John Ward, Preacher

, "yes, we must give a dinner party, sister. It is certainly the proper thing to do,

never agreed too readily to any suggestion of Miss Deborah's; "but

ds; though, to guard against the latter, she wore gloves. The corners of Miss Ruth's mouth were drawn down and her eyebrows lifted up, a

ng with water, and though the dotted muslin curtain was pushed as far back as it would go, very little light struggled into the room. The dim engravings of nymphs and satyrs, in tarnished frames,

ubes were kept scrupulously bright and clean, and nothing was ever out of place. Perhaps this made the room in the woodshed a little dreary, certainly it

"come into the house, and let

h, sighing, "I must

, stepping over a little stream of water w

suppose you don't know how artistic people feel about such things." She stopped long enough to take off her glov

t is a good day for a dinner party. You are well over the washing and ironing, you know, and you have Wednesday for the jellies and creams, besides a good two hours in the

"I should rather h

"And I don't believe William Denner would want to come then; you know he is quite superstitious

that I prefer it. Yes, we will have it on Thursday." Having thus assert

iss Deborah; "we could have arranged it at the rector

quickly, "that you'll

claimed Mi

tations, if you please,

write the Forsythes, of course, but the peo

re so taken up with your cooking, you cannot really be expected to know. When you invite city people to a formal dinner

esponded M

faded cheek, and she set her lips firmly. "

under a dripping umbrella, by the church porch, while on Monday each of the desired guests received a formal note in Miss Ruth's precise and delicate hand, co

while Miss Deborah contended that as they dined, like all the rest of Ashurst, at noon, it was abs

ere scarcely noticed, and never heeded. It was hard to have no share in those long conversations between Sarah and her sister, and not to know the result

ted arms, the fruit in the open-work china baskets, the slender-stemmed glasses for the wines, the decanters in the queer old coaste

ouch," and she contemplated th

t dish which Miss Deborah had "straightened," "pray where are Mr. D

that moment Sarah entered with the candy and a stately

all the candy he wishes at home. I trust there is plenty fo

tone, "it is not Easter, I know, but it does look so wel

friends her greatest triumph. Dr. Howe had christened it, declaring that it was of a semi-

run into egg-shells to stiffen. The whole was intended to suggest a nest of new-laid eggs. The housekeeper will at once recognize the trouble and expense of such a dish, as the shel

with pride. But Miss Ruth's showed nothing but co

" faltered

f having such a thing! Easter is the only excuse for it.

iss Deborah mai

erhaps the next also,-for it takes more than one day for a family of two to eat up the remnants

And each carried her point. The dish did not appear on the table, yet every guest was asked if he or

ladies, tired, but satisfied, had yet to dress. Sarah had put the best black silks on the bed in each room, but for the lighter touches of the toilette the sisters were their own judges. Mi

y at the neck, and filled with point-lace that looked like frosted cobwebs. The sleeves of her gown were full, and gathered into a wristband over point-lace ruffles which almost hid her little hands, folded primly in front of her. "Little bishops" Miss

ng on the open drawer of her bureau, and in the other the two soft bits of ribbon, that held the faint fragrance of rose leaves which clung to all her possessions. Mis

Deborah, in maje

d the ribbons hastily, as though she feared Miss Deborah ha

room, while Miss Ruth, much fluttered, took her dress from the high bedstead, which had fo

she touched. Satisfied, since Fate so decided it, that gray was the right color, she pinned it at her throat with an old brooch of chased and twisted gold, and gave a last glance at her swinging glass before joining her sister in th

rah, who stood on the rug in front of the blazing fir

a quarter of an hour yet, s

ken out of the tin kitchen precisely at five minutes of seven. Do, pray, sister,

must be here when they come," and then bustled away herself to fetch the housemaid to be ready to open the door,

the candles in the brass sconces on either side of the old piano. This and her anxiety about the venison fretted Miss Deborah so much, it was a great relief to hear

and wrists, bade her sister stand beside her on the rug. "And do, dear Ruth, try a

r. Dale shambling along behind her, the sisters greeted her

, and no apparent recollection that they had almost quarreled that very morning at the post-office, when Mrs. Dale said th

le ladies, as though in search of some one else, and his mother languidly acknowledging that it was an effort to come out in the evenin

took their places about the table, glittering with silver and glass, and lighted by gleaming wax tapers. It had not occurred to the little lad

r though her apple-blossom face was drooped a little, and her gray eyes were not often lifted, and she looked the embodiment of maiden innocence and unworldliness, Lois was thinking the thoughts which occupied her much of late; weighing, and judging, struggling to reach some knowledge of herself, yet always in the same perplexity.

