ways
was a reckless little woman--I say to myself, 'Never mind, enjoy the
present, Mabel Aylmer, even if afterwards comes the deluge.' Good-bye,
my dearest; we shall soon meet and embrace.

"Your most affectionate
"MOTHER."

Florence read the letter over once or twice. She then put it in her
pocket and paced thoughtfully up and down the cherry orchard. The
cherry trees were rapidly dropping their leaves now, and some of them
fell over Florence. She shook them off impatiently.

"It was queer of mother never to mention those postoffice orders which
I sent her," thought the girl; "she has not even thanked me for them;
but there, I suppose it is all right, and she is very happy. It was
good of Sir John to send her that twenty pounds, and yet--and yet it
chokes me to think of it. He would not dare to send the money to
Kitty's cousin, Helen Dartmoor, nor would he dare to send it to Mary
Bateman's father. Oh, if I can only win this Scholarship I shall hold
my head high and exercise that pride, which, after all, no woman ought
to be without."

Florence went back to the house, and soon afterwards Bertha Keys
entered the oak parlor. In the course of the morning she sat next to
Florence, who bent towards her and said, "I have had a long letter from
my mother."

"Oh, indeed," said Bertha, changing color in spite of herself; "and
what did she say?"

"She is coming to Cherry Court Park. Bertha, it is rather queer she
has said nothing at all about the postoffice orders. I wonder if she
got them safely."

"Is it likely she didn't?" replied Bertha, in a calm voice; "of course
she did. She was too excited to think of them; to have an invitation
of that sort would absorb her very much."

"It does absorb her very much indeed," replied Florence. "Doubtless
she forgot. Well, I shall soon see her and be able to ask her all
about the matter."

Sir John Wallis had arranged that the three girls who were to compete
for the Scholarship were to arrive at Cherry Court Park early on the
morning of the great day. They were to sleep there that night, and
return to the school the following day. The rest of the school were to
arrive in the evening, but the Scholarship girls were to have the run
of the Hall, and were to be entertained as the honored guests during
the whole of the important day.

No girls could possibly be more excited than these three when at last
the morning broke. Florence, who had scarcely slept a