diot."

"Henry, you are too young a man to talk that way."

"My son," said Mrs. Witherspoon, "the Lord has made us for a special
purpose, and we ought not to question His plans."

"No, mother," Ellen spoke up, "but we should like to know something
about that especial part of the plan which relates to us."

"My daughter, this is not a question for you to discuss. Your duty in
this life is so clearly marked out that there can be no mistake about
it. With my son it has unfortunately been different."

The girl smiled. "A woman's duty is not so clearly marked out now as
it used to be, mother. As long as man was permitted to mark it out her
duty was clear enough--to him."

"Hum!" Witherspoon grunted, "we are about to have a woman's
advancement session. Will you please preside?" he added, nodding at
Ellen. She laughed at him. He continued: "After a while Vassar will be
nothing but a woman's convention. Henry, we will go down to-morrow and
look after that newspaper."

CHAPTER XI.

ACKNOWLEDGED BY SOCIETY.

The politician was surprised. He had not supposed that any one even
suspected that he wanted to get rid of the _Star_; indeed, he was not
aware that the public knew of his ownership of that paper. It was a
very valuable piece of property; but unfortunately his time was so
taken up with other matters that he could not give it the attention it
deserved. Its circulation was growing every day, and with proper
management its influence could be extended to every corner of the
country. Witherspoon replied that he was surprised to hear that the
paper was doing so well. He did not often see a copy of it. The
politician and the merchant understood each other, and the bargain was
soon brought to a close.

And now the time for the reception was at hand. A florist's wagon
stood in front of the door, and the young man thought, "This is my
funeral." Every preparation gave him a shudder. Ellen laughed at him.

"It's well enough for you to laugh," said he, "for you are safe in the
amphitheater while I am in the ring with the bull."

"Why, you great big goose, is anybody going to hurt you?"

"No; and that's the trouble. If somebody were to hurt me, I could
relieve myself of embarrassment by taking up revenge."

At the very eleventh hour of preparation he was not only reconciled
to the affliction of a reception, but appeared rather to look with
favor upon the affair. And it was this peculiar reasoning that brought
him