iss Grace,
and the mother of Annie explained the rest to Mrs. Aldred, but I don't
know which Annie is. I'll guess it is the plump one with a dimple in her
chin. They have never been away at school before. You can tell that by
their half-frightened look."

"Did I look half frightened?" inquired Helen, mirthfully, glancing
around.

"I must say you did not. And we descended upon you so unceremoniously.
It might be admissible to ask what you thought of us."

"That it was very kind of you to call on me. I should have felt much
more strange if I had speculated all the evening and seen you first this
morning."

"Now you see the benefit of rushing in where angels fear to tread. You
were placed in our neighborhood, and we have been neighborly."

"I thank you very much," Helen returned gravely.

Elm Avenue ran straight down in the town, down to the river, indeed. But
the beauty of Westchester was its main street that intersected this and
ran parallel with the river about a quarter of a mile below the school,
and was called Center Street. It had all that was of the most account in
the town, the Court House, a fine building, a public hall with offices
on the lower floor, two very pretty churches with their parsonages,
several stores, post-office, and bank, and at both ends handsome
residences with well-kept grounds. Being the county town, at autumn and
spring it displayed a rather busy aspect; the rest of the time was given
over to very delightful, refined social living. There had been some
doubts at first as to whether a girls' boarding-school would not disturb
the serene aspect, but it was not large enough, and kept very well in
hand.

From Center Street, streets and avenues branched out both ways. These
were substantially built up with large grounds and handsome gardens on
the east side, stretching out finally to farms, and on the west running
down to the river, that being broken by rifts and rather dangerous
places, was hardly navigable for general business, though small sloops
ventured up when the river was not too low. A mile further down was a
bed of clay and a brick-yard, and two or three factories with a sort of
hamlet. Three miles below were large iron-works. The railroad ran along
the river, and left the town to its beauty and comparative quiet.

It was, in its surroundings, much handsomer than North Hope, and the
style of homes betokened both wealth and culture, a town whose ways were
settled, a town of the be