lone."

"No--o!" cried both the sisters in chorus.

Bess sat bolt upright, and Eve danced around the room clapping her
hands.

"I don't think much of a marriage which has been postponed," said
Bess, a bright spot glowing on both of her cheeks. "Who knows but what
one of us may have a chance of winning handsome Rex Lyon, after all?
He is certainly a golden prize!"

"'Don't count the chickens,' etc.," quoted Eve, saucily.

"Gertrude!" said Bess, severely, "you will learn after awhile never to
speak before Eve. She is as liable to do mischief as her namesake was
in the Garden of Eden."

"You ought never to go back on your own sex," retorted Eve, banging
the door after her as she quitted the room, Rover, an ugly-looking
mastiff, closely following at her heels.

"That is certainly an astonishing piece of news," said Bess,
reflectively, smoothing out the folds of her white cashmere morning
wrapper. "Now, here's a plan for you, Gertie. Find out his address in
some way, and we will write to him on some pretext or other. Rex has
probably quarreled with the haughty heiress of Whitestone Hall, and
one of us ought certainly to catch his heart in the rebound. Send him
an invitation to your birthday party, Gertie."

"I would be more likely to succeed than you, Bess," said Gertie,
rocking complacently to and fro, and looking maliciously at her
sister. "You remember he once remarked he did not like tall ladies,
and you are certainly tall, Bess."

"Well, I'd rather be tall and willowy and graceful, than short and fat
and dumpy," jerked out Bess, spitefully.

"What! at swords' points yet, eh? Ha, ha, ha!" cried Eve, suddenly,
popping her head in at the door. "I'll be back after awhile to see
which one of you gets the best of it."

Before either of the sisters had time to reply, the family carriage
dashed suddenly up to the porch, and a moment later a slight,
dark-robed little figure was ushered into their presence.

"This is Miss Brooks, mum," said Jim, the coachman, addressing the
elder sister.

"I'd like to know why you have brought her in here?" cried Bess,
angrily. "Why did you not take her into the servants' hall or into the
kitchen?"

But Jim had disappeared.

"Well, now that you are here, you might sit down," suggested Gertie,
wondering what kind of a face was hid behind the long, thick, clinging
veil. "You may lay aside your bonnet and veil."

Trembling and sick at heart with the cold greeting which had been