icion of intrigue entering Bles's head.

It turned out quite as Miss Wynn had designed; Mr. Grey, the tailor,
gave Bles some points on dressing, and made him, Southern fashion, a
frock-coat for dress wear that set off his fine figure. On the night of
the gathering at Miss Wynn's Bles dressed with care, hesitating long
over a necktie, but at last choosing one which he had recently purchased
and which pleased him particularly. He was prompt to the minute and was
consequently the first guest; but Miss Wynn's greeting was so quietly
cordial that his embarrassment soon fled. She looked him over at leisure
and sighed at his tie; otherwise he was thoroughly presentable according
to the strictest Washington standard.

They sat down and talked of generalities. Then an idea occurring to her,
she conducted the conversation by devious paths to ties and asked Alwyn
if he had heard of the fad of collecting ties. He had not, and she
showed him a sofa pillow.

"Your tie quite attracted me," she said; "it would make just the dash of
color I need in my new pillow."

"You may have it and welcome. I'll send--"

"Oh, no! A bird in the hand, you know. I'll trade with you now for
another I have."

"Done!"

The exchange was soon made, Miss Wynn tying the new one herself and
sticking a small carved pin in it. Bles slowly sat down again, and after
a pause said, "Thank you."

She looked up quickly, but he seemed quite serious and good-natured.

"You see," he explained, "in the country we don't know much about ties."

The well-balanced Miss Wynn for a moment lost her aplomb, but only for a
moment.

"We must all learn," she replied with penetration, and so their
friendship was established.

The company now began to gather, and soon the double parlor held an
assemblage of twenty-five or thirty persons. They formed a picturesque
group: conventional but graceful in dress; animated in movement; full of
good-natured laughter, but quite un-American in the beautiful modulation
of their speaking tones; chiefly noticeable, however, to a stranger, in
the vast variety of color in skin, which imparted to the throng a
piquant and unusual interest. Every color was here; from the dark brown
of Alwyn, who was customarily accounted black, to the pale pink-white of
Miss Jones, who could "pass for white" when she would, and found her
greatest difficulties when she was trying to "pass" for black. Midway
between these two extremes lay the sallow pastor o