ut her heart warmed toward the bright, genial maiden, and she
stood listening, with a smile on her lips, to the sound of her little
feet pattering down the stairs, and the next moment she caught her merry
laugh as some one swung her lightly into her saddle.

Then Mona went down to the library, where she selected a book, and then,
finding the room empty, she decided to remain where she was for a while.

Rolling a great easy-chair into a deep bay-window, she nestled, with a
feeling of pleasure, in its cozy depths, and was soon deeply absorbed in
the contents of her book.

She must have been reading half an hour when a slight sound in another
portion of the room startled her. Turning to see what had caused it, she
saw Louis Hamblin standing between the parted portieres of an archway,
and gazing upon her, a smile of triumph on his handsome face.

Mona sprang from her chair, looking the surprise she felt, for she did
not suppose he was in the house.

"Do not rise, Miss Richards," said the young man, as he came forward. "It
is really a great pleasure to find you here, but I pray that you will not
allow me to disturb you."

"I thought you had gone with the party," the young girl said, hardly
knowing how to reply to him, but deeply annoyed by his presence.

"No; I had a raging toothache all night, so had to make up my rest this
morning and have but just eaten breakfast. But sit down, Miss Richards;
everybody has gone off and left me behind; I am lonely, and nothing would
suit me better than a social little chat with yourself," he concluded,
with obnoxious familiarity.

Mona drew her graceful form to its full height, while her red lips curled
scornfully.

"Thank you, but it might be considered in bad taste for one in Mr.
Hamblin's position to be found chatting socially with his aunt's
seamstress, whom he is not supposed to know," she said, a note of sarcasm
in her tone.

The young man laughed out lightly.

"Ah! you resent it because I did not recognize you the day we came to
Hazeldean," he returned; "but you will forgive me, I know, when I tell
you that I avoided betraying the fact of our previous acquaintance
simply for your own good. I feared it might make you conspicuous if I
saluted you, as I wished to do, and my aunt is very particular about
the proprieties of life."

Mona smiled proudly. She failed to perceive how a courteous recognition
could have made her conspicuous or violated in any way the most rigid
l