Katy?"

"Certainly not. It would be a most improper proceeding if I had," replied
Katy, with a laugh. "Whom do you think this letter is from, girls? Do
listen to it. It's written by that nice old Mr. Allen Beach, whom we met
in London. Don't you recollect my telling you about him?"

MY DEAR MISS CARR,--Our friends in Harley Street have told me a
piece of news concerning you which came to them lately in a
letter from Mrs. Ashe, and I hope you will permit me to offer
you my most sincere congratulations and good wishes. I recollect
meeting Lieutenant Worthington when he was here two years ago,
and liking him very much. One is always glad in a foreign land
to be able to show so good a specimen of one's young countrymen
as he affords,--not that England need be counted as a foreign
country by any American, and least of all by myself, who have
found it a true home for so many years.

As a little souvenir of our week of sight-seeing together, of
which I retain most agreeable remembrances, I have sent you by
my friends the Sawyers, who sail for America shortly, a copy of
Hare's "Walks in London," which a young _protegee_ of mine has
for the past year been illustrating with photographs of the many
curious old buildings described. You took so much interest in
them while here that I hope you may like to see them again. Will
you please accept with it my most cordial wishes for your
future, and believe me

Very faithfully your friend,
ALLEN BEACH.

"What a nice letter!" said Clover.

"Isn't it?" replied Katy, with shining eyes, "what a thing it is to be a
gentleman, and to know how to say and do things in the right way! I am so
surprised and pleased that Mr. Beach should remember me. I never supposed
he would, he sees so many people in London all the time, and it is quite a
long time since we were there, nearly two years. Was your letter from Miss
Inches, John?"

"Yes, and Mamma Marian sends you her love; and there's a present coming by
express for you,--some sort of a book with a hard name. I can scarcely
make it out, the Ru--ru--something of Omar Kay--y--Well, anyway it's a
book, and she hopes you will read Emerson's 'Essay on Friendship' over
before you are married, because it's a helpful utterance, and adjusts the
mind to mutual conditions."

"Worse than 1 Timothy, ii. 11," muttered Clover. "Well, Katy dear, wh