e rich?" Miss Virginia asked
her.

"I believe I should go on with the shop for the present," was the
reply.

"I think I should start a Settlement like the one you have told me
about," Alex said, turning to Norah. "But then," she added, "I should
have to learn a great deal first. You can't do anything that amounts
to anything without learning how."

Miss Sarah had been meditating, now she spoke, "I think I'd try to
give a good time to some persons who never have any fun, to whom life
is only a grind."

"There are so many of them," added Miss Martin, timidly.

"I am afraid I have always been dreadfully selfish," sighed Miss
Virginia.

"Oh, no, Virginia, you aren't that," said Miss Sarah. "Like some of
the rest of us, you may have lived in a small circle, but within its
bounds no one could accuse you of selfishness. Let's all promise to
remember each other when we come into our fortunes," she added.

After they had gone,--Miss Martin lingering to say with shy
earnestness, "I have had _such_ a good time," and receiving in return
a cordial invitation to consider herself a member of the basket
society,--Norah joined Marion before the fire.

"Do you know, Wayland Leigh gave that fan to Madelaine," she said.

"Are you sure? It must have cost twenty-five or thirty dollars."

"I saw him looking at them the other day. I rather suspect his aunts
have spoiled him."

CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD

NEIGHBORS

Late in February, after some weeks of unusually cold weather, an
epidemic of grip developed. In the Terrace there were several victims,
among the first the Leighs' cook; and when it came to filling her
place, it was discovered that she was by no means the only member of
that useful profession laid low. It was quite impossible to find a
substitute. Miss Sarah was obliged to do her own cooking, with the
assistance of a not very intelligent housemaid.

There were ten in her family now, and it was no light task; but she
might have proved equal to it if she had not been overworking all
winter. Her spare moments had been given to sewing and embroidering
for the shop, she had indulged and petted her aunt and Wayland just as
usual, besides attending to her housekeeping in the most painstaking
fashion; and all the while like an ominous cloud hovering over her was
the doubt whether she would be able to make the two ends meet.

Perhaps she was extravagant with the table, but during her brother's
lifetime they had lived i