She rose as Willy Jones
approached, laughing confusedly. "I've been telling Ellen Brewster,"
said Abby, with her perfunctory air.

Ellen held out her hand, and Willy Jones grasped it, then let it
drop and muttered something. He looked with helpless adoration at
Abby, who put her hand through his arm reassuringly.

"Let's go and see the animals," said she; "I haven't seen the
animals."

"I guess I'll go and see if I can find my father and mother,"
returned Ellen. "I want to see my mother about something."

"Oh, come with us." Abby grasped Ellen firmly around the waist and
kissed her. "I don't love him a mite better than I do you," she
whispered; "so there! You needn't think you're left out, Ellen
Brewster."

"I don't," replied Ellen. She tried to laugh, but she felt her lips
stiff. And unconquerable feeling of desolation was coming over her,
and in spite of herself her tone was somewhat like that of a child
who sees another with all the cake.

"I suppose you know Floretta got married last night," said Abby,
moving off with Willy Jones. John Sargent and Maria had long since
disappeared from under the oak.

Ellen, left alone, looked for a minute after Abby and Willy, and
noted the tender lean of the girl's head towards the young man's
shoulder; then she started off to find her father and mother. She
could not rid herself of the sense of desolation. She felt blindly
that if she could not get under the shelter of her own loves of life
she could not bear it any longer. She had borne up bravely under
Robert's neglect, but now all at once, with the sight of the
happiness of these others before her eyes, it seemed to crush her.
All the spirit in her seemed to flag and faint. She was only a young
girl, who would fall to the ground and be slain by the awful law of
gravitation of the spirit without love. "Anyway, I've got father and
mother," she said to herself.

She rushed on alone through the merry crowd. The orchestra was
playing a medley. The violins seemed to fairly pierce thought. A
Roman-candle burst forth on the right with a great spluttering, and
the people, shrieking with delight, rushed in that direction. Then a
rocket shot high in the air with a splendid curve, and there was a
sea of faces watching with speechless admiration the dropping stars
of violet and gold and rose.

Ellen kept on, moving as nearly as she could in the direction in
which her party had gone. Then suddenly she came face to face with
Ro