will relieve me from
embarrassment, for, after all, my position was embarrassing--writing
for you always--and then, you know, you will write far better letters
than I can."

"It will be a Heaven-born gift, then," returned Zillah, laughing, "as
I never wrote a letter in my life."

"That is nothing," said Hilda. "I write for another; but you will be
writing for yourself, and that makes all the difference in the world,
you know."

"Well, perhaps so. You see, Hilda, I have taken a fancy to try my
hand at it," said Zillah, laughingly, full of delight at the ease
with which she had gained her desire. "You see," she went on, with
unusual sprightliness of manner, "I got hold of a 'Complete
Letter-Writer' this morning; and the beauty, elegance, and even
eloquence of those amazing compositions have so excited me that I
want to emulate them. Now it happens that Guy is the only
correspondent that I have, and so he must be my first victim."

So saying, Zillah laughingly opened her desk, while Hilda's dark eyes
regarded her with sharp and eager watchfulness. "You must not make it
too eloquent, dear," said she. "Remember the very commonplace
epistles that you have been giving forth in your name."

"Don't be alarmed," said Zillah. "If it is not exactly like a child's
first composition we shall all have great cause for thankfulness."

So saying, she took out a sheet of paper.

"Here," said she, "is an opportunity of using some of this
elaborately monogrammed paper which poor darling papa got for me,
because I wanted to see how they could work my unpromising 'Z' into a
respectable cipher. They have made it utterly illegible, and I
believe that is the great point to be attained."

Thus rattling on, she dated her letter, and began to write. She wrote
as far as

"MY DEAR GUY"--Then she stopped, and read it aloud.--"This is really
getting most exciting," she said, in high good-humor. "Now what comes
next? To find a beginning--there's the rub. I must turn to my
'Complete Letter-Writer.' Let me see. '_Letter from a Son at
School_'--that won't do. '_From a Lady to a Lover returning a
Miniature_--nor that. '_From a Suitor requesting to be allowed to pay
his attentions to a Lady_'--worse and worse. '_From a Father
declining the application of a Suitor for his Daughter's
hand_'--absurd! Oh, here we are--'_From a Wife to a Husband who is
absent on urgent business_.' Oh, listen, Hilda!" and Zillah read:

"'_BELOVED AND HONORED HUSBA