es, tell him, please, that I will see him--I mean, hear the clatter he
makes again soon: You, I shall see at the hotel, I hope, now we have
met."

"Oh, yes!" Nattie replied. "I am very much indebted to Quimby for making
us acquainted."

"Oh! really now, do you mean it?" exclaimed Quimby, with sudden delight.
"I am so glad I've done something right at last, you know! Always doing
something wrong, you know!" then hugging his hat to his breast, and
speaking in a confidential whisper, he added, to the great amusement of
the two girls, "I have a presentiment--a horrible presentiment--I'm
always making mistakes, you see. I'm used to it, but I couldn't get used
to _that_, you know--that some day I shall marry the wrong woman!"

So saying, and with a last glance of implacable dislike at the sounder,
Quimby bowed awkwardly, and departed with the laughing Miss Archer.

Soon after their departure, "C" asked,

"Has Black-Eyed Susan gone?"

"Yes," responded Nattie. "She left a good-by for you, and means to
improve your acquaintance."

"Thrice happy I! But about this he? Who is this he? I want to know all
about him. Is he a hated rival?"

"Ha! I never heard him say so, but I will ask him if you wish. He lives
in the same building with me, and brought Miss Archer, a fellow-lodger,
down to introduce her."

"Do you ever go to balls, concerts, theaters, or to ride with him?"
asked "C," who seemed determined to make a thorough investigation of
matters.

"Dear me! No! He never asked me!"

"Do you wish he would?" persisted "C."

"Of course I do!" replied Nattie, somewhat regardless of truth.

"It is my opinion I shall be obliged to come and look after you," "C"
replied, at this admission.

"But you wouldn't know whether you were looking after the right person
or not, when you were here!" Nattie said, with a smiling face and
sparkling eyes turned in the direction of an urchin,' flattening his
nose against her window-glass, who immediately fled, overwhelmed with
astonishment, at being, as he supposed, so smiled upon.

"And why wouldn't I?" questioned "C."

"Because I should recognize you immediately, and should pretend it was
not I, but some substitute," replied Nattie.

"You seem to be very positive about recognizing me. Is your intuitive
bump so well-developed as all that?" asked "C."

"Yes," Nattie responded. "And then you know there would be a twinkle in
your eye that would betray you at once."

"Indeed! We will s