a young lady," replied the Major, with a bow. "There are not two
handsomer girls in the state, Governor, which means, of course, that there
are not two handsomer girls in the world, sir. Why, Virginia's eyes are
almost a match for my Aunt Emmeline's, and poets have immortalized hers. Do
you recall the verses by the English officer she visited in prison?--

"'The stars in Rebel skies that shine
Are the bright orbs of Emmeline.'"

"Yes, I remember," said the Governor. "Emmeline Lightfoot is as famous as
Diana," then his quick eyes caught Betty's drooping head, "and what of this
little lady?" he asked, patting her shoulder. "There's not a brighter smile
in Virginia than hers, eh, Major?"

But the Major was not to be outdone when there were compliments to be
exchanged.

"Her hair is like the sunshine," he began, and checked himself, for at the
first mention of her hair Betty had fled.

It was on this afternoon that she brewed a dye of walnut juice and carried
it in secret to her room. She had loosened her braids and was about to
plunge her head into the basin when Mrs. Ambler came in upon her. "Why,
Betty! Betty!" she cried in horror.

Betty turned with a start, wrapped in her shining hair. "It is the only
thing left to do, mamma," she said desperately. "I am going to dye it. It
isn't ladylike, I know, but red hair isn't ladylike either. I have tried
conjuring, and it won't conjure, so I'm going to dye it."

"Betty! Betty!" was all Mrs. Ambler could say, though she seized the basin
and threw it from the window as if it held poison. "If you ever let that
stuff touch your hair, I--I'll shave your head for you," she declared as
she left the room; but a moment afterward she looked in again to add, "Your
grandmamma had red hair, and she was the beauty of her day--there, now, you
ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

So Betty smiled again, and when Virginia came in to dress for supper, she
found her parading about in Aunt Lydia's best bombazine gown.

"This is how I'll look when I'm grown up," she said, the corner of her eye
on her sister.

"You'll look just lovely," returned Virginia, promptly, for she always said
the sweetest thing at the sweetest time.

"And I'm going to look like this when Dan comes home next summer," resumed
Betty, sedately.

"Not in Aunt Lydia's dress?"

"You goose! Of course not. I'm going to get Mammy to make me a Swiss muslin
down to the ground, and I'm going to wear six starched petticoa