will you guard it sacredly for me?--and the letter of last night, add it
to the others."

She gave me a small package, carefully closed, and I saw that it was
sealed.

From her manner, I fancied it was to be known to me alone, and,
concealing it, I said,--

"I will keep it securely for you."

Sophie came playfully up, and said,--

"Now, Anna, I'm empress here; no secret negotiations to overthrow my
power."

"I'm just going to say good-bye to Miss Axtell," I said, "for I am going
home to-morrow;" and I told her of the letter from father, that I had
received.

Sophie got up a charming storm of regret and wrath, neither at my father
for sending for me, nor at myself for going, but for the mysterious
third personality that created the need for my departure.

Miss Lettie seemed to regret my coming absence still more than Sophie.

"I wanted you so much," she said; "if I had only had you long ago, life
would have been changed," she whispered again, as Sophie turned to
listen to some pretty nonsense that the grave minister poured into her
ears through those windings of softly purplish hair.

"Will you make me one promise, only one?" said Miss Axtell.

I hesitated,--for promises are my religious fear, I do not like to
make promises. They are like mile-stones to a thunder-storm. They note
distances when the spirit is anxious only to cycle time and space.

She looked so earnest, so persuasive, that I yielded, and said that
"consistency should be my only requirement."

"It is not so immensely inconsistent, my Anemone; it is only that I want
you to come back again. Two weeks will satisfy your father. Will you
come to me on the twenty-fifth of March?"

"What for?" with my awkward persistency in questioning, I asked.

"Why, because I want to see you,--I wish you to write a letter for
me,--and more than all, I want an advocate."

I, smiling at the triplet of occasions, promised to come, if consistent.

Sophie was going home. She came up to drop a few last cheery words, to
fall into the coming hours of night.

"You see how you've spoiled me by kindness, Mrs. Wilton," Miss Lettie
said. "I presume still further: I would like to see old Chloe; it is a
long, long time since I've seen her. Would you let her come?" Sophie
said that "it would renew Chloe's youth; she certainly would send her."

Good-byes were spoken, and we went down. Mr. Axtell was still treading
the hall below. He thanked Sophie for her kindness to M