e ended by a bow from Miss Deborah to Mrs. Forsythe, and the ladies were dipping t

on such an occasion!" sa

r Giff! How I wish he were here! He

ed. She saw again the fragrant dusk of the rectory garden, and heard the

o the parlor. Mrs. Forsythe came to her, as they passed

ve been very good to me; no daughter could have been more thoughtful. And I could not have loved a

y," falte

ythe bent her head towards the girl's ear. "I h

tly; how could she gri

t, "but it's just as well she should love her for the present." Nor did she lose

iano, and begun to sing, in her sweet girlish voic

mbled, and she missed a note, for Mrs. Dale had left the

sensible girl. I never saw a man so much in love. You will be perfectly hap

k to make his way to Lois, sitting in the glimmer

hands fall with a soft

on," he

lent until it was time to say good-night, for no one expected her to speak, although Dick was the centre of the group, and did most o

ise at Mr. Forsythe; he feared he was out of tune

o accompany me," said Mr. Denner, "

your timidity, my dear Miss Ruth," he said. "I-I am aware that it is quite painful; but one

re ready to begin; then Mr. Denner ran his fingers through his brown wig, and, placing his small lean hands on his

the lint-w

sie! artle

' me tent

be my de

it had been a delightful evening; and finally the last carriage rolled off into the darkness, a

so Lois had the carriage all to herself, and tried to struggle against the fresh impulse of ir

and, instead of deciding, she found herself listening to the soft bubbling noise of the sap, and thinking that it was the little singing ghosts of the summer birds. Max came and put his head on her knee, to be petted, and Lois's thoughts wandered off to the dinner party, and Mr. Denner's singing, and w

ce to help her rise, and looked at him w

after ten at night! "Father is not home yet," she said hastily, so confused and startled she scarcel

n with Sally, who carried the lamps, and looked very much surprised, for Sally kne

e. "Nobody has such nice dinners as Miss Deborah and Miss Ruth." Lois's voice was not altogether firm, yet, to her own surprise, she

ere to see you to-night. I heard your father say he was going home with Denner, and I thought you'd be

ed into it at once, so that she need not keep up that terrible fencing, but she did not speak. She had been s

e cry of pain, or her efforts to release herself. "You know I love you,-you know it! Why ha

ssion that frightened her. "Oh-don't," she said, s

gently. "Did I frighten you? I didn't mean to; but you know I lo

ois, sorry and a

h sudden anger. "You don't? You must! Why-why, I lo

w. "Indeed, Mr. Forsythe," she said, "in

d you all summer; you cannot be so cruel as to trifle with me now. You will not treat me so. Oh, I love you!" T

herself and her past uncertainty. "I am so sorry, so grieved," she began. But h

ill only care for me. Just think how different your life wil

, and when at last he stopped he had alm

nnot tell you how distressed

as though tryin

? Won't you forgive me, and

mean to make me wretched? Forg

. There seemed to

happiness on it; I am a ruined man if you don't love me. And you coolly tell me you do not

"do not say anything more; it

"Well," he said, "you have amused yourself all summer, I suppose. Y

d back, and looked at him with a flash of indignation in her eyes. "Do you think it

; and then, "Oh, Miss Lois, if I wait, can't you learn to care for me? I'll wait,-a

o with it," Lois cried

cognize it, not having been in love before. Of course it's diff

now. "I cannot say so. I wish you would forget me, and forgi

tes, only broken by a yawn from

apt to forget the woman that's done that? I'll love you always, but life is practically over for me. Remember t

e sat down on the rug again. She was too angry to cry, though her hands shook with n

mes show, suddenly turned and licked her face, and then l

him, and resting her cheek on his shining head, "wha