e Auntie Flo very happy you may be sure.

And as they drove up before the Pinkwoods' modest home twelve tired but
happy children with one accord voted the Whisky Rebellion capital fun
and Aunt Polly a brick.

CHAPTER SEVEN

HOW LOVE CAME TO GENERAL GRANT

In the Manner of Harold Bell Wright

On a brisk winter evening in the winter of 1864 the palatial Fifth
Avenue "palace" of Cornelius van der Griff was brilliantly lighted with
many brilliant lights. Outside the imposing front entrance a small group
of pedestrians had gathered to gape enviously at the invited guests of
the "four hundred" who were beginning to arrive in elegant equipages,
expensive ball-dresses and fashionable "swallowtails".

"Hully gee!" exclaimed little Frank, a crippled newsboy who was the only
support of an aged mother, as a particularly sumptuous carriage drove
up and a stylishly dressed lady of fifty-five or sixty stepped out
accompanied by a haughty society girl and an elderly gentleman in
clerical dress. It was Mrs. Rhinelander, a social leader, and her
daughter Geraldine, together with the Rev. Dr. Gedney, pastor of an
exclusive Fifth Avenue church.

"What common looking people," said Mrs. Rhinelander, surveying the crowd
aristocratically with her lorgnette.

"Yes, aren't they?" replied the clergyman with a condescending glance
which ill befit his clerical garb.

"I'm glad you don't have people like that dans votre eglise, Dr.
Gedney," said young Geraldine, who thought it was "smart" to display her
proficiency in the stylish French tongue. At this moment the door of the
van der Griff residence was opened for them by an imposing footman in
scarlet livery and they passed into the abode of the "elect".

"Hully gee!" repeated little Frank.

"What's going on to-night?" asked a newcomer.

"Gee--don't youse know?" answered the newsboy. "Dis is de van der
Griffs' and tonight dey are giving a swell dinner for General Grant. Dat
lady wot just went in was old Mrs. Rhinelander. I seen her pitcher in
de last Harper's Weekly and dere was a story in de paper dis morning dat
her daughter Geraldine was going to marry de General."

"That isn't so," broke in another. "It was just a rumor."

"Well, anyway," said Frank, "I wisht de General would hurry up and
come--it's getting cold enough to freeze the tail off a brass monkey."
The onlookers laughed merrily at his humorous reference to the frigid
temperature, although many cast sympathetic look