lizabeth followed him into the hall, but their parting was a brief one,
spoken amid bursts of laughter from within, and in a broken voice by the
warm hearted young fellow.

"Good-bye, Bessie--God bless you."

"You'll write to me, Tom? I shall miss you so."

"Oh, don't; it ain't worth while! I'll write of course; good-bye."

Tom dashed down the steps and fled along the avenue in mad haste, and
Elizabeth returned to her guests.

It seemed to her that the day would never come to an end. Mrs.
Harrington and Elsie scarcely heeded her, but fluttered from room to
room with the two guests, doing the honors with great spirit, and urging
them to extend their visit some days. Elizabeth was offended at the
reckless offer of hospitality.

Elsie saw this and whispered, "It wasn't my fault; don't blame me, dear!
Grant is gone, and he told you not to be cross with me."

So Elizabeth controlled herself; perhaps the girl had done all this harm
unconsciously. She would believe so, at least; no cloud must come
between them. These almost strange men were invited, and must remain if
they so decided.

As if she had not enough to bear already, Elizabeth's inflictions were
increased towards the dinner hour by the arrival of a Mr. Rhodes and his
daughter, who lived at an easy distance, and thought it a neighborly and
kind thing for them to drop in to dinner with Mrs. Mellen, and console
her in her loneliness.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE WIDOW'S FLIRTATION.

Mrs. Harrington plunged into her natural element at once; Mr. Rhodes was
a rich widower, vulgar and pompous as could well be imagined; but that
made no difference, the lady spread her flimsy net in that direction and
put on all her fascinations at once, leaving the younger men to their
fate. This was splendid sport to Elsie, for Miss Jemima, the daughter, a
gaunt, peaked-nosed female, had been Miss Jemima a good many more years
than she found agreeable, and when any woman ventured even to look at
her stout parent, she was up in arms at once and ready to do battle
against the threatened danger, resolved that one man at least should own
her undivided dominion, even if that man was her pompous old father. Mr.
Rhodes was at once captivated by the widow's flattery, and Elsie
mischievously increased Jemima's growing irritation by whispers full of
honied malice, that almost drove that single lady distracted.

"Quite a flirtation, I declare," said she; "really, Miss Jemima, widows
are v