He was certainly worth marrying, though he had some faults, being as
proud as was endurable, as shy as a child, and altogether endowed with a
full appreciation, to say the least, of his own charms and merits: but
he was sincere, and loyal, and tender; well cultivated, yet not priggish
or pedantic; brave, well-bred, and high-principled; handsome besides. I
knew him thoroughly; I had held him on my lap, fed him with sugar-plums,
soothed his child-sorrows, and scolded his naughtiness, many a time; I
had stood with him by his mother's dying bed and consoled him by my own
tears, for his mother I loved dearly; so, ever since, Frank had been
both near and dear to me, for a mutual sorrow is a tie that may
bind together even a young man and an old maid in close and kindly
friendship. I was the more surprised at his engagement because I thought
he would have been the first to tell me of it; but I reflected that
Laura was his cousin, and relationship has an etiquette of precedence
above any other social link.

"Yes,--Frank Addison! Now guess, Miss Sue! for he is not here to tell
you,--he is in New York; and here in my pocket I have got a letter for
you, but you shan't have it till you have well guessed."

I was--I am ashamed to confess it--but I was not a little comforted
at hearing of that letter. One may shake up a woman's heart with every
alloy of life, grind, break, scatter it, till scarce a throb of its
youth beats there, but to its last bit it is feminine still; and I felt
a sudden sweetness of relief to know that my boy had not forgotten me.

"I don't know whom to guess, Laura; who ever marries after other
people's fancy? If I were to guess Sally Hetheridge, I might come as
near as I shall to the truth."

Laura laughed.

"You know better," said she. "Frank Addison is the last man to marry a
dried-up old tailoress."

"I don't know that he is; according to his theories of women and
marriage, Sally would make him happy. She is true-hearted, I am
sure,--generous, kind, affectionate, sensible, and poor. Frank has
always raved about the beauty of the soul, and the degradation of
marrying money,--therefore, Laura, I believe he is going to marry a
beauty and an heiress. I guess Josephine Bowen."

"Susan!" exclaimed Laura, with a look of intense astonishment, "how
could you guess it?"

"Then it is she?"

"Yes, it is,--and I am so sorry! such a childish, giggling, silly little
creature! I can't think how Frank could fa