spers of the people, many of
whom had never seen her before, and were surprised at her extreme youth
and beauty. Ruby Ann was at a distance, trying to sell Mrs. Biggs's
spotted brown and white wrapper to a scrub woman who was haggling over
the price which Mrs. Biggs had insisted should be put upon it. That good
woman was busy in the supper-room, or she would have made her way at
once to Eloise, who, as she looked over the sea of faces confronting
her, saw no one she knew except Howard Crompton, who had been very
uncomfortable in the heat and air of the place until she came, and with
her fresh, fair young face seemed at once to change the whole
atmosphere. Jack, who was not used to much exertion and had found even
Eloise's light weight a trifle heavy, especially up the hill near the
Rummage house, was sweating at every pore, and fanning himself with a
palm leaf he had bought at the entrance.

"By George!" he said to Howard, who was standing by them. "It's hotter
than a furnace in here. I believe I'll have to go outside and cool off a
minute, if you'll stay and keep guard over Miss Smith."

"Certainly;--with pleasure," Howard said, putting his hand on Eloise's
chair and asking if there was anything he could do for her.

She was watching the brown and white spotted gown, and to Howard's
question she shook her head, while he continued, "Jack says the
chocolate is pretty fair. He ought to know--he has drank six cups. I am
going to bring you some."

Before she could protest that she did not care for chocolate, he left
her and his place was at once taken by the tall, lank, light-haired boy,
whose elbows had done so good execution in forcing a passage for the
chair. Tom had been watching her ever since she came in, and making up
his mind. He had heard she was pretty, but that did not begin to express
his opinion of her, as she sat with the ermine over her shoulders, the
soft sheen on her hair, the bright color on her cheeks, and a look in
her eyes which fascinated him, boy though he was, as it did many an
older man, from Mr. Bills to Jack, and Howard Crompton. If his two chips
had not been thrown away he would have thrown them now, and still the
feeling in him which people called _cussedness_ was so strong that he
could not repress a desire "to see what stuff she was made off."

Taking Howard's vacant place he pushed himself forward until he was
nearly in front of her, where he could look into her face. She
recognized him