St--at--ates," answered Nattie, glancing at some
autumn leaves tastefully arranged on the walls and curtains. "But 'C'
was telling me about a mistake that was lately made--not by him, he
vehemently asserts, although I am inclined to think it message as
originally sent was, 'John is dead, be at home at three,' when it was
delivered it read, 'John is dead _beat_; home at three.'"

"How was that possible?" asked Miss Archer, laughing,

"I suppose the sending operator did not leave space enough between the
words; we leave a small space between letters, and a longer one between
words," explained Nattie.

"The operator who received it must have been rather stupid not to have
seen the mistake," Miss Archer said. "I have too good an opinion of your
'C' to believe it was he. But every profession has its comic side as
well as its tricks, I suppose; mine, I am sure, does. But I am learning
something every day, and I am determined," energetically, "to fight my
way up!"

Stirred by Miss Archer's earnestness, there came to Nattie an uneasy
consciousness that she herself was making no progress towards her only
dreamed of ambition, and a shade crossed her face; but without observing
it, Miss Archer continued,

"I always had a passion for the lyric stage, and now there is nothing to
prevent--" did a slight shadow here darken also her sunny eyes, gone
instantly?-- "I shall make music my life's aim. Fortunately I have money
of my own to enable me to study, and--"

Miss Archer's speech was here interrupted in a somewhat startling
manner, by the door suddenly flying open, banging against the piano with
a prodigious crash, and disclosing Quimby, red and abashed, outside.

Nattie jumped, Miss Archer gave a little scream, and the Duchess, Mrs.
Simonson's handsome tortoise-shell cat, so named from her extreme
dignity, who lay at full length upon a rug, drew herself up in haughty
displeasure.

"I--I beg pardon, I am sure!" stammered the more agitated intruder.
"Really, I--I am so ashamed I--I can hardly speak! I was unfortunate
enough to stumble--I'm used to it, you know,--and I give you my word of
honor I never saw such a--such an extremely lively door!"

"It is of no consequence," Miss Archer assured him. "Will you come in?"

"Thank you, I--I fear I intrude," answered Quimby, clutching his
watch-chain, and glancing at Nattie, guiltily conscious of the strong
desire to do so that had taken possession of him since the sound of her
v