y, to see a coal mine. It was nothing new to Horace,
who was in the habit of exploring his native town as critically as a
regularly employed surveyor. You could hardly show him anything which he
had not already seen and examined carefully, from a steamboat to a dish
of "sour-krout." Grace and Cassy were by no means as learned, and had
never ventured under ground. They feared, yet longed, to make the
experiment.

As for Dotty, she knew Jennie Vance's ring had been found in a mine.
She had a vague notion that strange, half-human creatures were at work
in the bowels of the earth, hunting for similar bits of jewelry. She had
a secret hope that, if she went down there, she might herself see
something shining in a dark corner; and what if it should be a piece of
yellow gold, just suitable to be made into a ring to contain the oyster
pearl!

How surprised Jennie Vance would be to see such a precious treasure on
her little friend's finger!

"She didn't find her ring herself, and it isn't a pearl. But I shan't
give mine away, and shan't promise to, and then tell that I never.
That's a _hyper'blee_!"

Dotty had found a new name for white lies.

"It is so nice," said Grace, as they started from the door, "to have a
little cousin visiting us! for it makes us think of going to a great
many places where we never went before."

"Then I'm glad there _is_ a little cousin, and _very_ glad it's me."

"They like to have me here," she thought, "almost as much as if I was
Prudy."

Horace enjoyed the distinction of walking with the handsome Miss Dimple.
When they met one of the boys of his acquaintance, he found an
opportunity to whisper in his ear,--

"This is our little cousin from Down East. Isn't she a beauty? She can
climb a tree as well as you can."

Dotty heard the whisper, and unconsciously tossed her head a little. She
could not but conclude that she was becoming a personage of some
consequence.

"I'm a beauty; and now I'm growing pleasant, too. I don't have any
temper, and haven't had any for a great while."

Dotty did not reflect that there had been no occasion for anger. If one
cannot be amiable when one is visiting, and is treated with every
possible attention, then one must be ill-natured indeed! Dotty deceived
herself. The lion was still there; he was curled up, and out of sight in
his den.

They passed several lager-beer saloons and candy shops; saw Dutchmen
smoking meerschaums under broad awnings; and heard