astily culled from among her own. Then she
shut the door quickly and went down the hall to her sister's room to enter
upon her new life. She was literally putting off herself and putting on a
new being as far as it was possible to do so outwardly.

There on the bed lay the bridal outfit. Madam Schuyler had just brought it
from the spare room that there might be no more going back and forth
through the halls to excite suspicion. She was determined that there
should be no excitement or demonstration or opportunity for gossip among
the guests at least until the ceremony was over. She had satisfied herself
that not a soul outside the family save the two maids suspected that aught
was the matter, and she felt sure of their silence.

Kate had taken very little with her, evidently fearing to excite
suspicion, and having no doubt that her father would relent and send all
her trousseau as she had requested in her letter. For once Mistress Kate
had forgotten her fineries and made good her escape with but two frocks
and a few other necessaries in a small hand-bag.

Madam Schuyler was relieved to the point of genuine cheerfulness, over
this, despite the cloud of tragedy that hung over the day. She began to
talk to Marcia as if she had been Kate, as she smoothed down this and that
article and laid them back in the trunk, telling how the blue gown would
be the best for church and the green silk for going out to very fine
places, to tea-drinkings and the like, and how she must always be sure to
wear the cream undersleeves with the Irish point lace with her silk gown
as they set it off to perfection. She recalled, too, how little experience
Marcia had had in the ways of the world, and all the while the girl was
being dressed in the dainty bridal garments she gave her careful
instructions in the art of being a success in society, until Marcia felt
that the green fields and the fences and trees to climb and the excursions
after blackberries, and all the joyful merry-makings of the boys and girls
were receding far from her. She could even welcome Hanford Weston as a
playfellow in her new future, if thereby a little fresh air and freedom of
her girlhood might be left. Nevertheless there gradually came over her an
elation of excitement. The feel of the dainty garments, the delicate
embroidery, the excitement lest the white slippers would not fit her, the
difficulty of making her hair stay up in just Kate's style--for her
stepmother insiste