-on the corner of North Avenue and State Street. It faces
Lincoln Park--you know it, the Farnsworth place."

"Why, my word, Laura," cried Aunt Wess' amazed, "why, it's a palace! Of
course I know it. Why, it takes in the whole block, child, and there's
a conservatory pretty near as big as this house. Well!"

"Yes, I know," answered Laura, shaking her head. "It takes my breath
away sometimes. Mr. Jadwin tells me there's an art gallery, too, with
an organ in it--a full-sized church organ. Think of it. Isn't it
beautiful, beautiful? Isn't it a happiness? And I'll have my own
carriage and coupe, and oh, Aunt Wess', a saddle horse if I want to,
and a box at the opera, and a country place--that is to be bought day
after to-morrow. It's at Geneva Lake. We're to go there after we are
married, and Mr. Jadwin has bought the dearest, loveliest, daintiest
little steam yacht. He showed the photograph of her yesterday. Oh,
honey, honey! It all comes over me sometimes. Think, only a year ago,
less than that, I was vegetating there at Barrington, among those
wretched old blue-noses, helping Martha with the preserves and all and
all; and now"--she threw her arms wide--"I'm just going to live. Think
of it, that beautiful house, and servants, and carriages, and
paintings, and, oh, honey, how I will dress the part!"

"But I wouldn't think of those things so much, Laura," answered Aunt
Wess', rather seriously. "Child, you are not marrying him for carriages
and organs and saddle horses and such. You're marrying this Mr. Jadwin
because you love him. Aren't you?"

"Oh," cried Laura, "I would marry a ragamuffin if he gave me all these
things--gave them to me because he loved me."

Aunt Wess' stared. "I wouldn't talk that way, Laura," she remarked.
"Even in fun. At least not before Page."

That same evening Jadwin came to dinner with the two sisters and their
aunt. The usual evening drive with Laura was foregone for this
occasion. Jadwin had stayed very late at his office, and from there was
to come direct to the Dearborns. Besides that, Nip--the trotters were
named Nip and Tuck--was lame.

As early as four o'clock in the afternoon Laura, suddenly moved by an
unreasoning caprice, began to prepare an elaborate toilet. Not since
the opera night had she given so much attention to her appearance. She
sent out for an extraordinary quantity of flowers; flowers for the
table, flowers for Page and Aunt Wess', great "American beauties" for
her cor