he Northerners
they consort with must really be at a loss how to bestow their money.
Of course, such Northerners cannot realize the difference between Kings
Port and Georgia, and consequently they make much of her. Her features
do undoubtedly possess beauty. A Newport woman--the new kind--has even
taken her to Worth! And yet, after all, she has remained for John. We
heard a great deal of her men, too. She took care of that, of course.
John Mayrant actually followed her to Newport.

"But," I couldn't help crying out, "I thought he was so poor!"

"The phosphates," my hostess explained. "They had been discovered on his
land. And none of her New York men had come forward. So John rushed
back happy." At this point a very singular look came over the face of
my hostess, and she continued: "There have been many false reports (and
false hopes in consequence) based upon the phosphate discoveries. It was
I who had to break it to him--what further investigation had revealed.
Poor John!"

"He has, then, nothing?" I inquired.

"His position in the Custom House, and a penny or two from his mother's
fortune."

"But the cake?" I now once again reminded her.

My hostess lifted her delicate hand and let it fall. Her resentment at
the would-be intruder by marriage still mounted. "Not even from that
pair would I have believed such a thing possible!" she exclaimed; and
she went into a long, low, contemplative laugh, looking not at me, but
at the fire. Our silent companion continued to embroider. "That girl,"
my hostess resumed, "and her discreditable father played on my nephew's
youth and chivalry to the tune of--well, you have heard the tune."

"You mean--you mean--?" I couldn't quite take it in.

"Yes. They rattled their poverty at him until he offered and they
accepted."

I must have stared grotesquely now. "That--that--the cake--and that sort
of thing--at his expense?

"My dear sir, I shall be glad if you can find me anything that they have
ever done at their own expense!"

I doubt if she would ever have permitted her speech such freedom had
not the Rieppes been "from Georgia"; I am sure that it was anger--family
anger, race anger--which had broken forth; and I think that her
silent, severe sister scarcely approved of such breaking forth to me,
a stranger. But indignation had worn her reticence thin, and I had
happened to press upon the weak place. After my burst of exclamation I
came back to it. "So you think Miss Rieppe w