NSER.

Miss Belinda was somewhat taken aback at the proposal of Mr. Sylvester
to receive Paula into his own house. She had not anticipated any such
result to her efforts; the utmost she had expected was a couple of years
or so of instruction in some state Academy. Nor did she know whether she
was altogether pleased at the turn affairs were taking. From all she had
heard, her niece Ona was, to say the least, a frivolous woman, and Paula
had a mind too noble to be subjected to the deteriorating influence of a
shallow and puerile companionship. Then the child had great beauty; Mr.
Sylvester who ought to be a judge in such matters had declared it so,
and what might not the adulation of the thoughtless and the envy of the
jealous, do towards belittling a nature as yet uncontaminated.

"We ought to think twice," she said to Miss Abby with some bitterness,
who on the contrary never having thought once was full of the most
childish hopes concerning a result which she considered with a certain
secret complacency she would not have acknowledged for the world, had
been very much furthered by her own wise recommendations to Mr.
Sylvester in the beginning of his visit. Yet notwithstanding her doubts
Miss Belinda allowed such preparations to be made as she considered
necessary, and even lent her hand which was deft enough in its way, to
the task of enlarging the child's small wardrobe. As for Paula, the
thought of visiting the great city with the dear friend whose image had
stood in her mind from early childhood as the impersonation of all that
was noble, generous and protecting, was more than joyful; it was an
inspiration. Not that she did not cling to the affectionate if somewhat
quaint couple who had befriended her childhood and sacrificed their
comfort to her culture and happiness. But the chord that lies deeper
than gratitude had been struck, and fond as were her memories of the
dear old home, the charm of that deep "My child," with its hint of
fatherly affection, was more than her heart could stand; and no spot, no
not the realms of fairy-land itself, looked so attractive to her fancy
as that far fireside in an unknown home where she might sit with cousin
Ona and alternately with her exert her wit to beguile the smile to his
melancholy lips.

When therefore upon the stated day, Mr. Sylvester made his second
appearance at the little cottage in Grotewell, it was to find Paula
radiant, Miss Abby tearfully exultant and Miss Bel