tears that she could hardly see the steps; tears of humiliation, that
Rob, of all people, whose good opinion she valued, should have
discovered her in a situation that made her appear silly and vain.

Luckily for the child's peace of mind, Betty had also wakened early that
morning, and was taking advantage of the quiet hours before breakfast to
attend to her letter-writing. Through her open door she caught sight of
the woebegone little figure slipping past, and the next instant Mary
found herself in the white and gold room with Betty's arm around her,
and her tearful face pressed against a sympathetic shoulder. Little by
little Betty coaxed from her the cause of her tears, then sat silent,
patting her hand, as she wondered what she could say to console her.

To the older girl it seemed a matter to smile over, and the corners of
her mouth did dimple a little, until she realized that to Mary's
supersensitive nature this was no trifle, and that she was suffering
keenly from it.

"Oh, I'm so ashamed," sobbed Mary. "I never want to look Mister Rob in
the face again. I'd rather go home and miss the wedding than meet him
any more."

"Nonsense," said Betty, lightly. "Now you're making a mountain out of a
mole-hill. Probably Rob will never give the matter a second thought,
and he would be amazed if he thought you did. I've heard you say you
wished you could be just like Lloyd. Do you know, her greatest charm to
me is that she never seems to think of the impression she is making on
other people. Now, if she should decide that her complexion would be
better for a wash in the dew, she would go ahead and wash it, no matter
who caught her at it, and, first thing you know, all the Valley would be
following her example.

"I'm going to preach you a little sermon now, because I've found out
your one fault. It isn't very big yet, but, if you don't nip it in the
bud, it will be like Meddlesome Matty's,--

"'Which, like a cloud before the skies,
Hid all her better qualities.'

"You are self-conscious, Mary. Always thinking about the impression you
are making on people, and so eager to please that it makes you miserable
if you think you fall short of any of their standards. I knew a girl at
school who let her sensitiveness to other people's opinions run away
with her. She was so anxious for her friends to be pleased with her that
she couldn't be natural. If anybody glanced in the direction of her
head, she imm