which had lighted Dr. Richards' cigar.

With a muttered invective against the "villain," Hugh left the room to
see that the carriage was ready, while his mother, following him into
the hall, offered to go herself with Adah if he liked. Glad to be
relieved, as he had business that afternoon in Versailles, and was
anxious to set off as soon as possible, Hugh accepted at once, and half
an hour later, the Spring Bank carriage drove slowly from the door,
'Lina calling after her mother to send Caesar back immediately.

CHAPTER X

'LINA'S PURCHASE AND HUGH'S

There were piles of handsome dress goods upon the counter at Harney's
that afternoon, and Harney was anxious to sell. It was not always that
he favored a customer with his own personal services, and 'Lina felt
proportionably flattered when he came forward and asked what he could
show her. Of course, a dress for the party--he had sold at least a dozen
that day, but fortunately he still had the most elegant pattern of all,
and he knew it would exactly suit her complexion and style.

Deluded 'Lina! Richard Harney, the wealthy bachelor merchant, did not
mean one word he said. He had tried to sell that dress a dozen times,
and been as often refused, no one caring just then to pay fifty dollars
for a dress which could only be worn on great occasions. But 'Lina was
easily flattered, while the silk was beautiful. But ten dollars was all
she had, and turning away from the tempting silk she answered faintly,
that "it was superb, but she could not afford it, besides, she had not
the money to-day."

"Not the slightest consequence," was Harney's quick rejoinder. "Not the
slightest consequence. Your brother's credit is good--none better in the
country, and I'm sure he'll be proud to see you in it. I should, were I
your brother."

'Lina blushed, while the wish to possess the silk grew every moment
stronger.

"If it were only fifty dollars, it would not seem so bad," she thought.
Hugh could manage it some way, and Mr. Harney was so good natured; he
could wait a year, she knew. But the making would cost ten dollars more,
for that was the price Miss Allis charged, to say nothing of the
trimmings. "No, I can't," she said, quite decidedly, at last, asking for
the lace with which she at first intended renovating her old pink silk,
"She must see Miss Allis first to know how much she wanted," and
promising to return, she tripped over to Frankfort's fashionable
dressmaker, who