Worthington. It was
simply her immense figure he admired, and as, during the evening he had
heard on good authority that said figure was made up mostly of cotton
growing on some Southern field, the exact locality of which his
informant did not know, he had decided that, of course, Miss 'Lina's
fortune was over-estimated. Such things always were, but still she must
be wealthy. He had no doubt of that, and he might as well devote himself
to her as to wait for some one else. Accordingly the moment he spied her
in the crowd he joined her, asking if they should not take a little turn
up and down the piazza."

"Wait till I ask mamma's permission to stay up a little longer. She
always insists upon my keeping such early hours," was 'Lina's very
filial and childlike reply, as she walked up to mamma, not to ask
permission, but to whisper rather peremptorily, "Dr. Richards wishes me
to walk with him, and as you are tired, you may as well go to bed!"

Meantime the doctor and 'Lina were walking up and down the long piazza,
chatting gayly, and attracting much attention from 'Lina's loud manner
of talking and laughing.

"By the way, I've called on Miss Johnson, at the Columbian," she said.
"Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Ra-ather pretty, some would think," and the doctor had an uncomfortable
consciousness of the refusal in his vest pocket.

If Alice had told. But no, he knew her better than that. He could trust
her on that score, and so the dastardly coward affected to sneer at what
he called her primness, charging 'Lina to be careful what she did, if
she did not want a lecture, and asking if there were any ragged children
in Kentucky, as she would not be happy unless she was running a Sunday
school!

"She can teach the negroes! Capital!" and 'Lina laughed so loudly that
Mrs. Richards joined them, laughing, too, at what she did not know,
only--Miss Worthington had such spirits; it did one good; and she wished
Anna was there to be enlivened.

"Write to her, John, won't you?"

John mentally thought it doubtful. Anna and 'Lina would never
assimilate, and he would rather not have his pet sister's opinion to
combat until his own was fully made up.

"Anna--oh, yes!" 'Lina exclaimed. "Miss Johnson spoke of her as the
sweetest lady she ever saw. I wish she would come. I'm so anxious to see
her. An invalid, I believe?"

Yes, dear Anna was a sad invalid, and cared but little to go from home,
though if she could find a waiting maid, such