she broke off, springing to her feet and running over to her
desk. "There! this is about what I wrote to them all," she finished,
whipping a note out of one of the unsealed envelopes on the desk and
spreading it open before Aunt Hannah's suspicious eyes.

"Hm-m; that is very good--for you," admitted the lady.

"Well, I like that!--after all my stern self-control and self-sacrifice
to keep out all those things I _wanted_ to write," bridled Billy.
"Besides, they'd have been ever so much more interesting reading than
these will be," she pouted, as she took the note from her companion's
hand.

"I don't doubt it," observed Aunt Hannah, dryly.

Billy laughed, and tossed the note back on the desk.

"I'm writing to Belle Calderwell, now," she announced musingly, dropping
herself again on the hassock. "I suppose she'll tell Hugh."

"Poor boy! He'll be disappointed."

Billy sighed, but she uptilted her chin a little.

"He ought not to be. I told him long, long ago, the very first time,
that--that I couldn't."

"I know, dear; but--they don't always understand." Aunt Hannah sighed
in sympathy with the far-away Hugh Calderwell, as she looked down at the
bright young face near her.

There was a moment's silence; then Billy gave a little laugh.

"He _will_ be surprised," she said. "He told me once that Bertram
wouldn't ever care for any girl except to paint. To paint, indeed! As
if Bertram didn't love me--just _me!_--if he never saw another tube of
paint!"

"I think he does, my dear."

Again there was silence; then, from Billy's lips there came softly:

"Just think; we've been engaged almost four weeks--and to-morrow it'll
be announced. I'm so glad I didn't ever announce the other two!"

"The other _two!_" cried Aunt Hannah.

Billy laughed.

"Oh, I forgot. You didn't know about Cyril."

"Cyril!"

"Oh, there didn't anybody know it, either not even Cyril himself,"
dimpled Billy, mischievously. "I just engaged myself to him in
imagination, you know, to see how I'd like it. I didn't like it. But
it didn't last, anyhow, very long--just three weeks, I believe. Then I
broke it off," she finished, with unsmiling mouth, but dancing eyes.

"Billy!" protested Aunt Hannah, feebly.

"But I _am_ glad only the family knew about my engagement to Uncle
William--oh, Aunt Hannah, you don't know how good it does seem to call
him 'Uncle' again. It was always slipping out, anyhow, all the time we
were engaged; and of course it w