And Eurie told me last night that
his friend, Mr. Harrison, of the Fourth church was going. I don't know
how Eurie heard that, through Nellis, I suppose.

"Isn't Nellis splendid nowadays? I shouldn't wonder if quite a large
company went from here. I wonder if Dr. Dennis will take his daughter
Grace. I think she is just lovely, don't you?"

"Very," said Marion; and just here Flossy roused to the fact that she
was doing most of the talking, and that Marion's answers were often in
monosyllables.

"I dare say I am tiring you," she said, rising. "I forget that you have
to talk all day in that school-room, Marion. Are you sure you love to
teach well enough to keep at it, year after year?"

"No," said Marion, laughing. "I know I don't; I don't mean to do it; I
mean to get a situation as somebody's housekeeper."

"Do you understand housekeeping?" asked innocent little Flossy, with
wide open eyes.

"Oh, Marion! are you sure it will be even as pleasant as school
teaching?"

"I think so," Marion answered with grave face. "At least, I mean to try.
It depends on whose house you get into, you know."

Flossy's sober face cleared in an instant.

"So it does," she said. "Marion, I have a nice plan, but I shall not
tell you a bit about it to-night. Good-bye."

"Oh, the dear blessed little goosie!" Marion said, laughing immoderately
as the door closed after Flossy. "Now, I know as well as if she told me,
that she is going to beguile Mr. Roberts into offering me a situation in
their dove cote, when they set it up. Blessed little darling!" and here,
the laugh changed into a bright tear. "I know just what a sweet and
happy home she would make for me. If I had only that to look forward to,
if it had just opened as my escape from this boarding house, how very
thankful I should be! How glad the dear child will be to know that my
home is as nearly in view as her own."

As for Flossy, she went down the walk, saying:

"What a dismal room that is? It is too bad for our bright Marion to have
to live in it, I know my plan will work. How nice of her to have put it
in my head! my head must be for the purpose of carrying out nice things
that somebody else proposes. Oh dear! there are so many desolate homes
here, on earth!"

A cloud over the bright face for a minute, then it cleared as she said,
softly: "In my Father's house are many mansions; I go to prepare a place
for you."

After all, that was the place for brightness. This was only