re rich; but I
have paid for my mistake, and it is now too late to correct it."

The conversation had reached this point when the two seemed to conclude
it was altogether too public to be in good taste. Several persons,
standing near, stepped a little closer, so as to catch every word.

"It is so warm in there," said Dolly; "even with the windows open, that I
came outdoors to get the fresh air. Aunt Maggie put my shawl about my
shoulders so that I wouldn't take cold. Now, Ben, if you will walk with
me to the summer-house yonder, we can sit down by ourselves, finish our
talk, and then part forever."

The last expression sent a pang to the boy's heart, but he did not allow
her to see it. He followed her a short distance to one of the romantic
little lattice-work structures which Mr. Grandin had placed on his
grounds.

A few rays of silvery moonlight penetrated the leafy shelter, so the two
were not in complete darkness when they sat down on the rustic seat.

"I am ready to listen to you," said Ben in his most frigid voice, the two
being separated by a space of several feet.

"In the first place, if you thought so lightly of me, you never should
have told me different nor asked me to correspond with you."

"I do not understand you."

"How can you help understanding me?"

"Because I see no reason for your words. I thought all the world of you;
the greatest pleasure of my life was to write to you and to receive your
letters in return. All at once you stopped writing; I sent you three
letters, and you paid no attention----"

"Ben, how dare you! It was you who laughed at my letters, and took no
notice of them, except to show them to your friends and ridicule what I
put on paper."

Ben Mayberry sprang to his feet. Like a flash it came upon him that some
dreadful misunderstanding had been brought about by other parties, for
which Dolly was not to blame.

"Tell me the whole story, Dolly," he said in a kinder voice than he had
used since they met, as he resumed his seat.

"Well," said she, beginning to feel the same suspicion that thrilled her
companion, "there is a good deal to say, but I will make it short. You
know my father and Mr. Grandin are cousins, so the girls are really my
second cousins. Rutherford Richmond is the son of an old friend of
father, who lives in Boston. Father has a large insurance office, and he
agreed to take Rutherford until he learned the business, so as to take
charge of the same kind o