essie's eyes came back; she looked a little mortified.

"I see you have not forgiven me," she said. "But, Mr. Linden, I only
spoke of what I had seen. I ha