light and moved over to the window to keep the vigil her "Massa Love"
had commanded over his precious darling.

And as she was accustomed to watching by sickbeds, and had been sleeping
all afternoon, she managed to keep awake all night, and Dainty slept
dreamlessly till dawn. Apparently the ghost was exorcised.

CHAPTER XIV.

DAINTY WOULD NEVER FORGET THAT DAY.

Lovelace Ellsworth was delighted when he saw Dainty's bright, happy face
next morning, showing that nothing had marred her calm repose.

Black mammy's ebony face shone with delight, too, as she related how
peacefully her charge had slumbered, without a single disturbing dream,
all night.

"Bress her dear heart! Mammy gwine tek keer ob her ebry night, an' don't
want no silber dollar for it, neider, dat she don't!" she exclaimed,
pushing away Love's hand, though he afterward surreptitiously dropped
the money into her capacious apron pocket.

After breakfast he kissed his darling a tender good-bye and rode away
happily, in the July sunshine, on the little business trip of which he
had spoken to Dainty the evening before. He returned so late that night
that he did not see her until morning, when he received the same
encouraging report. Mammy had proved a most faithful guardian,
effectually keeping at bay all the unquiet spirits of the night.

Indeed, for quite a week everything went on pleasantly at Ellsworth.

The mistress of the mansion and her two favorite nieces seemed to have
swallowed their chagrin and accepted the situation. They were blandly
courteous to the lovers, and seemed to have relaxed their endeavors to
wound and annoy them; but, could one have looked beneath the surface, a
volcano would have been seen to be smoldering beneath the thin upper
crust of politeness.

Mrs. Ellsworth, angry and indignant at the thwarting of her cherished
schemes, steeled her heart to all the charms of her youngest niece, and
cherished a secret resentment that was destined to bear bitter fruit.

Olive Peyton, mad with slighted love and thwarted ambition, was quite as
eager as her aunt for revenge on her lovely rival, while Ela Craye was
not behind either in her resentment. Having thrown over her lover for
the sake of gold, she was all the more anxious to realize her desires.
So the three conspirators stood secretly but solidly against the lovers,
and only the future could prove whether the forces of good or evil would
win in the bitter contest.

True,