Mrs. Peterkin objected strongly at first.  She could not even pronounce the Russian’s name.  “How should she be able to speak to him, or tell anybody whom Elizabeth Eliza had married?” But finally the family all gave their consent, won by the attention and devotion of Elizabeth Eliza’s last admirer.

The marriage took place in Constantinople, not at Santa Sophia, as Elizabeth Eliza would have wished, as that was under a Mohammedan dispensation.  A number of American residents were present, and the preceptor sent for his other pupils in Athens.  Elizabeth Eliza wished there was time to invite the lady from Philadelphia to be present, and Ann Maria Bromwick.  Would the name be spelled right in the newspapers?  All that could be done was to spell it by telegraph as accurately as possible, as far as they themselves knew how, and then leave the papers to do their best (or their worst) in their announcements of the wedding “at the American Consulate, Constantinople, Turkey.  No cards.”

The last that was ever heard of the Peterkins, Agamemnon was on his way to Madagascar, Solomon John was at Rustchuk, and the little boys at Gratz; Mr. and Mrs. Peterkin, in a comfortable sledge, were on their way from Tobolsk to Yakoutsk; and Elizabeth Eliza was passing her honeymoon in the neighborhood of Moscow.

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OTHERS OF THEIR KIN.

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IX.

LUCILLA’S DIARY.

MONDAY.—­I spent some time this morning watching for the rag-man.  I wish I had taken down a note which day it was I saw him before.  I remember it was washing-day, for I had to take my hands out of the tub and wipe the suds off when Johnnie came to tell me that the rag-man was on the street.  He was just turning the corner by the Wylies when I got to the front gate.  But whether we washed on Monday I can’t think.  It rained that Monday, or the week before, and we had to wait till Tuesday; but which it was I couldn’t say.  I was in such a whirl fitting Artemas off, and much as ever I made him hear; and he wasn’t the right man after all, for he wouldn’t give more than a cent and a half a pound for the papers, and Mrs. Carruthers got two cents.  She could not remember what was his day for coming, but agreed to send him if she should see him again.

* * * * *

Mrs. Carruthers sent the rag-man to-day; but I can’t say much for the bargain, though he was a different man from the one that came Monday, and it seems it was Monday.  He agreed to give me the same he gave Mrs. Carruthers,—­two cents a pound.  And I had a lot of newspapers,—­all the papers Artemas has been taking through the winter; for he doesn’t like me to take them for kindlings, says he would rather pay separate for kindlings, as I might burn the wrong one.  And there were the