“You see this is all there is of it:  The elegantest man you ever saw drove up all of a sudden to the tavern and wanted to know where Miss Graystone was boarding.  You’d better believe they asked him a few questions, but he waved them all off, polite-like, but in a way that convinced every one that he knew his own particular business better than anybody else knew it for him; and dashed off in the direction of Widder Hardyng’s.  Mrs. Swan’s little girl happened to be down there on an errand for her mother, and she heard all that transpired.  His name’s Vaughn, and he’s Miss Graystone’s beau.  He staid and talked a long time with Mrs. Hardyng while he was waiting for the schoolmistress, who had gone away; but after a time, when she didn’t come back, he was so impatient he went off trying to find her.”

“And you didn’t see him at all?” queried Mrs. Wynn.

“Oh, maybe I didn’t,” said Betsey, with a toss of her head; “trust me for finding out anything I once set my mind on.  I called in, carelessly, on my way down here this morning, and had an introduction to the gentleman himself.  Not knowin’ what else to say to start conversation, I asked him if he was a relative of Miss Graystone’s, though of course I knew better.  I praised her up to the skies, and you had ought to have seen his face, beaming with smiles.  He seemed to take a sort of notion to me after that.  I ‘spose, though, Mrs. Hardyng gave me a settin’ out as soon as my back was turned, by the one-sided smirk she gave when the gentleman shook hands with me cordially when I came away, and thanked me for being so good to his young friend.  I see Ruth playing on the street corner, and quizzed her.  So putting this and that together, it seems that this girl, that everybody called an upstart and an adventuress, has been a rich lady once, and never known what it was to soil her hands with work of any description.”

“I knew it,” said Mrs. Wynn; “I always said so.  It shows my superior penetration.  I’m glad I stood her friend in the dark hour of adversity, and shall hasten as soon as possible to learn the exact truth of all these rumors.”

“So you are here, Betsey?” exclaimed Mrs. Swan, putting her head in at the door.  “I thought I saw you go by, and followed as soon as I could get my things on.”

“Well, I never!” said Mrs. Wynn; “come in; you are just in time.  Set by and I’ll put on another cup and saucer.  We was just talking over the new arrival in the village.”

“I believe half the population are similarly employed,” laughed the little lady.  “Every one I met stopped and spoke to me about it, and as luck would have it, as I was turning down a cross street I saw Mrs. Hardyng ahead of me and joined her at once.  She told me the whole story.  This Mr. Vaughn is a rich gentleman, who has come down here to marry the schoolmistress.  It seems, too, that she’s lately inherited some property by the death of somebody, I couldn’t make out who—­some relative I suppose—­though it don’t matter.  Any ways, a cool fifty thousand has fell to her, and I don’t know as I could point out a more deservin’ person.”