hat."

"No, thank you, Louie," said Henrietta; "I can't leave mother longer.
It's been very delightful, more delightful than you can realize,
perhaps--you're so much accustomed to it; but I must get back."

"Now, that really is nonsense, Etta. Mother has Ellen, and she has
father, and she is pretty well for her; you said so yourself."

But Henrietta persisted in her refusal, for she had all the strong,
though sometimes unthinking, sense of duty of her generation.

"Well, if you will go, you must. But now you have begun coming, come
often. Write a line whenever you like and propose yourself."

As they said good-night, Louie whispered, "Have you forgiven me, Etty?"

"Yes," said Henrietta, "that's all past and gone."

"For a matter of fact," said Louie, "he is not very happy with her; they
don't get on. The Moffats know him, and Mrs. Moffatt told me."

"Oh, I am sorry," said Henrietta, but she was not displeased.

Evelyn stayed behind, and Louie talked Henrietta over with her. "Poor,"
ever since her marriage Henrietta had been "poor" to Louie, "Poor Etta
really isn't bad-looking, and when she gets animated she isn't
unattractive. If I could have her here often, I believe I could do
something for her."

When Evelyn came home a week or so later, she had an announcement to
make. She had become engaged to an officer, a friend of the
Carringtons, who had been staying in the house. He was delightful, the
engagement was everything that was to be desired, and Evelyn was
radiant.

Henrietta knew that such an announcement was bound to come sooner or
later, but she had so longed for a few years' happy intercourse
together. She tried to think only of Evelyn, but she could not keep back
all that was in her mind.

"Think of me left all alone. It was so dreary, and when you came you
made everything different. Now it will go back to what it was before."

"No, no, Etty darling; you will come and stay with us for months and
months."

"No, I shan't. When you have got him you won't want me."

"Yes, I shall. I shall want you all the more. I love you more than I've
ever done in my life, my darling sister. We've always been special, we
two, haven't we, ever since I can remember?"

Henrietta was a little comforted, and did not realize that though
Evelyn's tenderness was absolutely sincere, it came from the strange
expansion of the heart which accompanies true love, and was not
habitual.

The marriage took place almost at once