nswered, hesitatingly, "I am afraid you would not like to go there,
Dr. Lacey."

"Why not?" said he. "Do you not like your home?"

"Oh, yes, very much," she replied; "but father is a little odd, and you
might feel inclined to laugh at him; but he is very kind, and if you could
forget his roughness, you would like him."

"I know I shall like him, just because he is your father," said Dr. Lacey.

He then turned the conversation upon other subjects, and Fanny found him
so agreeable that she never thought of the hour until Mr. Wilmot, Mrs.
Carrington and Julia suddenly entered the parlor.

"Upon my word," said Mrs. Carrington, "you have both stolen a march upon
us."

"I hope you have been agreeably entertained, Dr. Lacey," said Julia, in an
ironical tone.

"I assure you I have," said he, warmly "I do not remember having passed so
pleasant an evening for a long, long time."

"I dare say not; Fanny is usually very interesting," was, Julia's
contemptuous reply, and as Mr. Wilmot just then took his leave, she very
haughtily left the room and went upstairs, muttering to herself, "Foiled
for the first time in my life."

From this time nothing of particular importance occurred for two or three
weeks, except that Dr. Lacey seemed each day to grow fonder of Fanny,
which greatly annoyed Mrs. Carrington and Julia, both of whom spared no
pains to make Fanny appear in as bad a light as possible. But Dr. Lacey
understood their maneuvers, and whenever they were present seemed to take
delight in being very attentive to Fanny. He ardently desired to see the
father of the two girls, and ere long his wish was gratified. But of this
we will speak in another chapter.

CHAPTER V

THE FATAL LETTER

Julia and Fanny had been gone from home about four weeks when Mr.
Middleton suddenly determined "to go and see his gals" and bring them
home. Accordingly he "fixed up right smart," as he thought, which meant
that he took off his beard and put on "a bran new pair of jeens." He
preferred driving his own carriage, so he set off alone for Frankfort.

It was Friday morning, and as his daughters were in school, he stalked
into Mrs. Crane's parlor to wait for them. Spying the piano, he sat down
to it, and commenced producing a series of unearthly sounds, not
altogether unlike the fashionable music of the present day. Mrs.
Carrington chanced to be crossing the hall and, hea