“Yes; who told you?” asked her companion.

“Oh, I’ve seen it all along,” answered Lucy carelessly.  “He called with her once at our house!”

“But you didn’t invite her to your party,” said mischievous Bessie Lee, who loved dearly to tease Lucy Dayton.  “You didn’t invite her to your party, and so he left early, and I dare say went straight to Mrs. Harcourt’s and proposed, if he hadn’t done so before.  Now, don’t you wish you’d been more polite to Ada?  They say he’s got a cousin South, as rich and handsome as he is, and if you’d only behaved as you should, who knows what might have happened!”

Lucy deigned Bessie no reply, and turning to another young lady, asked, “When is the wedding to be?”

“Next Thursday morning, in the church,” was the answer; and Bessie Lee again interposed, saying, “Come, Lucy, I don’t believe you have ever returned Ada’s call, and as I am going to see her, and inquire all about that Cousin Frank, suppose you accompany me, and learn the particulars of the wedding.”

“Thank you,” said Lucy; “I don’t care enough about it to take that trouble;” and soon rising she left the shop.

If Lucy manifested so much indifference, we wot of some bright eyes and eager ears which are willing to know the particulars, so we will give them as follows:  When St. Leon left Mr. Dayton’s it was ten o’clock, but notwithstanding the lateness of the hour he started for the small brown house on “Dirt Alley,” where dwelt the sewing woman and her daughter, who were both busy on some work which they wished to finish that night.  Ada had stopped for a moment to replenish the fire when a knock at the door startled her.  Opening it she saw St. Leon, and in much surprise said, “Why, I supposed you were at the party.”

“So I have been,” said he; “but I grew weary, and left for a more congenial atmosphere;” then advancing toward Mrs. Harcourt, he took her hand, saying, “Mrs. Linwood, allow me to address you by your right name this evening.”

We draw a veil over the explanation which followed—­over the fifty-nine questions asked by Ada concerning Jenny—­and over the one question asked by St. Leon, the answer to which resulted in the purchase of all those dresses at Miss Carson’s and the well-founded rumor that on Thursday morning a wedding would take place at St. Luke’s church.

Poor Lucy! how disconsolate she felt!  St. Leon was passing from her grasp, and there was no help.  On her way home she three times heard of the wedding, and of Ada’s real name and former position in life, and each time her wrath waxed warmer and warmer.  Fortunate was it for Berintha and grandma that neither made her appearance until tea-time, for Lucy was in just the state when an explosive storm would surely have followed any remark addressed to her!