enerosity and, above all, her
cordial kindness, had not abated with years. She was as ready to serve
as be served, her heart was as open as her hand; and the shrewd,
childish race received her as a benignant providence. Her sweetness of
disposition became a proverb. "As sunshiny ez Miss Euginny," said Aunt
Verbeny of a clear day--and the general raised her wages.

During the early summer Bernard came home on a vacation. For several
years he had held a position in a bank in Lynchburg, and his visits to
Kingsborough took place at uncertain intervals. He was a slight,
insignificant young fellow, with complacent eyes and a beautiful,
girlish mouth. His temper was quicker than Eugenia's, and he was in
continual friction with the general, who had grown absent-minded and
irritable. He not only forgot his own opinions as soon as he expressed
them, but, what is still more annoying, he was apt to offer them as some
one's else in the course of a few hours.

"That young Burr's a scamp," he remarked one morning at breakfast, "a
regular scamp. Here he's setting up as a lawyer under George Bassett's
eye, when I happen to know that Jerry Pollard wouldn't have him in his
store if you paid him."

"My dear Tom," breathed the placid voice of Miss Chris, "I'm quite sure
you're mistaken. Why, Judge Bassett--"

"Mistaken!" persisted the general angrily. "Am I the man to make a
statement without authority? I tell you he's a scamp, ma'am--a regular
scamp! If you please to doubt my word--"

"That's rather rough on a chap, isn't it?" put in Bernard indifferently.
"He isn't a gentleman, but I shouldn't call him a scamp."

"Why should you call him anything, sir?" demanded the general. "It's no
business of yours, is it? If I choose to call him a--"

"Now, father," said Eugenia, and at her decisive tones the general broke
off and turned upon her round, inquiring eyes. "Now, father, you don't
mean one word that you're saying, and you know it." And she proceeded to
butter his cakes.

The general was suppressed, and after breakfast he got into the carriage
beside his daughter and drove slowly into town. When he returned to
dinner he met Miss Chris with triumphant eyes.

"By the way, Chris, you were mistaken this morning about that Burr boy.
He's quite a decent person. I don't see how you got it into your head
there was something wrong about him."

"I'm glad to hear it," responded Miss Chris good-humouredly. She had
never uttered a harsh word