dle in this matter at all it
will not be as your coadjutor, but as your rival."

"My rival?"

"Yes, your rival; and rivals are never good friends until one of them is
hopelessly defeated."

"Miss Butterworth, I see myself already at your feet."

And with this sally and a short chuckle which did more than anything he
had said towards settling me in my half-formed determination to do as I
had threatened, he opened the door and quietly disappeared.

XVIII.

THE LITTLE PINCUSHION.

The verdict rendered by the Coroner's jury showed it to be a more
discriminating set of men than I had calculated upon. It was murder
inflicted by a hand unknown.

I was so gratified by this that I left the court-room in quite an
agitated frame of mind, so agitated, indeed, that I walked through one
door instead of another, and thus came unexpectedly upon a group formed
almost exclusively of the Van Burnam family.

Starting back, for I dislike anything that looks like intrusion,
especially when no great end is to be gained by it, I was about to
retrace my steps when I felt two soft arms about my neck.

"Oh, Miss Butterworth, isn't it a mercy that this dreadful thing is
over! I don't know when I have ever felt anything so keenly."

It was Isabella Van Burnam.

Startled, for the embraces bestowed on me are few, I gave a subdued sort
of grunt, which nevertheless did not displease this young lady, for her
arms tightened, and she murmured in my ear: "You dear old soul! I like
you _so_ much."

"We are going to be very good neighbors," cooed a still sweeter voice in
my other ear. "Papa says we must call on you soon." And Caroline's
demure face looked around into mine in a manner some would have thought
exceedingly bewitching.

"Thank you, pretty poppets!" I returned, freeing myself as speedily as
possible from embraces the sincerity of which I felt open to question.
"My house is always open to you." And with little ceremony, I walked
steadily out and betook myself to the carriage awaiting me.

I looked upon this display of feeling as the mere gush of two
over-excited young women, and was therefore somewhat astonished when I
was interrupted in my afternoon nap by an announcement that the two
Misses Van Burnam awaited me in the parlor.

Going down, I saw them standing there hand in hand and both as white as
a sheet.

"O Miss Butterworth!" they cried, springing towards me, "Howard has been
arrested, and we have no one to say