in her
most dangerously fascinating manner, until he was on the point of
leaving her to digest the beverage alone.

"Theems to me you're in a terrific hurry," she cried. "I hope you an't
_afraid_ of me. Good-neth! I am as harmleth as a kitten."

Miss Smith showed her disagreeable teeth, and shook her consumptive
curls, with great self-satisfaction. When Chester confessed that he was
afraid of her, she declared herself "infinitely amathed."

"But I don't believe it. Thomebody in the parlor has a magnetic
influence over you," she said, archly. "Now, confeth!"

On returning to the sitting-room, they found that two or three other
young ladies had followed them from the parlor.

"What a magnet thomebody is!" remarked Miss Smith. "I wonder who it can
be."

"I should think you might tell, since you were the first to be attracted
from the parlor," remarked Miss Julia Keller.

"Oh, I came for a glath of water." Miss Smith shook her curls again, and
turned to Father Brighthopes. "I am _ecthethively_ delighted to make
your acquaintanth, thir, for I am _immenthly_ fond of minithters."

The old man smiled indulgently, and replied that he thought younger
clergymen than himself might please her best.

"Young or old, it makes no differenth," said she. "Our minithter is a
delightfully fathinating man, and he is only twenty-five."

"Fascinating?"

"Oh, yeth! He is _extremely_ elegant in his dreth, and his manners are
perfectly _charming_. His language is ectheedingly pretty, and
thometimes gorgeouthly thublime."

"I wish you would let Father Brighthopes finish the story he was telling
me," said Lizzie, bluntly.

"A story?" cried Miss Smith. "Thertainly. Let me thit down and hear it
too. I'm _pathionately_ fond of stories."

In taking a seat she was careful to place herself in close proximity to
Chester, who was engaged in conversation with Julia.

The clergyman resumed his narrative, in which not only Lizzie, but her
father and mother also, had become interested. It was a reminiscence of
his own early life. He told of afflictions, trials, all sorts of
perplexities and struggles with the world, in experiencing which his
heart had been purified, and his character had been formed.

As he proceeded, his audience increased. The company came from the
parlor and gathered around him, until the scene of the kissing games was
quite deserted. Only one person remained behind. Hepsy, with her face
behind the window-curtains, was s