and Miss Sarah kept them laughing
over her first experiences in paying her taxes. Miss Carpenter, as she
separated long strands of raphia and initiated her pupils into the art
of twisting and stitching, was almost as merry as Miss Pennington,
whose infectious laugh, as she related James Mandeville's latest
speeches, kept them all in a gale.

Once in the course of the evening, Norah said, in reference to a
remark of somebody's, "That reminds me of our friend the rich Miss
Carpenter." And when the lesson was over, and Miss Virginia, beginning
to murmur something about its being late, Charlotte suddenly
announced, "I know a Miss Carpenter in Philadelphia."

There was an odd silence for a moment until she added: "At least, I
don't exactly know her, but I have heard a great deal about her. She
lives across the street from my uncle, and last spring when I was
there I used to see them take her out to drive. She had been ill, and
I never really saw her. _She_ is rich, and I wondered if she could be
the Miss Carpenter you spoke of, Miss Norah."

It was Marion who answered the question. "She is the very one. Norah
thinks a great deal of her, in fact,--is a little absurd about her."

"Why shouldn't I be? Hasn't she done everything for us?" cried Norah,
stoutly.

"Then you have seen her," said Charlotte, delightedly. "Is she
beautiful and--everything--as Mrs. Wellington said?" she looked at
Marion.

"Ask Miss Pennington."

"I consider her handsome and charming, but Marion is a connection and
ought to be able to tell you more than I."

"I am glad you know her, for I am very much interested in her because
of a special reason."

"Charlotte, my dear," Miss Virginia spoke warningly, "it is really
time we were going."

* * * * *

The discovery that Miss Carpenter of the shop was a relative of the
Philadelphia Carpenters relieved Miss Virginia beyond measure. She
sat down at once to finish her letter and convey the news to her
sister. She was vindicated; once more her conscience was easy.

The Terrace in general received the news with approval. That the
shopkeepers were not exactly ordinary persons had been felt all along.
Everybody had heard of Peter Carpenter. Possibly the shop was simply
another manifestation of family eccentricities on the part of this
cousin. It was easily settled that Miss Marion was a cousin,--probably
a second or third cousin; for Miss Virginia knew about the family