during the whole day. She
longed to ask David about it, but could not get up the courage.

She could not bear to revive the memory of what seemed to be her shame. It
was at the minister's donation party that Hannah planted another thorn in
her heart,--Hannah, in a green plaid silk with delicate undersleeves of
lace, and a tiny black velvet jacket.

She selected a time when Lemuel was near, and when Aunt Amelia and Aunt
Hortense, who believed that all the young men in town were hovering about
David's wife, sat one on either side of Marcia, as if to guard her for
their beloved nephew--who was discussing politics with Mr. Heath--and who
never seemed to notice, so blind he was in his trust of her.

So Hannah paused and posed before the three ladies, and with Lemuel
smiling just at her elbow, began in her affected way:

"I've had another letter from New York, from your friend Mr. Temple," she
said it with the slightest possible glance over her shoulder to get the
effect of her words upon the faithful Lemuel, "and he tells me he has met
a sister of yours. By the way, she told him that David used to be very
fond of her before she was married. I suppose she'll be coming to visit
you now she's so near as New York."

Two pairs of suspicious steely eyes flew like stinging insects to gaze
upon her, one on either side, and Marcia's heart stood still for just one
instant, but she felt that here was her trying time, and if she would help
David and do the work for which she had become his wife, she must protect
him now from any suspicions or disagreeable tongues. By very force of will
she controlled the trembling of her lips.

"My sister will not likely visit us this winter, I think," she replied as
coolly as if she had had a letter to that effect that morning, and then
she deliberately looked at Lemuel Skinner and asked if he had heard of the
offer of prizes of four thousand dollars in cash that the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad had just made for the most approved engine delivered for
trial before June first, 1831, not to exceed three and a half tons in
weight and capable of drawing, day by day, fifteen tons inclusive of
weight of wagons, fifteen miles per hour. Lemuel looked at her blankly and
said he had not heard of it. He was engaged in thinking over what Hannah
had said about a letter from Harry Temple. He cared nothing about
railroads.

"The second prize is thirty-five hundred dollars," stated Marcia eagerly,
as though it