influence of Miss Latimer's simple, homely manner, she began, as Nellie
expressed it, to thaw, and the fountain once set free produced a play
of bright, sparkling conversation.

Aunt Judith's nimble fingers plied the needle industriously, and though
she herself said little at first, her thorough enjoyment of the young
people's society was evident from the quiet, amused smile which lurked
round the corners of her lips, and the close attention she gave to the
merry flow of talk. School and school-mates were the two chief themes
of conversation, and if now and again a remark savouring rather
strongly of girlish malice or jealousy fell from either lips, Miss
Latimer wisely made no comment; for she knew what, alas! many pay so
little heed to--that for everything there is a season, and that a word
of admonition thrown in at a wrong time serves rather to harden than
soften the heart.

"Nellie is getting on splendidly at school, Miss Latimer," announced
Winnie after a long pause. "Ada Irvine cannot call herself the dux any
longer; and I am so glad. It is quite delightful to see her angry,
crestfallen look each time Nellie makes a correct answer;" and Winnie's
face glowed in thorough appreciation of the present state of affairs.
"As for revenge," she continued, "there will be a terrible climax some
day, I am sure. Even now, and this is only the beginning, she cannot
find anything too horrible for herself or the other girls to say about
Nellie."

"I am sorry to hear that," replied Aunt Judith quietly; "but Nellie
must try to win Ada's love, and not provoke her by any appearance of
triumph or self-esteem. Draw your chairs nearer me, dears, and I will
tell you what happened to me long, long ago when I was a girl;" and
here Miss Latimer smiled on the upturned young faces and commenced her
story.

There was nothing very exciting in the tale--nothing certainly
bordering on the wonderful--and yet one might have heard a pin fall, so
great was the silence while she spoke.

Winnie sat quite still, her eyes shining like twin stars, and the whole
expression of her face denoting the most intense interest; while
Nellie, her lips slightly parted as if in expectation, also seemed to
have her attention completely absorbed: for Aunt Judith was a splendid
story-teller, and entered heart and soul into the spirit of her tale.

Miss Deborah's little bright orbs twinkled when she entered the parlour
with the tea-tray and found how the th