rielle to her. "Could we
not win him over to our view of Jim? Should we not try?"

Mrs. Gibson, Gabrielle, Nellie and Jim were in the large tower
sitting-room at the time of this questioning. "No, Mrs. Gibson"; and
Gabrielle was most serious as she spoke. "My father will in time come to
admire Jim as you do; I know father so well. Mother and I understand
him. He jumps at conclusions regarding people for whom he has a dislike,
and time and again has acknowledged to me how he regretted his haste. In
good time father will ask my forgiveness. Not before the wedding,
though, I fear; but I hope on. It is my intention to proceed, with
mother's approval."

"Almost an elopement," laughed Nellie, ready for a wedding as eagerly as
an opposed bride.

"Not quite, though, for mother will be there," smiled Gabrielle.

"I'll be there without these crutches," said Jim, dropping his supports
to the floor, while he made an effort to stump across the room and
demonstrate that he could creep to the tune of a wedding march.

"You'll do, Jim," said Nellie, as she took him by the arm to support
him, and aired the Lohengrin selection. "You are just speedy enough
to-day. In three weeks you will be able to run."

"Only three weeks off!" exclaimed Mrs. Gibson. "How the time passes! We
must hurry. Nellie, go at once to the dressmaker's and get her positive
assurance that our gowns will be ready. And you, too, have so much to
do, Gabrielle."

"The more time the more there is to do always," said Gabrielle. "A
bride is never quite ready, but in three weeks I am sure I shall be, if
I am not disappointed by all the people I have engaged to help me. But
let us think no more of our worries. You have not told me what
impression those two gowns made that came last night. Didn't you see
them? Let me show them to you."

Gabrielle brought out the gowns, and the critics went into tucks,
trimmings, opalescent spangles, Malines lace, China-ribbed embroidery
and many other bewildering technicalities. One of the dresses was all
white, fashioned out of net, and was ribbon-sashed, girdled, looped,
shirred, tucked, tuck-shirred, shirr-tucked, fulled, grilled, padded,
scrolled, rolled, appliqued, tasseled, rosetted, knotted, banded, edged,
picot-edged, ruffled, plaited, bowed, buckled, buckle-bowed, yoked and
choked with ribbon. It was a pretty gown, and a hat and muff built on
the same style went with it. The hat was to be held in place by long
streamer ribb