The next day was the Sabbath, and as Lucy entered the church, the first object which met her eye was St. Leon, seated in the sewing woman’s pew, and Ada tolerably though not very near him!  “How disgusting!” she hissed between her teeth, as she entered her own richly-cushioned seat, and opened her velvet-bound prayer book.  Precious little of the sermon heard she that day, for, turn which way she would, she still saw in fancy the sweet young face of her rival; and it took but a slight stretch of imagination to bring to view a costly house in the far-off “Sunny South,” a troop of servants, a handsome, noble husband, and the hated Ada the happy mistress of them all!  Before church was out Lucy was really sick, and when at home in her room she did not refuse the bowl of herb tea which Berintha kindly brought her, saying “it had cured her when she felt just so.”

The morning of the wedding came, and though Lucy had determined not to be present, yet as the hour approached she felt how utterly impossible it would be for her to stay away; and when at half-past eight the doors were opened she was among the first who entered the church, which in a short time was filled.  Nine rang from the old clock in the belfry, and then up the broad aisle came the bridal party, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Graham, Charlie and Anna, Mrs. Harcourt, or Mrs. Linwood as we must now call her, St. Leon and Ada.

“Was there ever a more beautiful bride?” whispered Bessie Lee; but Lucy made no answer, and as soon as the ceremony was concluded she hurried home, feeling almost in need of some more catnip tea!

In the eleven o’clock train St. Leon with his bride and her mother started for New Haven, where they spent a delightful week, and then returned to S——.  A few days were passed at the house of Mr. Graham, and then they departed for their southern home.  As we shall not again have occasion to speak of them in this story we will here say that the following summer they came North, together with Jenny and Cousin Frank, the latter of whom was so much pleased with the rosy cheeks, laughing eyes, and playful manners of Bessie Lee that when he returned home he coaxed her to accompany him; and again was there a wedding in St. Luke’s, and again did Miss Carson make the bridal outfit, wishing that all New Orleans gentlemen would come to S——­ for their wives.

CHAPTER X.

A SURPRISE.

“Reuben,” said Grandma Dayton to her son one evening after she had listened to the reading of a political article for which she did not care one fig, “Reuben, does thee suppose Dr. Benton makes a charge every time he calls?”

“I don’t know,” said Mr. Dayton; “what made you ask that question?”

“Because,” answered grandma—­and her knitting needles rattled loud enough to be heard in the next room—­“because, I think he calls mighty often, considering that Lizzie neither gets better nor worse; and I think, too, that he and Berintha have a good many private talks!”